View Full Version : Windows 95
Well I dug up my old Windows 95 laptop my dad let us play with when I was younger. It's what I learned to program on. :) Ah, memories...good 'ol days, when I learned how computers worked by just playing with one.
Well, I noticed it has a serial ports, and several other odd looking ports that I must be too young to recognize, and some sort of PCI slot or something. I'd like to connect this thing to my network, which is hardwired with ethernet and wireless b/g. It doesn't have an ethernet port or anything that looks like a phone connector thingy.
I'm wondering what kind of hardware I need to get it up on my network, and if there are drivers for Windows 95 for it. Or is this not even possible...
I'm sure you guys that are older than me would know. :) I feel so, uh, young when I think about Windows 95...I was like 3 when it came out... :P
Michael Clease
02-08-2010, 10:03
Hello Joe, can you tell us the Make and Model of the laptop so we can look it up ;)
I think you might have some issues with trying to network a win95 machine to a XP/Vista/7 network if you can get hold of a win98 2nd or even ME at least you will get some sort of USB support.
Mike
Sure! NEC Versa 6260.
It does have a USB. My network has XP and 7 computers running on it. We hate vista.
Michael Clease
02-08-2010, 23:33
From what I can find it looks like it doesnt have a network adapter fitted but you could get a pcmcia card as it has two ports.
I would recommend a usb wifi device but I dont think you will find one that supports win95.
try Ebay for an old card
Found this:
http://www.belkin.com/support/article/?lid=en&pid=F5D6050&aid=70&scid=221
@Michael, I actually got an old Xircom PCICIA to LAN (ethernet) from a computer shop that they had lying around. I found the drivers, but I couldn't ever get it to work in Windows 95. And I'm really good at installing drivers.
So, I'm putting Windows 98 Special Edition on this laptop as I write...
Well nothing has worked so far. :/ So i'm going to try getting a different PCMCIA network card.
Michael Clease
04-08-2010, 23:21
Whats the problem?
Does windows actually see the card?
Are the cardbus drivers installed?
I never could find the appropriate drivers. There were ones on the site, but it always said to refer to the cd that came with the product, and of course, I don't have it. :P
Michael Clease
05-08-2010, 09:29
Here is an option that might solve your issue.
Hardware can be badged by anyone but the chipset inside can be the same so if you look up the vender ID and Device ID you could find generic drivers.
The is the dlink PCMCIA wireless card in my laptop
PCI\VEN_168C&DEV_0013&SUBSYS_32021186&REV_01\5&2FF86CB7&0&0030A4
Rather than me explain I will let someone else do it ;)
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-find-unknown-device-drivers-by-their-vendor-device-id/
http://www.pcidatabase.com/
good luck
Mike
Well Mike, that didn't work either. So my best bet is to get another wireless card.
Michael Clease
07-08-2010, 02:15
I would add the drivers from http://www.usbman.com/win98seusbguide.htm the support they add for USB devices opens up a whole selection hardware not supported before.
I've actually got 98 on it right now, but I'd rather use 95 as 98 is running slow. So I'm going to order a network card off ebay for a few dollars.
Well, for the record, I've gotten it working.
I ordered a netgear FA511 PCMCIA card for $7.50 (included shipping).
It works, and I'm posting this from windows 95 and internet explorer 5.5. I don't miss internet explorer, haha.