Thomson 330 USB (new drivers) freezes Vista Home Basic

The hardware:
PC: Targa Now 3500+.
Modem: Thomson Speedtouch 330 -the numbers on it are 357q01gb2,
362-50-357 and 515 apparently.

The problem:
When the modem isn't plugged in, the PC is fine. But when it IS
plugged in, the PC will often freeze completely, not bluescreening,
just not responding, mostly when the "disconnect" button is pressed on
the net connection. Nothing shows in eventvwr and the PC needs a hard
reboot.

The PC is brand new, has all the updates, and we installed the NEW
Vista drivers before doing anything else. ie: the "old" ones were
never there.

We've also been round all the USB ports, front and back. And I've
tried to find a firmware update, but all we find is people asking the
same question.

Secondly, we have an 8Mb connection but we can't use it because the
Speedtouch is currently limited to 2Mb. So, I found this page called
"Adapting the SpeedTouch 330 driver settings for ADSL speeds above
4Mbit/s"
http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...tent3.asp?c=91
Except, it doesn't work. Vista says it has installed the settings OK,
but even after removing the modem or rebooting or whatever, it doesn't
change to isochronous mode. I don't know how many times we must have
rebooted the computer and unplugged the modem in various
combinations before or after installing the registry patch.

Here's the general Thomson 330 info page
http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...&ProductID=471

We've also read this page
http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/MiniS...upport.htm#usb

We HAVE logged a query with Thomson, but if previous experience of
doing that kind of thing is correct, in about two weeks a reply will
come telling us to ring a premium rate number, which will tell us to
visit the website!

If I'm proved wrong I'll let you know, meantime any help would be
appreciated.

(E-Mail Removed) declared for all the world to hear...
> If I'm proved wrong I'll let you know, meantime any help would be
> appreciated.

Get a modem/router.
--
Regards
Jon

> > If I'm proved wrong I'll let you know, meantime any help would be
> > appreciated.
> Get a modem/router.

Seconded - they make life soooo much easier.

"Jonathan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> The hardware:
> PC: Targa Now 3500+.
> Modem: Thomson Speedtouch 330 -the numbers on it are 357q01gb2,
> 362-50-357 and 515 apparently.
>
> The problem:
> When the modem isn't plugged in, the PC is fine. But when it IS
> plugged in, the PC will often freeze completely, not bluescreening,
> just not responding, mostly when the "disconnect" button is pressed on
> the net connection. Nothing shows in eventvwr and the PC needs a hard
> reboot.
>

cut your losses, get a modem/router, you will NOT regret it, believe me.

P.

"Jonathan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> The hardware:
> PC: Targa Now 3500+.
> Modem: Thomson Speedtouch 330 -the numbers on it are 357q01gb2,
> 362-50-357 and 515 apparently.
>
> The problem:
> When the modem isn't plugged in, the PC is fine. But when it IS
> plugged in, the PC will often freeze completely, not bluescreening,
> just not responding, mostly when the "disconnect" button is pressed on
> the net connection. Nothing shows in eventvwr and the PC needs a hard
> reboot.
>
> The PC is brand new, has all the updates, and we installed the NEW
> Vista drivers before doing anything else. ie: the "old" ones were
> never there.
>
> We've also been round all the USB ports, front and back. And I've
> tried to find a firmware update, but all we find is people asking the
> same question.
>
> Secondly, we have an 8Mb connection but we can't use it because the
> Speedtouch is currently limited to 2Mb. So, I found this page called
> "Adapting the SpeedTouch 330 driver settings for ADSL speeds above
> 4Mbit/s"
> http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...tent3.asp?c=91
> Except, it doesn't work. Vista says it has installed the settings OK,
> but even after removing the modem or rebooting or whatever, it doesn't
> change to isochronous mode. I don't know how many times we must have
> rebooted the computer and unplugged the modem in various
> combinations before or after installing the registry patch.
>
> Here's the general Thomson 330 info page
> http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...&ProductID=471
>
> We've also read this page
> http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/MiniS...upport.htm#usb
>
> We HAVE logged a query with Thomson, but if previous experience of
> doing that kind of thing is correct, in about two weeks a reply will
> come telling us to ring a premium rate number, which will tell us to
> visit the website!
>
> If I'm proved wrong I'll let you know, meantime any help would be
> appreciated.

Firstly, I absolutely agree with everyone else - get yourself a
modem/router. USB modems have had their day a long time ago and they were
never brilliant anyway. I can heartily recommend the Linksys WAG54GS - mine
is currently showing an uptime of some 250-odd days with a completely
rock-solid connection - but there are many more out there. Even the
Ebuyer.co.uk budget ones are ten times better than a USB modem.

Secondly, I would be inclined to ditch Vista and use XP. It's too new and
suffers from too many teething problems. I'm going to give it at least 18
months to 2 years before even thinking about Vista, preferring to stick with
trusty old XP Pro until then.

A friend of mine recently bought the same Targa PC as you (from Lidl) and we
did this very thing for him just three days ago. Targa's website (service
section http://www.service.targa.co.uk/) says that you can install any
operating system that you want - although they will only provide support for
Vista - and there is a full set of drivers for XP available for download
from there as well, so I'd recommend that.

John

"John" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Jonathan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>> The hardware:
>> PC: Targa Now 3500+.
>> Modem: Thomson Speedtouch 330 -the numbers on it are 357q01gb2,
>> 362-50-357 and 515 apparently.
>>
>> The problem:
>> When the modem isn't plugged in, the PC is fine. But when it IS
>> plugged in, the PC will often freeze completely, not bluescreening,
>> just not responding, mostly when the "disconnect" button is pressed on
>> the net connection. Nothing shows in eventvwr and the PC needs a hard
>> reboot.
>>
>> The PC is brand new, has all the updates, and we installed the NEW
>> Vista drivers before doing anything else. ie: the "old" ones were
>> never there.
>>
>> We've also been round all the USB ports, front and back. And I've
>> tried to find a firmware update, but all we find is people asking the
>> same question.
>>
>> Secondly, we have an 8Mb connection but we can't use it because the
>> Speedtouch is currently limited to 2Mb. So, I found this page called
>> "Adapting the SpeedTouch 330 driver settings for ADSL speeds above
>> 4Mbit/s"
>> http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...tent3.asp?c=91
>> Except, it doesn't work. Vista says it has installed the settings OK,
>> but even after removing the modem or rebooting or whatever, it doesn't
>> change to isochronous mode. I don't know how many times we must have
>> rebooted the computer and unplugged the modem in various
>> combinations before or after installing the registry patch.
>>
>> Here's the general Thomson 330 info page
>> http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/c...&ProductID=471
>>
>> We've also read this page
>> http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/MiniS...upport.htm#usb
>>
>> We HAVE logged a query with Thomson, but if previous experience of
>> doing that kind of thing is correct, in about two weeks a reply will
>> come telling us to ring a premium rate number, which will tell us to
>> visit the website!
>>
>> If I'm proved wrong I'll let you know, meantime any help would be
>> appreciated.
>
> Firstly, I absolutely agree with everyone else - get yourself a
> modem/router. USB modems have had their day a long time ago and they were
> never brilliant anyway. I can heartily recommend the Linksys WAG54GS -
> mine is currently showing an uptime of some 250-odd days with a completely
> rock-solid connection - but there are many more out there. Even the
> Ebuyer.co.uk budget ones are ten times better than a USB modem.
>
> Secondly, I would be inclined to ditch Vista and use XP. It's too new and
> suffers from too many teething problems. I'm going to give it at least 18
> months to 2 years before even thinking about Vista, preferring to stick
> with trusty old XP Pro until then.
>
> A friend of mine recently bought the same Targa PC as you (from Lidl) and
> we did this very thing for him just three days ago. Targa's website
> (service section http://www.service.targa.co.uk/) says that you can
> install any operating system that you want - although they will only
> provide support for Vista - and there is a full set of drivers for XP
> available for download from there as well, so I'd recommend that.
>
> John

Well, being a cheapskate old luddite, I'd just like to say that I'm quite
happy with my Thompson 330 "frog".
I updated the software when I went on to ADSL Max and it works fine.
I'd say, like others here, that the problem is probably Vista, not being
wholly compatible with the modem software.
I can't be sure of this 'cos I'm still on XP and can't/won't change to Vista
until and unless they work out a compatibility with my HP printer and Epson
scanner. (As these are both about four years old, I don't see it happening).

George