Tiscali - "There are no USB modems that support Win7"

I'm trying to get a new PC setup to access the internet. It's got Win 7 pre-installed and I have Tiscali broadband with the Speedtouch 330 usb modem they provided. This worked with my previous XP machine.

After much faffing about trying to get it to work and find a suitable driver I find a post on their website that says "With the increased use of wireless routers for broadband access we have taken the decision in partnership with our equipment suppliers to not extend the support for USB modems to the Windows 7 operating system. We will obviously continue to support USB modems for Windows Vista and Windows XP"

In other words, if you have Windows 7 and the broadband modem they provided you're out of luck. Tough.

They do however suggest you call them to 'discuss your equipment options'. When I called this number they told me that "There are no USB modems that support Win7", but they can replace the current modem with a wireless router if I call their other number and 'upgrade' my current service. I haven't yet phoned to find out what this upgrade will be or how much extra they expect me to pay to get a device that actually works with microsofts current OS. I'd rather find out what my options are first, so I can tell them to just give me the device for free or stuff their upgrade offer as appropriate.

So....

Firstly, their claim that only wireless routers support Win7 seems more than a little unlikely - can anyone confirm or deny this?

Secondly, can anyone suggest an alternative to Tiscali that is a) cheaper, and b) will supply a device that will actually work.

ps. My pc doesn't have wireless networking...

Is a USB DSL modem your only option?

An Ethernet connection would be essentially OS independent. (You'd still need drivers for the NIC.)

I don't know what sort fo wireless routers Tiscali offers, but the Linksys unit that I use with my cable modem has Ethernet jacks as well as wireless support.

Adrian said:

Welcome to Windows 7 Support forums,
JXM, I think there is some confusion that I will attempt to clear up for you.
It seems you are in the UK and we have has several members of the forum that have had less than stellar experiences with their Broadband Service, I reviewed the Triscali Website and they appear to offer various "So Called" broadband plans for 10 Sterling and up. What they are offering is actual DSL service over phone lines. Hence the need for USB connection from the modem to your PC, would there be an ethernet connection in the back of your modem?
Also a wireless router is a piece of equipment that allows you to use a single internet connection and connect more than 1 pc using the single connection to the net. The lack of Windows 7 support is for the actual operating system not the hardware support. If you can identify the make and model of your broadband modem we can begin trouble shooting the issue.

Regards,
Adrian

Yes, sorry, I'm in the UK. Just to clear things up they originally supplied what they keep referring to as a "USB Modem", although it is better described as a USB ADSL Modem. In this case it is a speedtouch 330 which is explained in more details here:

SpeedTouch 330 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This obviously connects to the phone line at one end and the PC via a USB cable on the other.

The above link for the router settings is not applicable as it is not a router. ("This page is intended for Tiscali Broadband Customers who are using a router. USB modems come pre-configured and as such do not need any of these settings entered.")

The Tiscali website hinted at a workaround but didn't specify what it was, and due to the holidays I can't get hold of anyone technical there at the moment...

richc46 said:

Thank you Adrian, for going the extra mile for the poster.

Yes, thanks very much - you're a lot more helpful than Tiscali! And I've love to know what Brian is saying in your avatar... :)