For : Windows NT / 9X
by : je.saist
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USB
Windows NT and Windows 9X.
Like other acronyms that get tossed around when talking about computers it's easy to forget what USB stands for. As a quick update it stands for Universal Serial Bus. The USB device is supposed to be a generic adapter that does not really specialize in running any specific hardware. Because of this USB devices are considered to be "emulated" connections. The processor has to take on the job of pretending to be certain kinds of devices. This really is not a change from many earlier connections to the computer such as the parallel port or serial port. However for some items such as network adapters this is a big change. Using USB in place of a real network controller means that the computer has to pretend to be a network controller on top of providing the generic USB connection. Win9X Systems As
in other issues the problem is complicated across versions of Windows.
Understand this, USB support in
Windows 9X systems is a hack and is not
a native part of the operating system. It does not matter if
it's
Windows 98se or Windows ME, and it really doesn't matter what the
advertising said. USB support is a kernel hack. In most cases with USB
compatible modems users will need to install a Composite Device in
addition to the USB device driver. To locate the device driver for the
composite device:
1: Click on Start 2: Click on Settings 3: Choose Control Panel 4: Double Click on System 5: Click on the tab that says Device Manager 6: under Device Manager scroll down to the bottom 7: At the bottom of the device manager should be a section for Universal Serial Bus 8: the composite device can be located here in the Universal Serial Bus section If the universal serial bus section does contain a listing for a composite device then the USB modem install will never complete in the current state. In order to properly install a modem driver the composite device will need to be deleted and then the computer needs to be restart. Windows Add New Hardware Wizard should come up on the reboot and attempt to install the device driver. However, keep this in mind. The composite device driver has to be provided by the manufacturer of the modem. Newer modems will not come with composite drivers. If the customer is replacing an older modem or retired modem and are attempting to use USB on Win9X systems keep in mind that more than likely their brand new modem will not work period. Also keep in mind that while there are several modems on the market that have composite device drivers available, such as the Motorola Surfboard 5120, not all manufacturers will include Composite Device drivers on their installation CD. The problem is further complicated by the fact that some composite device drivers require a specific version of the Win9X operating system in order to function properly. This needs to be noted as some users will be able to install a USB modem to their computer upon reception of the Cox Service. However, if they need to reinstall the Win9X operating system they may suddenly find themselves unable to complete the driver installation. Unfortunantly, Cox Communications can't assist with bringing a Windows computer up to date with neccassary patches and updates. The customer, in such a situation, is on their own. WinNT Systems USB
support in Windows NT systems however is native to the operating
system, obviating the need for composite device controllers. However
the connection is still emulated. USB devices thus tend to be more
stable under WinNT systems although they tend to have more Code22
shutoffs than Win9X systems.
The bottom line is that devices that have dedicated hardware interfaces, such as Network Cards, are best left to pure hardware connections. A bad Intel Pro 100 VE Network Card will have a lower CPU utilization and more useful bandwidth than the best USB connection. Not as good as the Intel 95X series integrated gigabit adapters or the Nforce Integrated adapters, but still, much better than what USB provides. take me back to the guides  |