Broadband Question

[MightyGem]

I'm slowly moving towards getting broadband, but I'm some what confused over modems and routers. All the sales blurb on the modems seems to indicate that that is all you need to connect. So what's the need for a router? All I want to do is connect one computer to the internet.

[spannersatcx]

A router (normally) has a inbuilt firewall, saves needing a software one and is normally more secure. A router also normally gives you the ability to add other pc's, 360's, ps2's etc with only the 1 internet connection.

[MightyGem]

So for just a single connection, just the modem would do?

[spekesoftly]

Yes. When I signed-up for broadband about 18 months ago, my ISP supplied a simple USB modem (plus two filters), as part of the package. Pretty standard deal back then, and all I needed for one PC. Soon after, I bought an integrated Wireless/ADSL/Modem/Router. This replaces the USB modem, and broadband is available throughout the house. Mrs speke has her own wireless laptop.


I opted for the 'free' ISP supplied modem initially, because I wanted to be sure that the ADSL connection to our house was sound, before further investment - our local exchange had only just been 'enabled' at the time. It's now surplus to requirement, but a handy 'spare', should the router roll over.

[MightyGem]

Many thanks.

[spekesoftly]

If not yet familiar, I can recommend the links here (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/guide/summary.asp) and here. (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/reviews/)

You've probably heard it all before, but if you're still on dial-up, you will not regret the change to broadband! :ok:

[batninth]

MightyGem,

Spekesoftly is correct about using the broadband modem suupplied when you sign up to broadband. Most of these modems are connected via a USB port on your PC which is fine in 99% of circumstances.

I used a laptop which wasn't supplying all of the power required to keep the modem going and that caused me problems, so I switched to a router and connected via the wireless link to get stability on the link.

The router itself was really easy to install - literally plugged in and worked straight from the box when I put my username & password in.

The other advantage of a router is that it also forms a firewall between yourself and the outside world. With the directly connected modem you are open to the various agents out in web-land that poll your computer for various reasons, and I strongly recommend you think about using a firewall like Kerios or ZoneAlarm. With a router you don't have to worry as much as the router hides your PC behind it's translation tables.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Most of these modems are connected via a USB port on your PC which is fine in 99% of circumstances.
What's your source for the "99%"? - there are lots of people using a modem with an ethernet port and little Linksys routers or whatever to share the connection between several computers. I'd be surprised if it were really as few as 1%.

[Saab Dastard]

GtW,

I think that what Batninth means is that a USB "modem" works just fine and without problems 99% of the times that it is deployed, rather than 99% of broadband connections are via USB "modem".

That is my reading of the post, at any rate.

I would agree with you that some form of shared access device accounts for a very large number of broadband installations, although I have no stats other than my personal experience!

SD

[MightyGem]

Thanks to all for your help guys.

[spekesoftly]

Yep, I agree with Saab's reading of batninth's post. Just to expand a little - USB modems draw their power from the connected PC or laptop, and occassionally demand marginally exceeds supply. Not normally an issue with routers, because they usually have an independent power pack, connected to the mains.

[batninth]

GTW et al,

Yes, I was refering to USB connected modems. I started with an Acer laptop that was known to have the power issue with the BT supplied "Frog" so I put a powered USB hub in but still had the problem of the line dropping if not being kept active. A colleague of mine with an IBM ThinkPad had the same problem, whilst another colleague with the same ThinkPad worked fine.

I tested this by putting up a desktop PC (also an Acer) with the Frog and it worked fine. I also put up a firewall on it and was surprised by the number of probes coming back up the line, hence my comments in the prvious post.

Eventually I put in a Draytek USB router and it was solid as rock until I upgraded the speed of my line to find that the BT supplied modem was the only one not supported by the Draytek - hence the move to a Netgear router which plugged in and went straight away.

As for the 99% - that was my estimate. Current experience of USB modems is five tried - two didn't work but I figured that 40% failure may be subject to a small population tested :-) The aim of "99%" was to say that nearly everyone has a good experience, and I figure that the two failures I know of were due to USB silicon support being earlier cuts combined with older Win98 support being a little less robust than XP is now

[slim_slag]

If you do get a 'proper' modem/router (which really makes a lot of sense) don't chuck the cheap nasty USB modem out. A router firmware upgrade totally failed and I needed the USB modem to get on the Net and find out how to fix it. Also a good job I kept the AOL software CD, as that pile of junk was the first thing to get deleted from our PCs once we got a 'proper' router set up, and I needed to reinstall that to connect as well (well, with my minimal level of networking knowledge I needed it).