The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Installed a computer for a not-very IT savvy relative over the weekend, who lives in a rural area with no broadband coverage. He only really goes online to send and receive email and has used a 56k dial-up modem fo ages. When what I suspect was a PSU failure fried the motherboard of his existing machine last month, I bought a five year-old PC that my workplace was throwing out (all staff and student cluster PCs are replaced on a five-year cycle, after which staff and students can buy the withdrawn towers for £20-50, depending on the spec) plus a Windows 7 licence and set it up for him. When the computer was in use in the university, it ran on their site licence version of Windows, and so was sold to me without an operating system. The version of Windows 7 I put on it is 32-bit Home Premium. I deliberately went for the 32-bit edition to avoid possible driver compatbility issues, and as the machine only has 3GB of RAM anyway, it's not as if we're wasting any memory. I bought a 56K modem separately, as the machine didn't come with one in it. Unfortunately, it won't work with Windows 7, despite the Ebay listing promising that it would. Windows 7 won't pick it up natively (says it's a PCI serial port adaptor), none of the drivers on the supplied CD will work and I can't find anything onlne (apart from forum discussions, the upshot of which is don't even bother trying) either. As a plan B I installed Ubuntu on a separate partition and the modem does work with that, but Grandpa has not used Ubuntu and is not comfortable with it, and so that isn't a viable solution. And besides, all his email is on Outlook, and so unless we're willing to fanny-ãrse about with Wine, that definitely isn't going to work. So, question - can anyone point me in the direction of a 56K modem (either PCI or external USB - there is no free PCI-E slot) that they know for definite has a driver that works with Windows 7? Many thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Installed a computer for a not-very IT savvy relative over the weekend, who lives in a rural area with no broadband coverage. He only really goes online to send and receive email and has used a 56k dial-up modem fo ages. When what I suspect was a PSU failure fried the motherboard of his existing machine last month, I bought a five year-old PC that my workplace was throwing out (all staff and student cluster PCs are replaced on a five-year cycle, after which staff and students can buy the withdrawn towers for £20-50, depending on the spec) plus a Windows 7 licence and set it up for him. When the computer was in use in the university, it ran on their site licence version of Windows, and so was sold to me without an operating system. The version of Windows 7 I put on it is 32-bit Home Premium. I deliberately went for the 32-bit edition to avoid possible driver compatbility issues, and as the machine only has 3GB of RAM anyway, it's not as if we're wasting any memory. I bought a 56K modem separately, as the machine didn't come with one in it. Unfortunately, it won't work with Windows 7, despite the Ebay listing promising that it would. Windows 7 won't pick it up natively (says it's a PCI serial port adaptor), none of the drivers on the supplied CD will work and I can't find anything onlne (apart from forum discussions, the upshot of which is don't even bother trying) either. As a plan B I installed Ubuntu on a separate partition and the modem does work with that, but Grandpa has not used Ubuntu and is not comfortable with it, and so that isn't a viable solution. And besides, all his email is on Outlook, and so unless we're willing to fanny-ãrse about with Wine, that definitely isn't going to work. So, question - can anyone point me in the direction of a 56K modem (either PCI or external USB - there is no free PCI-E slot) that they know for definite has a driver that works with Windows 7? Many thanks in advance. Couldn't you just install a version of XP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live Peasant Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 XP mode might solve that problem without too much effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Alternatively equip him with a dongle and 3G connection? Shame the machine isn't newer and more powerful as you could run in XP mode on top of Ubuntu, using VirtualBox. I can only assume the modem is some kind of "soft" modem, in which case its weird its works on Linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 isn't there a list of certified hardware for windows 7 on microsoft's website somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 XP on another partition is a fallback option (and is what I'll do if all else fails), but it would mean buying a licence; and if it is possible to avoid another £60 or so, that would be good. And as MS are only going to support XP for another two years, it does seem like a bit of a waste of money. XP mode within 7 is not an option, as we've only got the Home Premium version of 7 (the XP in a virtual machine only comes with Ultimate). Also, not sure if the VM would be able to communicate through 7 with the modem. Will investigate compatibility list - many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 in all seriousness, a pay by the hour mobile broadband usb dongle sounds a better option, and probably cheaper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 in all seriousness, a pay by the hour mobile broadband usb dongle sounds a better option, and probably cheaper Sure and virtually any mobile phone will function as a 3G modem now. Certainly is the 21st century solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bewildered_renter Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 A quick lunchtime search suggest that there are external USB modems for dial up, that people have used successfully with Windows 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Installed a computer for a not-very IT savvy relative over the weekend, who lives in a rural area with no broadband coverage. He only really goes online to send and receive email and has used a 56k dial-up modem fo ages. When what I suspect was a PSU failure fried the motherboard of his existing machine last month, I bought a five year-old PC that my workplace was throwing out (all staff and student cluster PCs are replaced on a five-year cycle, after which staff and students can buy the withdrawn towers for £20-50, depending on the spec) plus a Windows 7 licence and set it up for him. When the computer was in use in the university, it ran on their site licence version of Windows, and so was sold to me without an operating system. The version of Windows 7 I put on it is 32-bit Home Premium. I deliberately went for the 32-bit edition to avoid possible driver compatbility issues, and as the machine only has 3GB of RAM anyway, it's not as if we're wasting any memory. I bought a 56K modem separately, as the machine didn't come with one in it. Unfortunately, it won't work with Windows 7, despite the Ebay listing promising that it would. Windows 7 won't pick it up natively (says it's a PCI serial port adaptor), none of the drivers on the supplied CD will work and I can't find anything onlne (apart from forum discussions, the upshot of which is don't even bother trying) either. As a plan B I installed Ubuntu on a separate partition and the modem does work with that, but Grandpa has not used Ubuntu and is not comfortable with it, and so that isn't a viable solution. And besides, all his email is on Outlook, and so unless we're willing to fanny-ãrse about with Wine, that definitely isn't going to work. So, question - can anyone point me in the direction of a 56K modem (either PCI or external USB - there is no free PCI-E slot) that they know for definite has a driver that works with Windows 7? Many thanks in advance. installed a USB modem for a client couple of weeks ago...W7 Pro 64 bit...works a treat. Zoom USB V.92 56k Dongle Modem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Surely, the ablity to use a "hardware modem" has not disappeared with WIndows 7? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Many thanks - will get a Zoom and see if that does the trick. Much cheaper than XP at £20-ish. Not convinced that a mobile phone dongle would be cheaper - all he ever does is dial up to download his email once or twice a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinker Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Many thanks - will get a Zoom and see if that does the trick. Much cheaper than XP at £20-ish. Not convinced that a mobile phone dongle would be cheaper - all he ever does is dial up to download his email once or twice a week. Windows 7 Compatibility Center, look under Hardware, Networking, Modems: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Surely, the ablity to use a "hardware modem" has not disappeared with WIndows 7? no, but the older software my client wanted to use had trouble with it. It was banking software....it reported "noise on the line".. I at first suspected the modem and W7, but another app worked just fine. The problem was the old bank software....the error was with the multicore processor and W7....to make it work at all, the client has to run the program and "set affinity" to one processor...every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulu Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Sure and virtually any mobile phone will function as a 3G modem now. Certainly is the 21st century solution. Believe it or not there are still parts of the country where even getting a mobile phone signal is an issue... My parents live in a fairly rural part of the world and I can only get a signal on my phone at the far end of the village. It drives my sisters boyfriend mad when he comes to visit too as he does not get a signal on his Iphone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Believe it or not there are still parts of the country where even getting a mobile phone signal is an issue... My parents live in a fairly rural part of the world and I can only get a signal on my phone at the far end of the village. It drives my sisters boyfriend mad when he comes to visit too as he does not get a signal on his Iphone I go on long distance footpath walking holidays, and sometimes go days without a mobile phone signal, but find the oddest places on hilltops where you can get the teeniest signal by line of sight from a distant transmitter, and pick up[ all me text messages goodness knows how we managed without mobile phones at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 goodness knows how we managed without mobile phones at all! The Royal Mail was a valued service then! Of course it was slower! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascii Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have an old com port 56k modem that you can have if you're struggling; since it's not on the PCI bus can't see a reason why it won't work,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have an old com port 56k modem that you can have if you're struggling; since it's not on the PCI bus can't see a reason why it won't work,. Surely an old serial port modem can be made to work with Windows 7. You used to have to write a short script with old Windows NT! Why are we doing this? We are in the "Connected Age"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have an old com port 56k modem that you can have if you're struggling; since it's not on the PCI bus can't see a reason why it won't work,. Many thanks. Can't remember if the computer actually has a serial port on it, though. A Zoom is on its way, so let's hope that does the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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