Setting up broadband, what do I need?

[kokyu]

Hey, I've decided to finally ditch my NTL 56k account and get broadband, in some shape or other. I've been reading up as much as I can about what everything is and does, and I think I've decided on most of it now. Please correct me if any of this is wrong/could be better

ISP choice: Demon home500. Free USB Alcatel Speedtouch 330 modem, 2 free filters, free connection, ?20/month for 512 down/256 up, uncapped.

Router: Linksys Etherfast Wireless Access Point + Cable/DSL Router With 4Port Switch http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=51436

so the setup goes something like

filter into phone socket - cable (which one?) from filter to modem - cable (again, which one?) to router - cable to Xbox (ethernet cable yes?) and cable to old PC (very old, only has dial up modem in it, will I need a card or something to give it the capacity to accept broadband?). Finally, laptop connects to the router wirelessly (about 20m away from intended position of router, through a couple of floors. Will this have a noticeable effect on signal?)

And it should all go swimingly right? Just need to double check with folks far more knowledgeable about this subject than I am.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Ciaran]

Phone socket > filter > router with standard phone cable

Xbox > router via ethernet cable

Old pc > router - wireless card or lan card needed

Laptop> router wirelesy


What type of floors will the wireless connection going through?

[FelixofMars]

I would go for the D-Link AirPlus G+ DI-624+ Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless Router (NW-017-DL) (see here http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...s_Routers.html) personally, It works like a dream. My mate has had alot of problems with the Linksys of that model, but he has quite a fair distance to cover.

[kokyu]

I would go for the D-Link AirPlus G+ DI-624+ Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless Router (NW-017-DL) (see here http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...s_Routers.html) personally, It works like a dream. My mate has had alot of problems with the Linksys of that model, but he has quite a fair distance to cover.

What kind of problems? This is my first foray into broadband, I don't really want to be spending ?100 on a router if I can help it.

What type of floors will the wireless connection going through?

Um, flat ones? What are the chances that this router will have problems sustaining maximum (as in the max rate of the broadband) transfer rate through 1 or 2 floors?

Edit: Would this: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=37966
likely to be compatible with an old Dell system? I can install it ok, just need to know if the old motherboard (I have no idea what model it is sorry, about 5 years old, in a Dell prebuilt system) would be compatible, and if it'll run in Windows 98 (not SE).

Thanks again!

[Ciaran]

I meant what material. Concrete floors in somewhere like apartments dampen wireless signals alot.

[kokyu]

I meant what material. Concrete floors in somewhere like apartments dampen wireless signals alot.

Ah, right, no, normal house floors. If it can travel at angles as opposed to "a straight line or nothing" (I have no idea how wireless works. Invisible fairies as far as I can tell), it would only have to go through two wooden doors to reach its destination. I have a hard time imagining kb of torrent downloads flying through the air in a kinda zig zag motion in my house though.

[FelixofMars]

My mate had lots of signal dropping, also his firewall was a bugger to configure for certain games, and I could never connect to him for a game of anything due to his router. The best way to thinking of how far the signal will travel is how many rooms how big are they and how many floors from the router is it to the PC, I am quite lucky I have only have one medium sized and two small rooms to travel and one flight of stairs.