Ethernet Connection On Windows 98se

Have 2 windows 98se desktops in room with my wireless/ethernet router. They have Ethernet cards and sockets for Ethernet cable connection. Is it possible, feasible, sensible to connect these PCs to my wireless network if I figure out how to configure it? Verizon either said or indicated they were too old and seemed uninterested but it seems like it should be possible even though not AS good as a new computer would be.

 

Wireless cards existed in Windows 98 but the biggest problem is going to be finding a driver for a wireless card that would work in 98 and I don't know of a single mfgr that hasn't taken down all driver support for Windows 98. If you could find something new with a driver cd with it that worked in 98 and your only real shot at that would be eBay.

 

The Compaq 5660 has Intel21143/2 based 10/100 mbps Ethernet Controller 4-23-99 Microsoft 4.10.2222 File Version Drver it says in Network Adaptors.
The Compaq 5852 has Diamond Home PNA & Ethernet based adapter , Diamond Multimedia 5-18-1999.
Says they are working normally.
But I find I don't know exactly what I am supposed to be looking for or what is needed. If a driver is needed I do not know what to search for. Also I guess I must somehow configure it manually. Would like to try to get the Ethernet connection to work but am stumped. Any suggestions how to proceed? Maybe go to Intel and Diamond Multimedia sites and contact them with a question?
Any chance a USB wireless adapter might work with windows 98se? Even if some sited want updated browsers and such, it would be nice to access those sites I could with high speed instead of dial up connection.
And, if it already has a driver, why would it not work with that one?

 

Cindy; this looks like it might succeed. I followed this and lft what you didn't mention as is. I was able to instantly get a page up but not al. Got an amazon shopping page with blank boxes like an info page, Mozilla Firefox and Opera browsers, and a few others. But in Internet options>tools>advanced>security only SSL 2.0 and 3.0 were checked. I had to check TSL 1.0 to get the pages or said Cannot Display. But it tried. Still cant get Google, and some others. Can get this forum and kickenhardware forum and login. So something IS DEFINITELY working. Nothing dials up ad pages come up fast even if cannot display. I am pleased and thank you forgetting me this far. Didnt have any time to spend on it until now. Notice I didn't have to login to network with any username or password. Rather than list settings not knowing what is important, if you mention any settings and locations you think might need changing I can find and post them. But this is farther than I have gotten so far and looks like it does work. I do not know if adapters need configuring in Control Panel or if detects automatically. I am now going to try the other slightly newer Compaq 5852 Presario to see how it does. Let me know if you think o anything else. Now that I have 2 laptops wireless and one and now 2 desktops on Ethernet, maybe I can get the last one also.
Oh... at bottom left corner got a message saying JavaScript : doNetDetect, yet some Java is checked in Int.Options>Advanced>...
Maybe some other settings not quite right. Now to read all the prior posts.

 

OK by me - doing well so far. With me, I just don't know how to change settings or to what. Probably can find locations but dont know what to check and uncheck. I try to write down what they were to start, and what I changed to, so I can put them back if necessary.

 

Good point Tony. BG if you are running on Windows 98, whatever version of IE you use will probably not open 1/2 the sites you go to. The best chance you have is to download and install the newest version of whatever browser was there in 98 and that may be trouble as I don't think Firefox came along until XP as Netscape was still alive then and Chrome definitely didn't exist then.

 

1. Is there any point in trying the D-Link DMA-130 wireless adapter with its own install CD on the w98 destops even though they dont leave the room?

2. Yes, I never expected full functionality with IE6 but thought I would like the speed with what DID work.

3. Lately, with windows 7 laptop, when I go to this forum it freezes and a yellow box at botton says "this website is not responding" then a box "IE not rest responding, Windows is searching for a solution" which it never finds. Then I go to the XP laptop and instant success. Any idea what is causing that? AT first I thought site was closed for some reason, but this time I tried a different PC, also wireless. I hope this XP laptop NEVER STOPS WORKING.

4. I do have a Firefox and Opera browser on the w98se's. Unsure of version but will check. Thanks.

ADDENDUM: For some reason the XP seemed to stop being connected to network. I reconnected. The W7 still says CHF site not responding but network connection OK and other sites work. ????????????????
Is this common with networks?

 

Yes I have to say its common but seldom do I run across someone with so many pcs running different versions of Windows that are trying to do the same things on them, and you just have to realize
that just isn't going to happen

 

It does get confusing. But I cant figure out why CHF site isnt responding on W7 wireless while on XP wireless it does, and other websites do. Two laptops on same desk next to each other. But the XP has the USB adapter.

 

On any browser BG?

 

Just installed firefox and CHF works fine. But it also does on IE11 now.

 

Great then the browser was the issue.