Boris Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Broadband being imminent in the town (at long last) - I've just started looking for the best deals around.Besides choosing a provider, I just can't decide whether to go for a PCI modem or a USB one. :unsure: What do all you experts recommend ? Oh and any links to good ones I can have a look at ?It should just be a stand alone PC - so I don't need a router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Well USB takes a few cycles from the processor so it will rob you a little bit (...and i mean a very little bit). No worries if you have high specced processor...There is a problem with the Alcatel Speedtouch froggie modem and I think the KT266 chipset so do you have that chipset? But just get another USB modem...Simple!PCI modenms, cards, whatever PCI you do not really hear of failing. Where as USB ports can cease to work and even the modem. Of course you have to have a USB port to accomodate the modem. If you have alot of stuff connected via USB and working at the sametime as your modem, i believe it can shut down your connection as there aint enough power. There is report of lower pings on an ethernet connection, (i dont think PCI'd adsl modem tho - not sure).For convience - USB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Radfordin Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 If you will need to plug a USB modem into a hub then in most cases it will need to be powered (the hub that is) or you will have problems. That may affect your choice.I doubt many people really notice the difference between USB and PCI and USB is so easy to setup and install. There have been some problems with the Alcatel frogs in the past though haven't heard anything in a while.As for a provider, my choice is ZEN, who may be a tad more expensive but do provide excellent service from start to finish. You also get a fixed IP address which may or may not be a good thing. They always seem to come out tops for customer service/speed which is a good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 A good place to find out Broadband stuff is ADSL Guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted January 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 There is a problem with the Alcatel Speedtouch froggie modem and I think the KT266 chipset so do you have that chipset? But just get another USB modem...Simple!For convience - USB.Thanks powerless, Mobo is Asus P4S533-MX (SIS 651 chipset)+ 4 USB 2.0 ports onboard (only 1 used for my Lexmark 1150 all-in-one)+ Celeron 2.0 + 512MB PC133 SDRAMSo it looks like USB is the way to go :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted January 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Anything wrong with these ?http://www.dabs.com/uk/productview?quicklinx=17P6DABS AMX-GA82U ADSL USB - £19.99 inc VAT (£17.02 ex VAT)orhttp://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=48409Ebuyer ADSL USB Modem - £16.99 (£19.97 inc VAT)???Or is a better quality one required ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Boris, personally I use a modem router and find it very good, I posted on the ADSL forum, PCI or USB? here are the replies so far,1. I would always recommend using a router. More expensive, but worthwhile. Includes a firewall, as well as allowing connection of multiple computers easily. Zero CPU overhead too, but that usually isn't a problem. (Bruce)2. Less cables and clutter about the place also. (alanjuk)3. a pci modem uses less cpu power and is generally regarded as best for gaming as they're a bit faster than USB, though some ISP's will only provide technical support for modems supplied by them, which are all (as far as I know) USB modems. If you feel confident that you'll be able to set it up ok go for a pci, they're usually cheaper as well, http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catalog/pro...products_id=142 £27+vat http://www.dsl-warehouse.co.uk/product.asp...SL-W3805&pm=259 £29.99 + vat don't know how good they are though, maybes some other members have used them. (curious_george)I use Metronet and have been happy with the service so far, worth comparing to the rest, ADSL guide have a comparison page also, this is the linkCompare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Radfordin Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 ranger makes a very good point. If there is the remotest chance you will want to share the connection in the future you may as well buy an ADSL router at this point. It may be more expensive now but will be cheaper in the longrun. Having the built in firewall does make sense, but depending on what you do could mean you have to spend some time configuring it to do what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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