Broadband connection

[bubbles4920]

we have recently had BT broadband for my husband to work at home on his laptop. however, he went to connect it to our Advent computer which is about 4 years old and he said it wasnt possible.he said that there wasnt an earth net cable point?? do you know if it is possible to buy an adaptor to fit into the back of a computer.we already have a router/cable?! im am dying for broadband as dial up is soooooooooo slooooooooow!!!!!

[Oneeyedvic]

I believe you are looking for an 'ethernet' adapter. You have two choices - you can either buy an ethernet adapter (get them fairly cheap off ebay, or your local computer shop - personally, I would ask a computer shop if they have a spare old one kicking around) or you can buy a usb modem and connect that way (if you have usb ports on your pc).

If you have any level of confidence, go for the first - it is a very easy task and should be the cheaper option, but if you are not confident, go for the second option.

[lebesset]

ethernet adaptor ? most are specific on laptops , and built in! no port , probably impossible to adapt

doesn't this have a pcmcia port , and usb? you should be able to get the appropriate part over the counter

just go into your local computer shop with the laptop and tell them what you want

[fo3nix]

if your advent computer is a regular desktop pc, it's easy to fit an ethernet port:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProduc tID=1790

[bubbles4920]

thanks for all your advice peeps. just a note, it isnt for a laptop but an advent computer and it doesnt have a usb connection either which i would like to have aswell, is there any hope of getting both or do you think its best to buy a newer computer??

[kikimon]

very unusual for your pc not to have a usb port. i got 4 pc's and they are all over 4 years old and all of them have 2 usb ports on each. Must admit on one of them they are not easy to find lol. what is the make and model of your pc? also ethernet adaptors are really cheap so its worth trying that first.

[bubbles4920]

hi, just looked at the back of our computer, the make and model for it is:

Advent 3604 and it does have a usb point now i have looked. also where the phone line goes in, it does have another one right next to it but itdoesnt look big enough for ethernet cable unless do u take phone line out and the space for 2 phone cables? then becomes space for the end of the ethernet cable?? really want to get this sorted without leaving the house!!

[bubbles4920]

just put in my usb pen but cant find how to view my files as 'my computer' doesnt have the usb icon, only for floppy, hard disks etc. help , sorry i am so pathetic arent i!!

[kikimon]

no you are not pathetic. it just takes time to learn about pc's. ok first thing first, my pc also did not recognise the usb pen first time i put it in. restart pc and try again.it should recognise it. ok the other thing is the ethernet port. it looks similar to a phone point but it is smaller. ethernet leads are not very big at all. . but now that you have usb port you should be able to connect to the router by usb cable. give it a go

[bubbles4920]

thanks very much for your advice. we have a black box on top of computer which hubby connected. just noticed at the back that it has lots of ethernet points. could this be the adaptor?? we were sent all these things by post via his company we work for i think or bt broadband.

[kikimon]

thats probably the router. all you need now is a ethernet cable.put that into the box and then into you desktop pc.not the phone socket on your pc but the ethernet socket. i think you got on the way you explained it.they should have send a ethernet cable with all the items you received. they normally do. without seeing that box im not sure if it is the router but a modem normally does not have lots of ethernet ports. does your pen work now?

[qapmoc]

Hi bubbles, the existing connectors on the back of the PC modem card are a telephone line in and a telephone output for an actual telephone to connect to, the idea is that when the internal modem in the PC is not on-line the telephone will be connected as normal but when the modem is on-line the telephone will be disconnected. You do not have an existing ethernet connector which is as you say larger than a phone connector.

You have three choices to connect to the broadband -

1. The only way for you to connect to the router is via the ethernet connector, you cannot do this with the USB port directly. You will have to purchase and install a normal network interface card (NIC) with a ethernet connector to your PC. This will require you to open the PC casing and actually fix the new card into the machine and set-up the PC to connect via this. This software setup may be easy or a real pain in the a*se. More than one PC can connect via the router this way at the same time.

OR

2. Purchase a seperate USB broadband modem and use this instead of the router, this will plug in to the existing USB port you have on your PC and will not require you to open the PC casing, the software should be easy to install. Only one PC can connect via the USB modem.

OR

3. Purchase a USB to ethernet adaptor such a shown here and then you can connect to the ethernet port on the router from the USB port on your PC, I have no idea if this will be easy or difficult to set up.

Best of luck when you leave the house!

[bubbles4920]

thanks again for all your advice. i dragged my hubby to pc world after work last night. we bought a usb10/100 ethernet adaptor. i was obviously very optimistic but alas , not to be. the cd rom etc was loaded but our computer did say that the configuration wasnt right so hubby said it was beyond him. will i ever get bt broadband ahhhhhhhhh!!! by the way, we do have a usb point, the digital camera was already plugged into it so i didnt see it.

[qapmoc]

Hi bubbles, are you still not connected yet? If not then I suggest you make a new question with the details for some more answers.

[bubbles4920]

thanks for all your attempts to help me. im gonna get my friends hubby round now so hopefully that will work. have left it til now as i was applying for a job online n didnt want the computer messed up.