Does your ISP support Vista?

the_syco

I ask, as a sh|t load of the ISP's over in England don't, and at least half admit they don't to their customers:eek: Don't use it myself yet, but mostly anyone who got it in the UK can't connect.

AdMMM

Forgive me for sounding a bit ignorant, but would this only apply to those connecting with USB modems for which there are no drivers available?

event

yeah thats all

and that not the ISP, that would be the modem manufacturers

watty

Vista works with ANY ISP, as long as you use Ethernet. A USB Modem connection won't work with most Operating Systems. Much as I think Vista is a truely pointless product, this issue is nothing to do with Vista.

Vista or a new PC with Vista is not cheap. An ADSL router even out the high street is very little extra cost.

I would say the orignal claim of

the_syco wrote:

but mostly anyone who got it in the UK can't connect.

Is seriously exaggerated. I did notice a few weeks ago that my Dad's NTL cable uses a USB only modem. Was supplying USB modems a simple ploy to make it harder for multiple PCs to share one Internet account?

I notice Ripwave comes in USB or ethernet versions. One person I know had USB and it was faulty. The replacement was ethernet and they forced the USB plug into the ethernet socket

I have no idea the proportion of customers in UK or Ireland supplied with USB only modems, or how many models have no Vista drivers, but I would have thought nowhere near "most".

If you have an ADSL modem with USB only you can replace it yourself. If you have Ripwave, Cable etc you can tell ISP you want to use NT4.0 (no USB at all) or WiFi Laptop or PS2 etc and need an ethernet modem to connect to your WiFi Router, etc.

I'd advise people when they sign up to make sure they are supplied a Modem with ethernet so that any OS can be used without drivers.

Some Internet systems to not have ethernet versions at all. In thoses cases there is usually a PCMCIA card (Same problem). However Linksys, Netgear and a couple of others make routers with PCMCIA/PCcard slots, but check that they actually have a driver or that the ISP can supply it. It will cost extra, maybe €250 to €500 for modem + router depending on subsidy.

Oh.. And use OS X, Linux, Solaris or Windows XP. Wait and see if Microsoft produce a finished version of Vista, or the for the next version. Unlike Windows2000/WindowsXP compared with earlier windows, Vista adds nothing useful at all.

kaizersoze

|.Murderer.| wrote:

Forgive me for sounding a bit ignorant, but would this only apply to those connecting with USB modems for which there are no drivers available?

Nail on the head there Murderer. Users don't bother to check these things before upgrading. Running a simple too like the Microsoft compatability checker or making a phonecall to their ISP is too much hassle.
We have our own crusade by a user against UTV over in IOffL. He feels it's 'incumbent' on UTV to supply him with a free modem because he upgraded to Vista.

watty

This probably to do with Driver signing. virtually all Windows 2000 USB drivers work on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. There is no good reason why such drivers, especially for Networking should not work on Windows Vista. This is a Microsoft created problem and not at all responsibility of ISPs or Modem manufacturers.

Read the fine print of Vista Licence. Does it licence you to run an older OS? (earlier MS licences do so that Corporate can by the new MS Office / Windows on 10 PCs, but install the old one so as to mathc the other 200 PCs).

Demand a copy XP of from MS to replace Vista.

You can still buy XP for a new Computer.

Ghost Train

the_syco wrote:

I ask, as a sh|t load of the ISP's over in England don't, and at least half admit they don't to their customers:eek: Don't use it myself yet, but mostly anyone who got it in the UK can't connect.

its fair enough if they don't offer "technical" support for vista, just like they probably won't offer it for linux users etc. They should provide general settings for connection, but it will be up to the user to setup the vista software and find drivers for usb devices etc if needed. If staff aren't familar/trained with vista it's fair enough that technical support specific to vista isn't provided. i'm sure as vista becomes more popular more vista specific support will be provided by isps

DemonOfTheFall

Meh, if you're using a USB modem you're getting what you deserve (People who wouldn't know better excepted). It sucks connecting up with a USB modem, everyone should just get a damn ethernet one.

the_syco

Mainly USB. A few ethernet. Actually, any ISP that needs you to run their software, won't work. Some have Vista CD's, most don't. Some people using dialup, connects, asks for their password, then fails, no Dial Tone error (this is after they connect, btw). AOL, and I think NTL are the main ones.

Cabaal

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

Meh, if you're using a USB modem you're getting what you deserve (People who wouldn't know better excepted). It sucks connecting up with a USB modem, everyone should just get a damn ethernet one.

Agreed, anyone using a USB modem who is upgrading to Vista probably hasn't done their homework

Its worth noting that this has already been covered on the IrelandOffline forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055054689

event

the_syco wrote:

Mainly USB. A few ethernet. Actually, any ISP that needs you to run their software, won't work. Some have Vista CD's, most don't. Some people using dialup, connects, asks for their password, then fails, no Dial Tone error (this is after they connect, btw). AOL, and I think NTL are the main ones.

what ISP's in ireland need you to run their software?

id say all provide an ethernet modem/router, in which case it'll be fine

watty

You seeminly randomly get Ethernet or USB ripwave modem. But that was last year.