How do I get wifi to my property?

fimonkey

Hi All,

New to all this so please explain things in detail, I lietrally know nowt!

I have just bought a flat. There is a telephone line there (well there is a connection for a phone in the lounge) and thats all I know.

How do I get wifi into the flaf? Do I need to activate the line beforehand (who with and would this be with the same provider as the wifi or different?)

Not bothered about a landline number or TV

Thanks

Fi

droopsnoot

You'd need to activate a broadband connection on the telephone line, and get a wi-fi router to plug into it.

Basically the router provides the wi-fi signal for your PC to connect to, but it must be connected to the internet via the wired connection (or using a mobile dongle, but that's a different thing) which is where your phone connection comes in. Some broadband providers will send you a free router when you sign up, sometimes that will be wi-fi and sometimes not.

fimonkey

ooh even that confuses me, - sorry. So do I search this site and find primus http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband#bbonly, is it really going to be that cheap to set up wifi? (and they would do everything for me) - or do I also need to oay an additional line rental to someone, and if so who?

Thanks again

Fi

macman

Forget about 'wi-fi' as something they provide. To get any kind of ADSL broadband you need a working phone line, to get that you have to pay line rental, have a basic call package and a broadband contract. If you then want wi-fi, you need a computer or laptop with with wireless installed, and a wireless router (which the ISP will often supply inclusive or at a small charge). Wi-fi is purely the connection from the router to your PC.
And no, they will not 'do it all for you', broadband is always self install, so you need to set up the wireless router and connect it to your wireless device yourself.
But the first thing to do is plug in a phone and see if the line has been disconnected-if so you will have a reconnection charge in addition before you can get any services.
The prices on that link are for broadband only, you have to add line rental and call tariffs to that.

fimonkey

TO get the working phone line - is that any company or BT only?

Thanks

droopsnoot

It depends, I think is the answer to that - last time I had one done it had to be BT, but that might be different now.

So, does the line work and give you a dial tone?

sugarcat

fimonkey wrote: »

TO get the working phone line - is that any company or BT only?

Thanks

I'd say go with any of the BT packages (Virgin will do so too it they've piped some fibre into your area - look for the Virgin boxes and little hand-size metal covers outside every house in a Virgin fibre area) cos they'll come out and set it up for you. Their website will talk you through it all at the order stage (they'll both do an automated test on your line first during the Ordering stage on-line, and then send an engineer out about 2 weeks later to test and install everything).

Most of the rest of the ISPs are self-install apart from the big two really. Sky couldn't care less from what I've found. Their service is shocking and both two other family members and a pal have jumped from them recently.

Of the two, I'd still side with BT's current set-up as when the Wi-Fi connection goes down (and it will - no matter who you use), BT's "Home Hub 3" has a lovely dummies-guide, picture-based interface that auto-activates through your browser (any browser on any device) and talks you through how to fix it... and for the most un-technical people out there too. If you can understand a picture, they're almost literally holding your hand through it.

A cool feature of BT's offerings is that their little Wi-Fi box has a little plastic tab thingie that slides out of the top of it, which has the Wi-Fi password printed on it clearly (none of this tilting up router boxes and looking for generic serial numbers and all that nonsense you see folks do) if your friends come around with their iPhones/Android smart phones etc. and need Wi-Fi access. It's such a simple idea.

ukdutypaid

As has been said. You don't get WIFI to you house, that's up to you once broadband is actually in your house. It comes into your house. You have a little box with loads of blinking lights all over it. It is either a WIFI box as well AND or it has a hole in the back so you can plug a cable from it into your PC....

You will need a broadband connection. Either a) over a telephone line. This provided by BT o A. N Other or via cable e.g Virgin.
Otherwise, should could look at a package from the likes of Sky, BT or Virgin. Check the cheap broadband section on the moneysavingexpert site. All you need to know there..
As it's plastered at the very top of the forum.
HERE !http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband

You will need to pay for a phone line, or a cable connection for internet access. This approx 8-15 pounds per month plus your internet connection on top. If you're going for a TV included then that's approx another tenner, plus what you have to pay to the BBC if you ever intend so much as going near live TV