My mom has asked me what I want for Christmas this year, and I said I'd like the hardware I'll need to go broadband (finally) and ditch the dial-up. And she said that she would get the hardware for me, as long as I find out just what I'll need, since everyone in my family is on dial-up and I'll be the first to go broadband.

 

I'm looking to take my computer, PS2, and X-box online with broadband. What hardware will I need to be able to accomplish this?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

You'll need a cable modem and a router.

 

Simple as that.

 

I think I spent around $120 on the two together over the summer for my new apartment, but the router was a wireless one, so it was a little more expensive.

 

Oh, and you'll also need ethernet cords.

That simple, eh? Thanks a bunch.

Do some research first. If you are thinking about going the cable route, find out how many people in your neighborhood are using Cable for internet. If the number is a bit high, you may want to go the DSL route because the more people that is using the cable, the less bandwidth you will have for yourself.

 

 

Also a gateway router is a must if you are going to share your broadband connection with everyone else in the family. Its pretty easy to set up as well if everyone is using Windows XP. Just have your computer get the IP Address from the router and everyone else obtain an IP Address automatically with the Default Gateway on their computer as your IP address.

 

 

Hope that its helped you a bit

I think I'll end up getting DSL, since BellSouth has an offer going for 6 months of DSL at half price, so that's where I'm probably going to end up. And the broadband will be only for me. Since I live on my own, I don't have to worry about that sharing nonsense... :shifty

 

Thanks a bunch for the info; I appreciate the help.

One last thing if you are going to go the Bellsouth route: For $5 more, you can upgrade to the 3.0Mbps service. But I must also let you know to find out where the nearest Central Office to you is located. The closer you are to the CO, the more bandwidth you'll receive.

 

 

Glad I can help

Central Office? Would the BellSouth building on 62nd Avenue and Hollywood Blvd. be such a location? If that is, then it'll be no problem for me, since I'm three blocks away from there.

Yeah that could be it. A central office is where all the terminating equipment from the lines ends up. So if you are only 3 blocks away, you should get some great bandwidth.

I'm a cable fan myself. I've actually noticed a speed difference from adelphia powerlink in FL and RoadRunner here in NY. I think because I live in a small area(compared to Palm Beach), it's much faster now.

I have a Netgear wireless network. Got it from Costco and it works flawlessly.

Netgears are usually very good :thumbup