The Belkin 54G Wireless G+ MIMO USB Adapter
The Belkin Wireless G USB adapter is a neat little adapter that allows USB-equipped computers to connect to a wireless network. In theory, all you need to do is hook up the wireless adapter to a free USB port and install the software. However, as you found out, the software is not backwards compatible with Windows 98.
The Belkin 54G Wireless USB Adapter’s System Requirements
According to Belkin’s product support page for the 54 G Wireless G Plus USB adapter, the product requires: Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. Because Belkin does not provide support for Windows 98 for this particular product, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get it to work with your laptop.
Other Concerns
While this particular Belkin wireless network adapter is compatible with USB 1.0 ports, many competing products require USB 2.0. Unless you have specifically installed USB 2.0 ports on this laptop, you will need to pay attention to the network adapter’s specifications. Not only must you find a USB wireless network adapter that is compatible with Windows 98, you must find one that supports the 1.0 USB standard. While a USB 2.0 adapter may function on a USB 1.0 port, performance will be affected.
In addition, it’s important to note whether the laptop has Windows 98 or Windows 98 SE (Second Edition). For example, I did find a Wi-Fi 54G USB adapter from IO Gear that supports USB 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 as well as Windows 98SE. However, it does not support the standard version of Windows 98.
Other Options
While it sounds like you have already purchased the Belkin product, I’m certain that it will not work on your laptop. Other options include finding a wireless USB adapter that is compatible with your operating system as well as your USB port or considering a wireless PC card instead. If you have a free PC cardbus slot on your laptop, the network card slides right in and is easily removed when not in use. At least with a PC card, you fewer compatibility concerns to deal with. For example, this NetGear Wireless-G PC Card is one of many PC cards that I found that are compatible with Windows 98.
Celeste Stewart | April 7th, 2009
You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
