Hi if a p/c has no ethrnet port (like my 7yr old ) Is it acceptable to get a usb adaptor (whatever that is
) Or do you prefer to install a pci card to go wireless broadband?
Thanks
Your broadband options are:
Q: Use broadband on one computer?
The broadband provider should give you a USB modem you connect to your PC and the phone line
Q: Use broadband on more than one computer?
->Q2: All computers are wired/you have no interest in wireless?
Buy either a USB ethernet card or a PCI ethernet card. USB is much easier to install but may perform slower. In theory a 480Mbps USB2 card is faster than a 100Mbps ethernet card but if your PC only has USB1 ports at 12Mbps, copying large files to other computer on the network will take a LONG time. Also, if you are getting 24mbps broadband, using a USB-Ethernet option that is limited to 12mbps(because of slow USB) or 10mbps(because of slow ethernet) means your computer literally cannot download info from the router faster than the broadband delivers it.
You don't need a wireless router.. You can get away with just a router that has ethernet ports, and an adsl modem (for the broadband)
->Q2: Mix of wireless, or all computers are wireless?
Ensure you get a suitable router with ethernet ports, giving you the choice to connect your old computer by wired (buy an ethernet card, of PCI or USB depending on USB port speed) or wireless. Using a USB wireless card is very easy, and allows more free positioning for better signal strength. Beware the USB1 speed caveats as above but given that most wireless only goes to 54Mbps under perfect ideal conditions (never achievable), a slow usb port won't affect too much. If you have 24mbps broadband, you might find that in some areas of the hosue your wireless cannot deliver 24mbps so your connection is bottlenecked on your wireless rather than the broadband
For this opption buy a wireless router that has ethernet ports too, so you can wire some and wireless others.
If you have a cable modem, or cable broadband these normally work via ethernet so you'll connect one ethernet port on your router(possibly marked UPLINK or WAN), to the cable modem or set top box. If the cable co only provided you with a USB cable modem, nag them for something better. Some routers exist that have cable modems built in, but not all cable networks support or allow them