Temporary connection

Well I have gone over to NTL Broadband after years of dial-up.

My second comp is an old Pentium II PB box running 98SE but it works
well enough for my needs.

Can I get my reserve machine online without buying expensive equipment
or fiddling about too much. It does not have LAN. All I used to do
with the dial up modem was to connect it to the old machine when
needed.

I don't necessarily want it permanently online just as cover for this
comp if it fails but want to keep the various progs up to date via the
net say every two weeks or so. The blue modem is labelled -

cable modem ntl:

The old machine does have two usb connectors. Also do I have to run
the ntl installation disc on the old machine or can it be done another
way?

Thankyou

citizen142 wrote:
> Well I have gone over to NTL Broadband after years of dial-up.
>
> My second comp is an old Pentium II PB box running 98SE but it works
> well enough for my needs.
>
> Can I get my reserve machine online without buying expensive equipment
> or fiddling about too much. It does not have LAN. All I used to do
> with the dial up modem was to connect it to the old machine when
> needed.
....

> The old machine does have two usb connectors. Also do I have to run
> the ntl installation disc on the old machine or can it be done another
> way?
>
I'd recommend buying an ethernet card rather than using usb. Should be
able to get a 2nd hand one for a couple of ££. And then /don't/ install
ntl's software: it's not needed.

--
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Mike Scott Harlow Essex England.(unet -a-t- scottsonline.org.uk)

"citizen142" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Ju%If.22291$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Well I have gone over to NTL Broadband after years of dial-up.
>
> My second comp is an old Pentium II PB box running 98SE but it works
> well enough for my needs.
>
> Can I get my reserve machine online without buying expensive equipment
> or fiddling about too much. It does not have LAN. [...]

Like Mike Scott, I would recommend buying an Ethernet card. You don't need
to install the NTL software, which is best avoided anyway.

However, an important note: if you want to change the machine connected to
the cable modem (regardless of how it is connected), reboot the modem after
disconnecting it from the first computer and before connecting it to the
second. To reboot it, unplug the modem from the power supply for a few
moments, then replace. Wait until the modem has fully established
communication (downstream and upstream) before connecting the second
computer. If you don't reboot the modem, you will not get Internet access.
If you don't wait long enough after rebooting the modem, you may need to
manually initiate a DHCP exchange. (You may need to do this anyway under
Windows 98SE, I can't remember.)

Alex

In message <nl0Jf.41919$(E-Mail Removed)>, Mike Scott
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I'd recommend buying an ethernet card rather than using usb. Should be
>able to get a 2nd hand one for a couple of ££.
Should be able to get a new one for a couple of quid, think I paid 2.20
for the last 'cheapy' card. Has the advantage that you get all drivers
and don't have to try and find them on the net.
> And then /don't/ install ntl's software: it's not needed.
>

--
Clint Sharp