I have finally entered the 21st Century

[Azselendor]

Atrocities, you brought back an old memeory.

I used to have an old Compaq 2200 running windows 95. For years, I kept the default config but over time, components failed. I still have it in my closet, a hulk of metal, duct tape, and good intentions. 120mhz processor, 32mb ram, 3.1 gb hard drive (shipped with a massive 1.2 gb drive), built-in sub-woofer and speakers, CD-rom running windows 95.

It lasted for a good 10 years and I did everything from designing websites to playing video games to work on it. It still works, but I had to join the 17th century back in 2003 and bought a new computer.

On the flip side, I bought an emachine once, lasted 3 years (two of which was spent with a lunch-box-cold-pack cooling system keeping it from catching fire). It ended its life flying across my front yard where it was savagely beaten with a metal bat.

[capnq]

Gandalf Parker said: What happened to the old machine?

I'm still using it for day-to-day Web surfing and gaming, because one thing the new box has is an empty slot where the DSL modem is going to go when I get around to signing up for it.

My friend and I discussed putting a third partition on it with Linux, but I don't really have any projects that I want to do with it. She thought I'd get more use out of the DOS emulator (DOS Box) she put on it. (So far, she's been right. I've been playing Master of Orion (I) on it.)

I may eventually connect the new PC to this one and the other old one in a LAN.

[Edi]

Capnq, you will actually want to buy an external 4-port DLS router/switch if your finances are up to it. A basic model should cost somewhere around $40 to $50 and a WLAN-enabled no more than $100. I work tech support for a major ISP and believe me when I tell you that internal DSL modems are nothing less than bastard hellspawn nightmares.

They're quite fine and dandy as long as there aren't any problems, but the second something manifests, you're up the creek without a paddle because it's usually impossible to tell if the problem is with the modem, with the computer in general or with the actual DSL line unless something in the network is obviously at fault (such as a DSLAM going down or not being reachable from operations).

An external DSL modem uses the network card to connect to the computer to the modem, so from the computer point of view, it acts like any other network connection. Any problems can be easily isolated to either computer, DSL modem, the connecting cables or the actual network (which is the responsibility of the ISP, the rest are on your own head).

I've heard enough about various US ISPs that I guarantee you that if you have an internal DSL modem, they will refuse to give you any tech support whatsoever and will insist that the problem is with your modem and computer until you have it analyzed by some qualified computer repair professionals, out of your own pocket.

As for what kind of a DSL modem you should get, I recommend a Telewell if you can get it. That may be difficult to find in the US, as it's a Finnish company and mainly operates here, but they make really solid products these days, unlike the old days when they were known as Telehell in some tech support circles. Zyxel DSL modems are solid, easily configurable and not liable to give you crap in any way. Stay the hell away from D-Link, though, those boxes are the spawn of everything unholy and then some.

As far as computer specs go, this thread almost embarrasses me. I had a 500 MHz Celeron system up until a year ago when it finally burned out. It survived a lightning strike, a couple of blown capacitors and two burned out coils (literally, the motherboard was scorched around them and the wiring crumbled to dust on touch) which I replaced (and needed a hammer and a nail to actually remove the last bits of the other one so I could solder in the replacement) as well as one CPU socket failure. It was one of the Abit double processor boards and it was a very good computer.

The replacement rig is state of the art as of one year ago, with Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 350 GB HD and an Nvidia 7900GT graphics card. The performance is almost ridiculously over the top for most of the games I play, I can basically amp everything to the max and not see a hit. Except in Dominions 3...

[Atrocities]

Windows 95 rulz!

[capnq]

The friend that I bought the new-to-me machine from is a certified network analyst; I expect to have to pester her with tech support questions until I've learned more about it myself. Leaving the internal modem slot open was her idea.

One of the reasons I haven't gotten DSL before this was reluctance to deal with the provider (Verizon) any more than I have to, but they're the lesser evil of the options I have available here.

To ease your embarrassment about your specs, the system I'm currently using for dialup only has a Pentium II/233MHz, as does the other one that might end up on the LAN.

[Edi]

If you're going to be dealing with Verizon, an external DSL modem is definitely the way to go. I've heard bad things about them customer service wise. The external modem allows instant troubleshooting and problem isolation and if somebody at the ISP tries to blame things on your comp, you can tell them to go play with themselves. An external one is also easier to swap out if you need to test it and you can take only the modem to be looked at instead of hauling the whole rig. You just can't lose with an external one.

[capnq]

In another great leap forward, I activated my new DSL account yesterday. The improvement in performance is impressive.

Edi, it turns out that here in the USA, external DSL modems are standard issue. (Verizon sent me a Westell Model 6100.) Perhaps my friend thought that I might be getting a cable modem rather than DSL when she left that slot open.

[Atrocities]

Congrats man.

[troopie]

I got a new to me 2.8ghz Intel with 1gig ram and a 250GB HD running XP Pro SP2. It is light years better than my old Duron 1200 with Win98. Now I have to learn everything all over again.

troopie

[Ballbarian]

Have fun with your shiny new machine troopie! Sounds like you were long overdue for an upgrade.