View Full Version : Wife wants a laptop, so what do I need ?
march.brown
26-03-2010, 22:02
At present I am on Broadband size M which I am happy with ... My Wife has decided that she wants a laptop and I will need to provide a wireless connection for her laptop (which is not yet purchased).
What type of router will I need ? ... Does it replace the existing one ? ... Can I get one free or do I need to buy one ? ... The laptop might also need a dongle ... I still want my PC to use the ethernet connection.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Hi There,
You will need a Cable router which plugs into your cable modem DON'T GET A ADSL MODEM ROUTER as those are for broadband connections through the phoneline, though if you upgrade from M to L you will get a free Wireless N Router ooohhh and it's not much extra a month (£1-2) and you get the benefit of less strict Traffic Management. It might not cost you a penny extra as VM might be able to sort you out with a deal.
Ben :)
djmagnifique
26-03-2010, 22:11
What router do you have at the moment (if any)?
Most laptops/netbooks have wireless built in so no extra kit needed with that.
If you don't have a router you could try asking virgin nicely for one of there free ones. If they won't give you one you can still get one off them for free by upgrading your bb to the next level.
If you decide to buy on you can probably get one for about £20-£30 that will do what you need it to, just have a look around on the net, just make sure that it is a cable router and not an adsl router.
Edit- I really must learn to type faster.
There are so many gags with this thread title...
I must resist :D
There are so many gags with this thread title...
I must resist :D
by 'gags' you mean jokes, of course ;)
by 'gags' you mean jokes, of course ;)
That was what I meant, but I can see merit in your implied suggestion :)
For the Laptop you could do a lot worse than one of these
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/179694
Got some very good reviews and built in wireless (b+g)
That was what I meant, but I can see merit in your implied suggestion :)
apart from wondering whether I implied what you suggested, or suggested what you implied, I could agree ;)
MovedGoalPosts
26-03-2010, 23:27
So to return to topic ;)
With Virgin Media cable broadband you will always have a modem. If you only have the single computer a modem is all you need and that is probalby the little box you currently have with the coaxial cable input from the street, and a short lenght of network cable between the modem and computer.
If you want more than one computer, or you want to use a wireless connection (to a laptop), you will need a router in addition to the cable modem. ADSL (the BT phone line style broadband) allows a combined router modem, but for cable the two must be separate.
There are different standards / speeds of wireless. g which maximises at about 54 mbps, more than sufficient for the M speed Virgin Media broadband, is the standard adaptor fitted integrally to most modern laptops. n is a faster speed but would need an adaptor fitted to most laptops. The wireless router can be either g or n capable, with router that offer n speeds usually being able to also support the slower g.
march.brown
27-03-2010, 12:28
So to return to topic ;)
With Virgin Media cable broadband you will always have a modem. If you only have the single computer a modem is all you need and that is probalby the little box you currently have with the coaxial cable input from the street, and a short lenght of network cable between the modem and computer.
If you want more than one computer, or you want to use a wireless connection (to a laptop), you will need a router in addition to the cable modem. ADSL (the BT phone line style broadband) allows a combined router modem, but for cable the two must be separate.
There are different standards / speeds of wireless. g which maximises at about 54 mbps, more than sufficient for the M speed Virgin Media broadband, is the standard adaptor fitted integrally to most modern laptops. n is a faster speed but would need an adaptor fitted to most laptops. The wireless router can be either g or n capable, with router that offer n speeds usually being able to also support the slower g.
Thanks for the info ... Greatly appreciated.
Any idea how much extra it would cost to go from M to L ? ... That way I could get a free router ... Would I definitely need an adaptor for the Laptop as some apparently have one built in ? ... Obviously I am trying to keep costs down ... Pensions don't go far nowadays .
Many Thanks to yourself and the other posters for the help.
.
---------- Post added at 12:28 ---------- Previous post was at 12:24 ----------
There are so many gags with this thread title...
I must resist :D
I thought someone would have said "stamina", but not at 72 years of age.
Memories !
.
pip08456
27-03-2010, 12:29
The only way to know if the laptop has an adapter is to either check the specs in the web or ask before purchase.
Service L after discounts and with phone and DD and ebilling is £31 /mth
MovedGoalPosts
27-03-2010, 12:38
A g band wireless router to purchase is probably around £40.00, and maybe less if you hunt around a bit. Balance that with the cost of upgrading from M to L broadband.
It would be rare for any new laptop not to have a g standard wireless adaptor inbuilt. But you should check the specs before purchase.
Wife wants a laptop, so what do I need ?
I'd say a a lycra body suit and some good make up. :D
Oh, you said laptop. :D
march.brown
27-03-2010, 20:44
So to return to topic ;)
With Virgin Media cable broadband you will always have a modem. If you only have the single computer a modem is all you need and that is probalby the little box you currently have with the coaxial cable input from the street, and a short lenght of network cable between the modem and computer.
If you want more than one computer, or you want to use a wireless connection (to a laptop), you will need a router in addition to the cable modem. ADSL (the BT phone line style broadband) allows a combined router modem, but for cable the two must be separate.
There are different standards / speeds of wireless. g which maximises at about 54 mbps, more than sufficient for the M speed Virgin Media broadband, is the standard adaptor fitted integrally to most modern laptops. n is a faster speed but would need an adaptor fitted to most laptops. The wireless router can be either g or n capable, with router that offer n speeds usually being able to also support the slower g.
.
My modem has a number on it ... E08C013.00 ... I don't know if that helps to identify it ... There are only three connections to it ... Power , coax input , Ethernet ... So if I have to connect the router to this modem , then I would have to connect the PC via ethernet to the router if this is possible.
By the way ... The laptop that I was considering is the ASUS X5DIJ which is under the £400 mark ... Would this be a good choice ?
.
Yes
Modem > Router via Ethernet > Up to 4 devices via ethernet as well as the wireless functionality :)
So if I have to connect the router to this modem , then I would have to connect the PC via ethernet to the router if this is possible.
Yep, thats normal. Most routers have one ethernet port labelled WAN (or Internet) which you connect the router to - they then have four ethernet ports usually labelled LAN, which you connect the PC(s) to. These routers normally allow wireless lan connections as well.
I'd recommend this router http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161822 at just over £50 it's an excellent buy and (so far) performs extremely well.
It's also an "n" router so max speed and futureproof (well, for a year or so!)
deanbean10
28-03-2010, 02:02
At present I am on Broadband size M which I am happy with ... My Wife has decided that she wants a laptop and I will need to provide a wireless connection for her laptop (which is not yet purchased).
What type of router will I need ? ... Does it replace the existing one ? ... Can I get one free or do I need to buy one ? ... The laptop might also need a dongle ... I still want my PC to use the ethernet connection.
Any help would be gratefully received.
You shouldnt need to buy a dongle for a laptop as they come with wireless network adapters already installed now. This is a standard feature in a laptop :)
I'd recommend this router http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161822 at just over £50 it's an excellent buy and (so far) performs extremely well.
It's also an "n" router so max speed and futureproof (well, for a year or so!)
It also has 4 Gigabit LAN ports - a rareity for routers around the £50 mark.
march.brown
01-04-2010, 00:21
Well , I rang 150 and spoke to a nice Gentleman in Scotland and got a special price for the router ..... £20 , so I said yes.
I wanted an Asus X5DiJ SX313V Laptop as sold at PC World at £399-99 , not the Argos one as it has a lower spec ... Best price was on line with Dixons at £379-99 ... Did a Google search and found that if I was spending over £250 at Dixons , I could get an extra 5% off by quoting "EASTER5" ... This brought the price down to £361-00 , so I ordered one.
Just a matter of waiting for the bits to arrive now.
Many Thanks for all your help (and jokes about the title).
p.s. One of my works colleagues advertised for a Laptop ... He put "Wanted , laptop computer for my Wife" ... He had some very strange offers.
.
march.brown
07-04-2010, 19:23
Today the Laptop arrived and I put it on charge ... It is now charged and the centre front (red) LED has gone out ... The other two LEDs I haven't got a clue about ... They are still unlit.
The users manual is only 24 pages of A5 and is worse than useless , so I will have to try to find a better one ... I thought that there might be a full users manual on a CD , but there isn't ... Do all the Asus laptops come like this as I was hoping that my Wife would have something to read that actually told her something ...
The laptop is an Asus X5DiJ SX313V , so any leads to a proper user manual would be very welcome.
Many Thanks.
pip08456
07-04-2010, 21:34
Downloadable manual available here
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
There are about 39 in different languages, the english download is about halfway down.
The other two LEDs will presumably be Power and WiFi, the power one will be lit when the laptop is on and the WiFi one when the WiFi is switched on and connected to a wireless network
Looked at the specs of the laptop and it is fine to do b/g/n connections without any other attachments. once you get your modem from Virgin it shouldn't have any problems connecting.
march.brown
08-04-2010, 00:24
Downloadable manual available here
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
There are about 39 in different languages, the english download is about halfway down.
.
Hi Pip
I have downloaded the manual now ... Many thanks , that one has 48 pages plus 24 pages appendix ... I am happy now.
The laptop has Windows 7 , so it will be nice to compare (Her) Windows 7 with (My) Vista.
Son in Law will come over to set it all up on Saturday and he will show his Mother in Law how to use it ... That isn't going to be easy as she has only just managed to use the V+ handset for the TV ... She has her own way of deleting items off the V+ which is much more complicated and long-winded than mine ... Time will tell ... I just hope we haven't wasted all this money on her laptop.
Still got to fathom out the correct way to switch the laptop off.
Thanks again.
---------- Post added at 00:24 ---------- Previous post was at 00:20 ----------
Thanks to everyone who replied to my thread ... It is very much appreciated ... I just hope that my Wife can remember everything that the Son-in-Law tells her ... Perhaps he will have more luck than me !
Again , many thanks.
.
pip08456
08-04-2010, 10:23
Glad your're happy now:D:D:D
Switching off the laptop is exactly the same as your PC.
Windows 7 is basically a much improved version of Vista so you'll find it very much the same to use.
Doesn't matter how long it takes the wife to do things as long as it keeps her off your back!!!:angel:
march.brown
16-04-2010, 11:30
Well , everything is rosy in the house , now that the laptop is working through the router ... The download speed of my desktop has not altered significantly ... It is 9.6mbps and the laptop is 6.9mbps ... Good enough for shopping on Ebay etc ... She is learning quite well and as yet nothing awkward has annoyed her (other than me) ... She likes the fact that a message comes up when there is only 20 minutes of battery life left on the laptop.
Thank you all for your help.
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