BLUEMOMENT

We have BT Broadband at Claymore Towers.
I would like to use the laptop downstairs rather than having to go up into the loft all the time to use the PC
Am thinking of buying a router and setting up a wireless network
What is the difference between a BT Home hub and a router bought from PC world or similar outlet and which should I go for - the BT ones seem to involve signing up to yet another package.
I don't want BT vision tv

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If you are on some older package and don't want to sign up to BT Total Broadband then any wireless router will work - just set it up as per the instructions using your existing user name and password.

There are several levels of BT Total Broadband that do NOT include BT Vision. They require you to sign up for 18 months to get a free Home Hub (which is a very good ADSL wireless router). The best deal if you use the phone a fair bit during the day is the Anytime vcalling plan (£4.95 per month plus line rental) plus one of the Total Broadband packages. That way the only extra you pay is for calls to mobiles.

We review our contract quite frequently and feel we are on the best option for our usage now.
Don't think what I am proposing will increase our usage and we get free evening and weekend calls at present.
So - go with BT then Nick?

Nick wrote:.
If you are on some older package and don't want to sign up to BT Total Broadband then any wireless router will work - just set it up as per the instructions using your existing user name and password.

There are several levels of BT Total Broadband that do NOT include BT Vision. They require you to sign up for 18 months to get a free Home Hub (which is a very good ADSL wireless router). The best deal if you use the phone a fair bit during the day is the Anytime vcalling plan (£4.95 per month plus line rental) plus one of the Total Broadband packages. That way the only extra you pay is for calls to mobiles.

That's what we have, and I'm happy with it. Daughter can be on the lappy, me on the PC, and SWMBO on the net phone to MIL, and we still have the "normal" phone if anyone else calls us. We don't have BT Vision.

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If you are currently happy with BT then I would stay with them, take out an 18 month broadband contract and get a free Home Hub- the HH2 is one of the better wireless routers on the market.

OTOH, if you don't want a new contract then just buy a wireless ADSL router. Netgear DG834G is a good choice, available from Amazon or broadbandbuyer.co.uk

I don't use wireless, I use the solwise plugs

http://www.trustedreviews.com/networkin ... PL-85PE/p1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

less security issues

Jings Jamesie
anither option. Jest when ah wiz begining tae make decision

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Wired limits you to one location for the remote machine. Wireless means you can use the laptop anywhere around Claymore Towers. Jamesie is of course quite rightly paranoid because he lives in a dodgy part of the country, but for most of us there are no wireless security issues provided we use the standard encryption that comes built in.

Your mileage may vary, but I doubt it.

Nick wrote:.
Wired limits you to one location for the remote machine. Wireless means you can use the laptop anywhere around Claymore Towers. Jamesie is of course quite rightly paranoid because he lives in a dodgy part of the country, but for most of us there are no wireless security issues provided we use the standard encryption that comes built in.

Your mileage may vary, but I doubt it.

You're wrong. Wired limits you to any location there happens to be a plug, since these tend to be useful for computers anyway it is'nt usually a problem!

The amateur radio fraternity are up in arms about these things that transmit over the mains.
If you're going down that route, try to find good quality units that meet the UK spec, otherwise Mr OFCOM may be asked to visit the aforementioned towers.

jim.r wrote:

Nick wrote:.
Wired limits you to one location for the remote machine. Wireless means you can use the laptop anywhere around Claymore Towers. Jamesie is of course quite rightly paranoid because he lives in a dodgy part of the country, but for most of us there are no wireless security issues provided we use the standard encryption that comes built in.

Your mileage may vary, but I doubt it.

You're wrong. Wired limits you to any location there happens to be a plug, since these tend to be useful for computers anyway it is'nt usually a problem!

erm - I don't like to quibble with a man of your erusition but for that to be the case you need one of the fancy plug transmit/receive units at each plughole you might plan to use the machine at (very expensive), or you need to move the plug transmitter thingy whenever you move the computer to a different location. Hardly convenient, and I doubt if even Claymore Towers has plug sockets handily situated everywhere. One of the great things about laptops is that you can run them without plugging them in.

Nick wrote:

jim.r wrote:

Nick wrote:.
Wired limits you to one location for the remote machine. Wireless means you can use the laptop anywhere around Claymore Towers. Jamesie is of course quite rightly paranoid because he lives in a dodgy part of the country, but for most of us there are no wireless security issues provided we use the standard encryption that comes built in.

Your mileage may vary, but I doubt it.

You're wrong. Wired limits you to any location there happens to be a plug, since these tend to be useful for computers anyway it is'nt usually a problem!

erm - I don't like to quibble with a man of your erusition but for that to be the case you need one of the fancy plug transmit/receive units at each plughole you might plan to use the machine at (very expensive), or you need to move the plug transmitter thingy whenever you move the computer to a different location. Hardly convenient, and I doubt if even Claymore Towers has plug sockets handily situated everywhere. One of the great things about laptops is that you can run them without plugging them in.

Hmmm running a laptop without plugging it in .. I bow to your superior experience, but in my 15 year experience of almost daily laptop use, I've found 'em to work better when plugged in! Unless on the train cos you need a really long extension lead then. Of course if you're a bit of a roaming laptop user then best to use wifi but most people have a favourite perch where yo can just plug in. Anyway thats what I do, and we run 1 PC + 3laptops the Solwise way, I did have wifi before but found the connection a bit flakier if at distance or if really fat people wearing bullet proof vests got between the transmitter and receiver ... Just admit it Nick babe, there may be more than one way of skinning a cat and yours might not always be best

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It's bad for battery life to use them plugged in all the time Jimi. Better to regularly run the battery down then recharge, prevents memory effect - although this is less of a problem with the latest batteries than it used to be. I think the fact that battery life is a huge laptop selling point shows that people do in fact spend a lot of time using their laptops away from a plug.

I have a wired ethernet connection to my NSD and laser printer which are both in a cupboard. I use a proper ethernet cable though connected through a couple of Netgear Gig switches. However, when using any of the laptops elsewhere in the house it is always wireless and usually unplugged.

It is my opinion that Claymore would be better with a decent wireless ADSL router, but if he wants to go the ethernet over mains route he will have the comfort of knowing he has you for technical support

I have a Belkin wireless router in my living room. It is handy for various laptops and my keeper's Nintendo DS and I used to use it for the 'main' PC in the office. The problem with the PC was always poor connectivity. The PC is probably only 3 metres/yards(delete as appropriate) from the router and only has two walls in between router & PC. I used a Hawkins super duper antenna type gadget on the PC. I then bought a pair of plug in do it all through the mains devices and got far better connectivity - they cost about £40 off Amazon but in my circumstances do the job a lot better than the wireless connection. If anybody is interested the Hawkins device is for sale.

Jings
Sat here by the woodburner, toasting nicely, skyped up and not a wire in sight.
Thanks for the help and advice which quickly escalated to levels that were beyond my intellect and comprehension.
I got a Cisco Linksys thingie and it seems to work a treat