OT - question for the computer experts
Submitted: Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:10
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Ozboc
Well my financial advisor works from
home 2 days a week on the computer ( logs into work from
home computer to do her work )
so on those days i can not get access to the computer to look at such great sites as Exploreoz ....
Now we have ADSL via the phone line. I want to be able to access the net from downstairs whilst she is using the net upstairs - i purchased a second modem to use downstairs - but unfortunately i can not use both modems on the same phone line at the one time , it just wont connect - one will - the other wont(bigpond). I dont want to have to run a cable from upstairs to downstairs as it would have to be 20 meters long and would become a trip hazzard
Is there something that i can put onto my computer that hard connects to the ADSL upstairs but then can give me wireless access from downstairs via some kind of Transmitter / receiver without having to get wireless broadband internet and changing my plan from cable based ADSL
thanks
Boc
Reply By: DIO - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:16
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:16
All you need is something like a D-Link model DSL-G604T/AU modem. It is both Router and Wireless so that you can use another computer (or as many as you like) with a wireless card generally anywhere in the house still retaining your hardwire ADSL connection to the main computer.
AnswerID:
308959
Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:17
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:17
Change to a wireless modem on your existing ADSL ? - such units can support multiple users in your environment (as I recall that is - I have Bigpond ADSL wireless here at
home - I'm the only user but recall being able to declare other users when doing the setup).
AnswerID:
308960
Follow Up By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:19
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:19
er....sorry....should have said I'm not an expert - probably the reverse :-o) but seem to be using the setup you need.
FollowupID:
574977
Reply By: swampy66 - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:19
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:19
Yes, the setup your looking for is pretty common in most households where a laptop exists.
You do not need to change you ADSL plan at all.
You will need a wireless router to plug into your upstairs modem (just
check the one you have is not already wireless - it will have antennas if it is) and you will need a wireless card/adapter for the computer downstairs. These can be a USB adapter or a card that is inserted into the guts of the computer (its not rocket science installing them).
You can buy wireless router and adapter packaged together to save a couple of dollars.
They are not too difficult to setup - often your ADSL service provider will assist you with any problems if you cant get it to work yourself (or any teenager)
good luck.
AnswerID:
308963
Follow Up By: plusteck - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:26
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:26
I do suggest first if you are using a laptop
check to see if your laptop has wireless capabilities, if not you will require to buy a wireless card that slots into the side of your lappy, secondly I would get an expert to set up your wireless security if you are unable to set it for WEP or WAPA security, otherwise everyone in your street will use your Internet connection., theres tons of models of wireless routers out there, some good ones some bad ones, top models in my books are Linksys, Netgear, Dlink, but all models have the capabilities of doing the same job. It just depends on how much you are willing to pay.
Plusteck
FollowupID:
574980
Reply By: oz doc - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:33
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 09:33
Hi Oz boc, The short answer is - yes. I believe you need a wireless adaptor for your downstairs pc, and change your upstairs modem to a wireless network modem. Your upstairs pc plugs into the wireless network modem, and your downstairs pc has a wireless connection to the same modem. I have recently changed to this set up but not without problems. The first lot of hardware I bought didn't want to work with my main computer and caused a lot of stop errors. I struggled with the problem for about 8 weeks, then the friendly computer whiz who lives two doors up came over and sorted the problem out in 5 minutes!- He ditched the wireless modem I had bought(a D-Link) and installed a Netgear one, hit a few keys, the computer flashed a few configuration screens and presto- all done! I would probably pay a computer 'whiz' to advise you and set this up for you.Cheers.
AnswerID:
308966
Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 10:42
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 10:42
Agree with all of that. And I would add one other thinng. If you have an ADSL connection,
check to see if you can get ADSL2. If you can, you might as
well save a small fortune by getting a VOIP telephone set up through the same connection. Several of the wireless modem routers have this built in so you might as
well do the Voip connection at the same time. We use a Netcomm NB9W wireless router. It has worked just fine. (
Check, they don't all have this built in) We keep our regular phone number and it works through our ordinary phones.
Once running, it's easy. The only difference you would notice to a regular phone is that you need to dial in the state prefix before every call. Local and interstate calls. Unlimited timee and about 8Cents. Overseas calls usually about 3c a minute.
But I would get an expert in to set it up. We Use Jim's Computer support (in SA. Other states??)(the same franchise operation as Jim's Mowing) and have found their computer service to be excellent and very reasonably priced.
AnswerID:
308975
Follow Up By: plusteck - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 11:17
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 11:17
I would be thinking very carefully about VIOP ive got it, and had nothing but issues, its that bad now I divert to my mobile, gonna cost me about $400 to get back my old system .
Plusteck
FollowupID:
575003
Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 12:30
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 12:30
Plustec
That's interesting. Ours has been bulletproof. I don't understand why it would cost $400 to return to the old system. If I wanted to go back, it would cost me nothing. You must have a very different voip setup to
mine. Do you know if the problem is in yout ISP or your Voip provider? I am using Adam internet for the ISP and Smartvoice for the Voip.
Check Smartvoice prices. I use my regular phones. If voip ever went down, the system would just revert automatically to a standard line.
AnswerID:
308985
Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 13:24
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 13:24
At the moment Office works are selling a Linksys
home gateway for $99 this is a 4 port router and modem with wireless as
well and is very easy to set up and configure. It is ADSL 2+ capable and will go as fast as any present plan will go.
This give you all you need and as its all in one there is one less item in the chain to go wrong.
As far as VOIP is concerned I have 2 systems and both work
well. I have on connection thru my ISP iinet and the other which is cheaper thru Mynetfone. Gives me 10c untimed Aussie wide and 3.5c per min to a lot of countries.
One thing to be aware of when using VOIP is to get good speech and no dropouts is to minimise what else you are doing on the computer at the time.
For instance if you are downloading files etc it will cause dropouts in speech even on a fairly fast computer. Anything that uses bandwidth will upset it a bit.
A Llinksys unlocked Voip box is available on Ebay for about $49 at the moment or Mynetphone have locked ones for about $99.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 13:32
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 at 13:32
Forgot to say the advice above regarding WPA or WEP security is essential. Is worth paying to have it set up properly. AND DONT FORGET TO WRITE DOWN THE CODES. If u need to reset it up its much easier to have them and just do one end.
If you don't, anyone nearby can hook in and use your connection. You can find them if you know how but perhaps you wouldn't.
Can put you severely over your limit if some kid hooks in and downloads 2 or 3 movies on your wallet.
Its reasonably easy so don't get put off by the acronyms used here just pay a tech and get it done.
FollowupID:
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