sky router - windows ME compatible?

free4440273

...folks, just a quick one. will the router/modem supplied by sky broadband (it's a netgear router i believe) work with windows ME? as far as i know routers are driver and OS independent and so it should indeed work. i ask because sometimes these companies insist (through ignorance) that you MUST have windows xp. for example my talktalk connection works fine on both mac/xp/ and windows ME. (i am moving house and wish to have the sky package) just wanted your thoughts. thanks as always

albertross_2

It will work wired, if you want to use it wireless, you will need to use WEP encryption instead of WPA

free4440273

albertross, as always much thanks. after moving costs i really did not want to fork out for a new computer! have a good monday week also

penrhyn

The only thing that won't work (probably) is the Sky installation disk, which is NOT needed.
It has some noddy graphics about connecting your router, and sticks a Provided by Sky Broadband banner on your internet explorer.
You might want to install the Macafee software otherwise its best use is as a drinks coaster.

gavinp

If you want to use Windows ME and WPA-PSK encryption it is possible as long as the company selling the card provide supplicant software to support it.

My mother's work PC is running Windows ME and has a D-Link DWL-510 wireless card (802.11b) which works fine using WPA-PSK. I have tried two other types of wireless card however that did not work so you are limited in choice.

Thanks

Gavin

free4440273

penrhyn wrote: »

The only thing that won't work (probably) is the Sky installation disk, which is NOT needed.
It has some noddy graphics about connecting your router, and sticks a Provided by Sky Broadband banner on your internet explorer.
You might want to install the Macafee software otherwise its best use is as a drinks coaster.

thanks, that's exactly what i meant in my original post (their ignorance) about routers being driver and OS independent. i am slightly concerned about the netgear router they provide - have heard that it' s quite flaky so i might have to buy a new one myself

espresso

free4440273 wrote: »

have heard that it' s quite flaky so i might have to buy a new one myself

Not as flakey as ME

gavinp

I have had Sky broadband for about six months now and the router seems OK but I have PNP (Plug N Play) turned off (this seems to be a common cause of problems with the DG834GT/Sky firmware) and I use the OpenDNS servers rather than the Sky DNS server: http://www.opendns.com/

I have tried several different routers on my long line (5.5Km+ to exchange) and the Sky router seems to work best albeit at 2.5Mbps down/768Kbps up on the Max package.

Thanks

Gavin

vetfred

free4440273 wrote: »

...folks, just a quick one. will the router/modem supplied by sky broadband (it's a netgear router i believe) work with windows ME? as far as i know routers are driver and OS independent and so it should indeed work. i ask because sometimes these companies insist (through ignorance) that you MUST have windows xp. for example my talktalk connection works fine on both mac/xp/ and windows ME. (i am moving house and wish to have the sky package) just wanted your thoughts. thanks as always

There's a post about Sky and ME on the skyuser forum and the person using it was told (when they ran into problems) that Sky wouldn't help since they didn't support people using ME

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-broadband-help/9858-so-angry-windows-millennium.html

seaweasel

ME is possibly the worst operating system to have been spawned by Microsoft, or indeed anyone. Do yourself a favour and upgrade to something else, anything else, whether it's 2000, XP or Linux.

cledor

I used a Netgear DG834G with WinME, had no serious issues to report.