Wireless internet - advice for a thicko please!

ShockingPink

Hi all

My OH works from home and his company has provided him with fixed-line broadband (including spare lines for us to use on our own pcs). I'd really like wireless now though as have just bought an ipod touch.

If we were to buy a wireless router, would that miraculously convert our broadband to wireless, or would we need to subscribe to a wireless provider? I'm trying to be as mse as poss and currently our broadband is free. Don't want to pay if I don't have to:money:
Sorry for stupid question but I'm a bit of a technophobe and online info is too numerous for me to sift through...

Lokolo

With your broadband I assume you have a modem (which connects to phone line)?

You just plug this into the router....

Also who is the broadband with? (as that will determine which router is best to get)

DCFC79

Lol broadband is broadband you dont get a wireless provider, get a wireless router and set it up correct and you will have a wireless signal so you can use your ipod touch where you like, wasnt being rude but trying to explain how it works

fiddiwebb

what modem are you using just now?

Would OHs company not provide a wireless modem router?

ShockingPink

Hiya again! The modem (I assume that's the box with all the green lights on!) is a netgear one. I don't think the company would provide a wireless router as they don't need to for OH to work.

I'm not sure who broadband provider is - is there a way to look it up on the pc??

Thanks again!

Lokolo

ShockingPink wrote: »

Hiya again! The modem (I assume that's the box with all the green lights on!) is a netgear one. I don't think the company would provide a wireless router as they don't need to for OH to work.

I'm not sure who broadband provider is - is there a way to look it up on the pc??

Thanks again!

http://www.ip-adress.com/

Go there and it will say. e.g.

My IP address is: 91.xxx.xxx.xxx
My IP Address Location: Ryde in United Kingdom
ISP of my IP: Orange Home UK

And netgear, sounds like a router anyway, I could be wrong. Does the phone line go straight into it?

It goes: Phone Line -> Modem -> Wireless Router

DCFC79

Lokolo wrote: »

http://www.ip-adress.com/

Go there and it will say. e.g.

My IP address is: 91.xxx.xxx.xxx
My IP Address Location: Ryde in United Kingdom
ISP of my IP: Orange Home UK

And netgear, sounds like a router anyway, I could be wrong. Does the phone line go straight into it?

It goes: Phone Line -> Modem -> Wireless Router -> Desktop computer

if you click on that link and it says the ISP is telewest then it would be virgin just so you dont get confused

ShockingPink

My goodness - that ISP finder is scary! ISP is Eclipse Internet. As for the ?modem/router, there are so many wires behind the desk I can't tell. Think it might be a router though - the blue broadband cables come from it as far as I can see.

fiddiwebb

You say the router/modem is a netgear, do you know which model

It doesn't have a small aerial sticking up on it does it?

Lokolo

ShockingPink wrote: »

My goodness - that ISP finder is scary! ISP is Eclipse Internet. As for the ?modem/router, there are so many wires behind the desk I can't tell. Think it might be a router though - the blue broadband cables come from it as far as I can see.

Does it look like this?

ShockingPink

Similar, but no aerial.. The numbers are on the left and the funny squiggly light at the right. It has the wires to the pcs coming out of the back.