Cheap, restrictable Broadband Set up
Discussion
OK, a little background. My MiL has language students as lodgers from a local language school. They are here for a few months, and recently one has asked about her having broadband. She has a BT phone line, and has asked me to find out about getting broadband.
Any recommendations of a supplier and set up that will allow me to set up a "capped" connection, so if we sign up for a 1GB pcm daytime service, for example, we don't find ourselves facing a big bill when they have been utilising p2p to download 300GB of the latest films, etc.
Ideally looking for something simple, cheap, low maintenance and idiot proof. I realise the moment they have wireless internet they will spend their time trying to open it up, so a decent router will probably be on the shopping list, but which providers will allow a capped service, that could be flexible if they want to pay for increased bandwidth, but stable enough not to need me going around there every other night when they fugger it all up.
As an aside ideally we need a small footprint, since the MiL will not want some major hardware around, so if this could be sorted in one simple unit so much the better.
Over to you. TIA.
Any recommendations of a supplier and set up that will allow me to set up a "capped" connection, so if we sign up for a 1GB pcm daytime service, for example, we don't find ourselves facing a big bill when they have been utilising p2p to download 300GB of the latest films, etc.
Ideally looking for something simple, cheap, low maintenance and idiot proof. I realise the moment they have wireless internet they will spend their time trying to open it up, so a decent router will probably be on the shopping list, but which providers will allow a capped service, that could be flexible if they want to pay for increased bandwidth, but stable enough not to need me going around there every other night when they fugger it all up.
As an aside ideally we need a small footprint, since the MiL will not want some major hardware around, so if this could be sorted in one simple unit so much the better.
Over to you. TIA.
Get an unlimited download service. Otherwise it will simply cap out regularly.
Up the rent by £5 a month if necessary to pay for the £20 ish pounds a month. You do not need more than a 2mbit connection. On most broadband services you get whatever happens to be connected to your line - and sometimes they "cap" it at what you are contractually entitled to - but more often not.
Get a decent wireless router. Almost any one will do but set up security (WEP and don't broadcast the SSID) and change the router admin password. You can then give out the SSID/WEPKey combination.
If they abuse the service you can just change the WEP key.
If you really want to lock things down you can specify the MAC addresses (network card ids) that are allowed to connect to the router. Individual control at that point.
Like as not they'll want to surf, chat, use forums and e-mail.
Up the rent by £5 a month if necessary to pay for the £20 ish pounds a month. You do not need more than a 2mbit connection. On most broadband services you get whatever happens to be connected to your line - and sometimes they "cap" it at what you are contractually entitled to - but more often not.
Get a decent wireless router. Almost any one will do but set up security (WEP and don't broadcast the SSID) and change the router admin password. You can then give out the SSID/WEPKey combination.
If they abuse the service you can just change the WEP key.
If you really want to lock things down you can specify the MAC addresses (network card ids) that are allowed to connect to the router. Individual control at that point.
Like as not they'll want to surf, chat, use forums and e-mail.
How about a package from plus.net
www.plus.net/residential/broadband/?10bday=homepage_broadband
You can opt out of P2P aswel via the control panel
www.plus.net/residential/broadband/?10bday=homepage_broadband
You can opt out of P2P aswel via the control panel
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