Confused about sharing broadband connection

Bargain_Rzl

I currently share a house with one other person (the owner) and at present we have Wanadoo Anytime dial-up for £14.99 a month. We want to upgrade to broadband a.s.a.p.

As we each have our own computer, at opposite ends of the house, we'd be looking to share the connection using a router. I've already got a wireless network card plugged into my laptop; housemate is on the point of getting a new PC so will get it wireless-enabled.

OK, pardon my techie ignorance, but I've been reading Martin's article on upgrading to broadband and I don't understand the part about needing a broadband modem. Do routers have this built-in? So if we had a router, would our only set-up cost be the price of upgrading the line?

Also I was wondering about anti-virus/firewall software - would we need this on each computer (I currently use Norton AntiVirus, don't know what housemate uses) or is there a way of getting it built in at the point of connection?

johnniegif

You hit the nail on the head. You'll need a wireless broadband modem router. I'm sure someone else can recommend one and where to buy it from. Product 100380 from https://www.ebuyer.co.uk will do exactly what you want and is future proofed for faster broadband connections which are now becoming available.

When you get onto broadband, you should definitely use up-to-date antivirus software and a firewall. Personally I use the free versions of Zonealarm and Avast - do a Google search and you can download them.

JohalaReewi

A broadband modem is needed to connect your home network (router) to your broadband service (telephone line). These days, you can buy routers with a built in broadband modem which saves you having two boxes. Also, the router can have both wired and wireless connections if necessary. Bear in mind that wireless is not necessarily painless and you might find that radio signals from your PC are blocked to/from the router by obstructions and interference. The best way to connect a PC to the router is using a network cable (faster, simpler and more secure). Try to limit wireless to a connection of last resort.

A good idea is to make sure the broadband (ADSL) modem/wireless router has a built in firewall. This will stop a LOT of junk getting on to your home network from the Internet. Still use firewall and anti virus on your PCs too. Why pay for Norton or McAfee when you can use excellent free products instead? Check johnniegif's post above.

If you do go wireless, swot up on securing your wireless network which by default, will usually be open to all when you install it. This means other wireless computers in the area could join your network and use your internet connection and/or browse your PCs. A search on google will throw up a wide number of websites on this topic including

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05february10.mspx

If you have Windows file and printer sharing enabled on your PC, you will need to ensure that they are not shared over the internet. Again, a firewall on the modem/router will normally do this for you.

Hope this helps.