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#1
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Help needed to upgrade USB port on old PC
I am trying to connect a new Brothers MFC420CN fax, scanner,
and printer to an older Gateway computer. Brothers requirements state USB 2.0 is required. Don't know how to tell what type of USB is in the computer but since computer was made in 1999 would have to assume that it has USB 1.0 since USB 2.0 specifications not even completed until 2000. Tried to look up an upgrade card USB 2.0 PCI to fix problem BUT all the cards I find in a Google search seem to specify Windows 98SE not just Windows 98. Questions: 1. How does one tell what version of USB is installed? 2. Is there some basic difference between 98 and 98SE that would make these cards not work with regular Windows 98 or is it just that 98 is so old now they list it as 98SE? 3. Do have another option available if must have Win 98SE to upgrade and that is to go through a ethernet connection. However top speed through ethernet is 100 MB while USB 2.0 is 480 mB that is quite a difference. Would think it would be quite noticeable? email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end TIA Hank |
#2
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Hank wrote in
: I am trying to connect a new Brothers MFC420CN fax, scanner, and printer to an older Gateway computer. Brothers requirements state USB 2.0 is required. Don't know how to tell what type of USB is in the computer but since computer was made in 1999 would have to assume that it has USB 1.0 since USB 2.0 specifications not even completed until 2000. Tried to look up an upgrade card USB 2.0 PCI to fix problem BUT all the cards I find in a Google search seem to specify Windows 98SE not just Windows 98. Questions: 1. How does one tell what version of USB is installed? Go to device manager. When there's an 'Enhanced USB Host controller' or something like that, you've got USB 2.0. But in your case you can safely presume that you've got USB 1.1 2. Is there some basic difference between 98 and 98SE that would make these cards not work with regular Windows 98 or is it just that 98 is so old now they list it as 98SE? As far as I know the main difference between 98 and 98 SE is an enhanced USB support. I don't know if that means that 98 cannot run USB 2.0, but if you can only get drivers for SE, you're stuck. 3. Do have another option available if must have Win 98SE to upgrade and that is to go through a ethernet connection. However top speed through ethernet is 100 MB while USB 2.0 is 480 mB that is quite a difference. Would think it would be quite noticeable? Maybe in scanner mode, but I don't think so. In all other cases the data stream will be below 100 Mbit/s. |
#3
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"Hank" wrote in message
... I am trying to connect a new Brothers MFC420CN fax, scanner, and printer to an older Gateway computer. Brothers requirements state USB 2.0 is required. Don't know how to tell what type of USB is in the computer but since computer was made in 1999 would have to assume that it has USB 1.0 since USB 2.0 specifications not even completed until 2000. Tried to look up an upgrade card USB 2.0 PCI to fix problem BUT all the cards I find in a Google search seem to specify Windows 98SE not just Windows 98. Questions: 1. How does one tell what version of USB is installed? Checking for USB 2: http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm The keyword is "Enhanced" Right-click My Computer, click Properties, Device Manager tab. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category, and see if an "Enhanced" USB Host Controller is listed. On a machine your age, they are peobably all USB 1.1 2. Is there some basic difference between 98 and 98SE that would make these cards not work with regular Windows 98 or is it just that 98 is so old now they list it as 98SE? USB Hardware 1.0 vs 1.1 Host Controller Issue Explained: http://www.usbman.com/Guides/USB_ver...version1.1.htm "A flaw in an early OHCI, USB host controller..... affected mass storage devices, printers, scanners, and other devices that require data integrity. The OHCI flaw has been corrected by Microsoft with a work around in Windows98 SE, v 4.10.2222a.......Windows98 First Release versions do not provide the work around for the OHCI/VHDL core bug." That said, USB 2.0 drivers are written by the card (or chipset) manufacturer, and may include both Win98 and Win98SE drivers, so you must check the card's drivers carefully. Also, even if there are drivers for the card, the peripheral you attach (or its software) may require Win98SE. In your case that Brother MF printer works under Win98 or Win98SE, according to its online documentation, so as long as you find a USB 2.0 PCI card with Win98 FE drivers, you should not have a problem. 3. Do have another option available if must have Win 98SE to upgrade and that is to go through a ethernet connection. However top speed through ethernet is 100 MB while USB 2.0 is 480 mB that is quite a difference. Would think it would be quite noticeable? Are you sure you can connect to *only* the Ethernet port without a USB 2.0 connection at all? What do the docs say? -- Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+ http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm |
#4
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On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 12:26:52 -0500, "glee"
wrote: "Hank" wrote in message .. . I am trying to connect a new Brothers MFC420CN fax, scanner, and printer to an older Gateway computer. Brothers requirements state USB 2.0 is required. Don't know how to tell what type of USB is in the computer but since computer was made in 1999 would have to assume that it has USB 1.0 since USB 2.0 specifications not even completed until 2000. Tried to look up an upgrade card USB 2.0 PCI to fix problem BUT all the cards I find in a Google search seem to specify Windows 98SE not just Windows 98. Questions: 1. How does one tell what version of USB is installed? Checking for USB 2: http://www.usbman.com/Guides/checking_for_usb_2.htm The keyword is "Enhanced" Right-click My Computer, click Properties, Device Manager tab. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category, and see if an "Enhanced" USB Host Controller is listed. On a machine your age, they are peobably all USB 1.1 This is a friend's machine I was writing about but I tried checking the above on my new Dell 3000 and was surprised to find of the four USB listed only one says enhanced so I guess the others are some version of 1.X? Now I am wondering how to tell which one is where. 2. Is there some basic difference between 98 and 98SE that would make these cards not work with regular Windows 98 or is it just that 98 is so old now they list it as 98SE? USB Hardware 1.0 vs 1.1 Host Controller Issue Explained: http://www.usbman.com/Guides/USB_ver...version1.1.htm "A flaw in an early OHCI, USB host controller..... affected mass storage devices, printers, scanners, and other devices that require data integrity. The OHCI flaw has been corrected by Microsoft with a work around in Windows98 SE, v 4.10.2222a.......Windows98 First Release versions do not provide the work around for the OHCI/VHDL core bug." That said, USB 2.0 drivers are written by the card (or chipset) manufacturer, and may include both Win98 and Win98SE drivers, so you must check the card's drivers carefully. Also, even if there are drivers for the card, the peripheral you attach (or its software) may require Win98SE. In your case that Brother MF printer works under Win98 or Win98SE, according to its online documentation, so as long as you find a USB 2.0 PCI card with Win98 FE drivers, you should not have a problem. After posting I was reading the fine print in the Brother manual and came across this: "MFC420 can be connected to a computer that has a USB 1.1 interface." Also in a foot note to USB 2.0 data rate 480 meg reads "maximum data transfer rate will be 12 MB/S" So a USB 2.0 is a definite overkill. Thanks for the responses. Will try firing up on the old USB port when I get back there. In the mean time learned something new about my PC. 3. Do have another option available if must have Win 98SE to upgrade and that is to go through a ethernet connection. However top speed through ethernet is 100 MB while USB 2.0 is 480 mB that is quite a difference. Would think it would be quite noticeable? Are you sure you can connect to *only* the Ethernet port without a USB 2.0 connection at all? What do the docs say? email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end TIA Hank |
#5
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The USB port configuration might be a BIOS setting - this is often provided
for compatibility with older peripherals. -- Jeff Richards MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User) "Hank" wrote in message ... On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 12:26:52 -0500, "glee" wrote: snip This is a friend's machine I was writing about but I tried checking the above on my new Dell 3000 and was surprised to find of the four USB listed only one says enhanced so I guess the others are some version of 1.X? Now I am wondering how to tell which one is where. |
#6
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"Hank" wrote in message
... 3. Do have another option available if must have Win 98SE to upgrade and that is to go through a ethernet connection. However top speed through ethernet is 100 MB while USB 2.0 is 480 mB that is quite a difference. Would think it would be quite noticeable? email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end Those are theoretical speeds. If you have a modern 10/100 LAN adapter, and it's duplexed (which most are, these days), it can send and receive, both, at 100 Mbits/sec with not much loss due to overhead. On the other hand, USB2 is serial--can only send *or* receive, but not both at once, and all such transmissions include both sending and receiving. The actual throughput of USB2 is dependent on many factors. See: http://www.usb.org/developers/usbfaq/#band1 I can't find a similar discussion of Ethernet 10/100, but my impression is that it doesn't generally have the kinds of bottleneck problems that USB has (nor does Firewire, actually, which makes *it* the absolute best until you start talking about gigabit ethernet.) I recall a recent conversation between some people who know these kinds of things, and the upshot is that *if* the USB2 conditions are absolutely favorable, the max one-way throughput is something like 2 MBytes/sec. (or 80 Mbits/sec). Result is that the two are more or less on par. -- Gary S. Terhune MS MVP Shell/User http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm |
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