A broadband travesty

[Huw Dawson]

Here's the story:

For the last two years, I've been argueing with my parents over broadband. We currently, to my usual disgust, have an out-dated, over-priced and very, VERY slow AOL dial-up connection for £16 a month. The reason why we haven't updated the connection? Unclear usually. The reasons have been:

1) We can't afford it
2) We don't need it

and, their core argument,

3) Dad's computer can't handle it.

I also have a sneaking suspicious of a fourth:

4) You'd use it too much.

I'll make the situation clear. We have three computers, two of which have basic, but usable, specs. My dad's, however, was built in 1995. It has a mighty 44mb of ram, runs Win 98 and has no USB slots. So, my mission is thus. I need:

a) A cheap BB supplier which does not require a switch of phone line
b) Technical advice on a router and a modem (ideally, something that can run 3 computers at once, without ANY FORM of computer-opening)
c) Imcriminating evidence of Dial-Up being ferverently crap.

I do NOT care about speed. Just faster than this AOL crap-fest.
- Huw

[Steel Drummer]

I saw a high speed thingy on yahoo for $14 US. You have the same problem as me, I want to get high speed but my parents say we don't need it  I've been trying to get my dad to buy the cheap one.

[Huw Dawson]

Oooh. A point. I'm on a BT phoneline. This inexplicably bumps up prices on various sites, so watch out.

- Huw

[jetxl]

You don't need it? The world doesn't need coffee milk, designer jeans or crazy frog ringtones. It isn't a matter of NEED but WANT. Welcome to the age of consumerism.
If you want it then presuade, manipulate and sabotage.

[BOYD1981]

aren't AOL doing DSL for £14 for the first 6 months right now on some kind of trial thing?
i'd recomment getting a router that also acts a modem, i know that the Netgear DG832 can connect up to 3 computers using network cable, but then all PCs then need a network adapter card and your dad's pc might not have a PCI slot...
besides the most obvious advantages such as speed there's also the added bonus of being able to leave the internet on during the day and still make and receive phonecalls.

[Evil]

Depending on your location, some types of internet aren't readily available. We pay a huge amount for our broadband connection, but only because our phone company doesn't offer DSL. AOL is something I won't ever dabble in. It's far too expensive and will take over a machine. Call up your phone and cable companies and see what types are available to you. We get some kind of discount for having cable and broadband.

[BOYD1981]

adsl is very limited in terms of choice as ALL suppliers go through BT servers, so pretty much all of the ISPs charge the same amount of money for a basic package.
cable is even more limited and not that widely available in the south, plus from what i've seen of it it's utter rubbish.
i only mentioned the aol broadband because he's already with them which would make the transition easier plus it's a trial period, there's really no need to install any software either, just bump the details into the modem/router and you're away.

[Phemar]

I think I'm the luckiest guy here =)

My dad works at Telkom (a phone company here), so we get a free leased line connection. 512 all the time with NO cap!!

[SSH]

I have my old (not wireless) router (good Netgear one, too) in case anyone wants it: built in ADSL and firewall, you just pay the shipping.  I used Metronet for ages they are now part of plusnet: good service, up to 8MB with a "pay-as-you-go" from £12 a month.

[InCreator]

You're rich.
I have 5Mbit connection for £15 a month.And in Estonia, dial-up modem is something that can be found only at a museum...

[Hammerite]

I think I'm the luckiest guy here =)

My dad works at Telkom (a phone company here), so we get a free leased line connection. 512 all the time with NO cap!!

is that legal?

[Mr Flibble]

Our broadband package works out far cheaper than our old dial-up one.

Go figure.

[Phemar]

Yeah, it's all legal. Telkom has a monopoly on phone/internet here, and their prices are ridiculous.

My dad works there so he needs to use the internet quite often, what do they do? Give him a 512 leased capless line!

Cool, hey.

[Haddas]

Cap?

[Nikolas]

Huw, I'm pretty sure that you can find broadband for 9.99 GBP, ukonline and other comanies offer that (even bulldog, but it's not BT line).

But I am dead sure that you can get broadband really really cheap.

the only real reason I can see is that you will stuck on your computer, which indeed might be correct for the begining but it will pass, imo...