Changing from Anytime to Broadband

[Big_M]

OK - need some assistance here. Just about to ditch the Freeserve Anytime for Broadband. Can someone give me an idiots guide as to what is involved. Do I have to get a firewall installed or does it come with the package?

Also who is giving the best deal? Will probably want 10x speed of dial-up as a minimum. I have also just bought a laptop and have bought the pc card thingy so I can go wireless. Desktop upstairs will be linked to the internet.

[sybaseian]

Big_M said:

OK - need some assistance here. Just about to ditch the Freeserve Anytime for Broadband. Can someone give me an idiots guide as to what is involved. Do I have to get a firewall installed or does it come with the package? Also who is giving the best deal? Will probably want 10x speed of dial-up as a minimum. I have also just bought a laptop and have bought the pc card thingy so I can go wireless. Desktop upstairs will be linked to the internet.

buy a combined ADSL Modem/Router/Firewall/Wireless access point and a PCMCIA wireless card for your laptop - Netgear have supercede the DG824M (see above - 11mbps wireless) with the DG834G (same as above but 54Mbps wireless). Suggest looking on ebay for the earlier model and a PCMCIA wireless card - they should cost you about £100.

As for 512K broadband, I'm with Freedom2Surf.co.uk. Currently the cheapest cost over 12 months @£22.50 (incl VAT) per month and no connection charge. You could also try Bulldog as well.

Currently sat in the lounge surfing, without any wires! I have a work PC, work laptop, home PC, home laptop (XP Pro), home laptop (Linux) and a Sun E450 running behind the DG824M with no problems at all.

>> Edited by sybaseian on Saturday 21st February 20:11

[bobthebench]

Piece of piss. Buy the kit. Phone up Freeserve. Sorted. Install Zone Alarm Pro - basic on coverdisc, original on Kazaa, gives you firewall. Also get a virus program - again Kazaa a good starting place.

[miniman]

bobthebench said:

Install Zone Alarm Pro -

But be careful, it will also block things that you actually want - like installing Flash / Shockwave updates over the web and suchlike.

[antonyb]

just be careful using kazaa - it installs a tonne of unwanted spyware (pop up ads, data recording aps, etc) and even if you use the lite version you'll probably end up downloading viruses and illegal versions.

feel free to drop me an email if you want some advice.

ant