My Computer man has suggested lowering BB speed...

kwikbreaks

penrhyn wrote: »

What PC and operating system do you have?

I'll put a bet on Windows 98 / Millenium.

fiscalfreckles

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Would the guaranteed improved connection by getting cable installed now and just forgetting about the last few months of ADSL be worth the financial hit?

No, or I would obviously do that! its a BB package & a mobile phone contract I would be terminating early, with penalties.

penrhyn wrote: »

What PC and operating system do you have?
Most PCs have a network/Ethernet port thats suitable for a router.
Cards are cheap, less than a tenner from Amazon.

I clearly have the oldest pc known to man. I have no clue what it is, its from Dell and I have had it about 6 years. With Windows XP. But it doesn't matter because next week I will have a nice new one with Windows 7. And a proper wireless router.

My concern was that the Orange BB connection would present the same problems with my new system, as Mr Tech suggested it was a common problem in the area. He wasn't fully aware of the modem situation. I will fully explain that when I find him.

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Certainly sounds like an ethernet card is needed. Not having built in ethernet means that your PC may be of interest to the Science Museum after you upgrade but won't be worth listing on eBay.

Although £5 is about right for the actual card if you can't open the case yourself and push one in the correct slot there will always be a cowboy willing to rob you blind doing that for you.

I may well donate it to a museum!
If I had got one put in when we upgraded the BB, I expect there wouldn't have been a problem. But I didn't.

Sorry that my questions & problems keep changing but the more I hear the more I understand.

I think...

fiscalfreckles

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I'll put a bet on Windows 98 / Millenium.

Close but no cigar.

kwikbreaks

I was trying to remember how long ago just about every PC had onboard ethernet but clearly got it wrong.

I trust the wireless router you are talking about is the Orange Livebox as most ADSL ones can't be used at all on cable and Virgin dish one out free anyway.

fiscalfreckles

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I was trying to remember how long ago just about every PC had onboard ethernet but clearly got it wrong.

I trust the wireless router you are talking about is the Orange Livebox as most ADSL ones won't work on cable and Virgin dish one out free anyway.

Well, I've got an Orange Livebox (unused!) here and I'm sure the new mini pc is coming with a wireless router, so one of them ought to work (will stick with orange for now).

penrhyn

PCs don't come with wireless routers, it may well be wi fi enabled if its a laptop, and would certainly come with an ethernet port.
Anyhoo, hope all goes well with the upgrade, genuine.

I'm surprised that even a 6 year old Dell doen't have an Ethernet/LAN port, a friend has a Dell of similar age and that has one. It looks like this:-

macman

No, or I would obviously do that! its a BB package & a mobile phone contract I would be terminating early, with penalties

But you could have cable now and continue the ADSL BB and mobile contract if you wanted. No requirement to terminate early, and no penalties, as the two can run in parallel. Cable broadband is entirely separate and does not use your phone line.

fiscalfreckles

penrhyn wrote: »

PCs don't come with wireless routers, it may well be wi fi enabled if its a laptop, and would certainly come with an ethernet port.
Anyhoo, hope all goes well with the upgrade, genuine.

Thank you. I know but the supplier said he'd throw one in.

I'm surprised that even a 6 year old Dell doen't have an Ethernet/LAN port, a friend has a Dell of similar age and that has one. It looks like this:-

Never mind, will have the new one soon.

macman wrote: »

No, or I would obviously do that! its a BB package & a mobile phone contract I would be terminating early, with penalties

But you could have cable now and continue the ADSL BB and mobile contract if you wanted. No requirement to terminate early, and no penalties, as the two can run in parallel. Cable broadband is entirely separate and does not use your phone line.

I could, but would be paying out twice for the same thing. Will see how the upgrade goes, hopefully with one of these new-fangled routers you all speak of there will no longer be a connection problem. If there is I will be back to haunt you all again, but at least it won't be too long before we can go to cable.

kwikbreaks

With only a few months to go I'm sure you'll be able to put up with any issues that there are. I personally doubt that using the router will fix your problem completely as it sounds like it could be an iffy phone line which is likely what your tech guy concluded as he was trying to get the speed reduced.

I had a line fault that BT failed to fix even after 5 callouts. The last BT engineer noticed that the noise reduced when the router was off so said it had to be called in to the ISP as an ADSL fault. The ISP (O2) messed me around for several days so I grabbed a cable cashback deal instead and binned BT with their dodgy line and O2 with their reluctance to call out BT. The cable isn't perfect but at least I can hear what people are saying on the phone now.