Going from dial up to broadband?

oldMcDonald

OK, so I know that I am somewhat behind the times with my AOL dialup, but I am somewhat technophobic and have been happy in my old fashioned little world

Today I've decided to look into going over to broadband, and have just managed to get confused.

I'm looking at NTL as we are with them for tv/phone already. I've spoken to them several times and they assume that I have some basic knowledge (I don't), so I'm going to ask here instead!

Firstly, NTL say that they will post me a modem and 8m of cable - what do I do with it??? At the moment I have a phone line going in to the back of my pc and have no idea at all how to install anything and am slightly paniced about having to do this myself!

Secondly, I have a laptop upstairs that I use to access the internet via an extension lead from the phone - I'm assuming that means that I would have to go wireless in order to use the broadband on this. I've looked in Argos and seen a wireless router for £50, and I think that I'm right in saying that this is what I would need? How would I set that up in relation to the modem and pc?

I really need someone to explain this to me in very simple terms! I have a mental picture of me sitting on the floor, cables everywhere, pc not working and me bawling my eyes out!!

Thanks

albertross_2

Has your PC and laptop got a network (ethernet) interface/card, the socket looks similar to the thing you plug the phone line into, but bigger

Which router are you looking at? Argos aren't the cheapest.

missile

NTL is now Virgin, see http://www.ntl.offerspage.co.uk/index.php?tracker=501000 I suggest you check out the info on http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/service.do?id=2, you may find that easier to understand. You should get free installation, per the info on their website>

Step 3 - Have your service installed

On the day you've chosen to have your on cable broadband services installed, we'll send one of our expert engineers around.
If you've chosen Virgin Broadband on cable, they'll run a pencil thin cable from our network, underground through your front garden to a little box on the side of your house. Your TV cable will run along the outside or inside of your home. This will be connected to your V or V+ box and your TV and DVD.
Once it's all sorted, one of our team will show you how everything works. And if you need to know more, you can take a look at the Joining Pack that our team leave behind.

I use virgin, £15 for a mobile phone SIM card and get broadband for "free".


There are a number of options for connecting the lap top, wireless but I guess you don't use the lap top often? You could stick with dial up on it.

If you can feed a family of 7 and a dog on £133.42 you could certainly teach me a trick or two!!

Cricri

If you have only one machine to connect to the internet (i.e. your laptop), you don't even need a router, you can plug the laptop directly to the modem. And that's where you'd be using the 8m cable they'll send you. As Albertross said, you'll need a network interface (NIC) with a RJ-45 plug (or more exactly, 8P8C), as illustrated on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RJ45

Except the NIC will have the female plug of course.

If you need to connect more than 1 device at the same time, that's when you need a router as it is its function. In which case, wireless routers are not much more expensive, and a wireless connection means, well, no wire, so it's less of a hassle (although it's less secure).

R0CKY

Like Cricri says, you need a RJ45 socket at the back of your PC, that's where the cable plugs into, the other end into the cable modem. Then you just need the broadband cable from outside hooked up to the modem.

If there is no socket for the RJ45 on your PC don't panic, you can buy one (a 10/100 lan card) cheaply that you can slot in to your motherboard - which is an easy job.

cledor

If you go with NTL(Virgin) and decide to buy a router, make sure it is the type suitable for Cable, known as DSL / Cable router. These are different from ADSL Routers which plug into BT phonelines and usually have a built in ADSL modem.

Garnet_Gem

Virgin installed broadband for me. A very non-communicative, surly guy left after giving me a joining pack with instructions. I got someone to help me install it on my PC. I'm a technophob too (but trying to fight it!)

Cricri

Garnet_Gem wrote: »

I'm a technophob too (but trying to fight it!)

How about I sell you my patches? They are like nicotine patches, except that I cover them with finely ground pieces of various faulty consumer electronics I have around

oldMcDonald

Thanks so much for talking to me in english!!

I'm sure the laptop has the network plug thing - it's next to the phone plug but bigger, as albertross describes. Not 100% sure about the downstairs pc, but think that may be due to my confidence to say for certain rather than it not being there (IYSWIM - there is definitely a socket that looks right!!)

Both PCs are used regularly for internet access - several times a day. The PC downstairs is for the children, the laptop for me & DH. That was why I assumed that I would need to go wireless.

The router that I'm looking at is http://http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6750385.htm

Garnet_Gem - There was no mention of Virgin installing it for me (sadly!!), the lady on the phone said that they would post it to me!

Thanks again for your help, guys

oldMcDonald

Cricri wrote: »

How about I sell you my patches? They are like nicotine patches, except that I cover them with finely ground pieces of various faulty consumer electronics I have around

If they work then I will buy the lot and cover myself in 'em!!

missile

oldMcDonald wrote: »

The router that I'm looking at is http://http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6750385.htm

Garnet_Gem - There was no mention of Virgin installing it for me (sadly!!), the lady on the phone said that they would post it to me!

No need to buy a modem, Virgin supply one for free. If you want a wireless, then you can choose that for a small additional fee. However, you will need to upgrade your PC and lap top if they do not have WiFi installed. The Tech Guys at PC World will supply and install (for an additional fee) whatever you may need.

Buy it via Virgin rather than from NTL, you will get the same deal but Virgin definitely install for free. See the link to their web site, which I posted earlier.