Re: broadband newbie queries

dave wrote: 
I'm thinking of upgrading to broadband from dialup (NTL isp)!

There are several problems due to the settup I have now and need to maintain.
I'd appreciate some advice on any of the following problems.

1)
Machine is a dual boot NT4 sp6 / W2k machine that works just fine via dialup
using a 56k internal modem. (I have to keep NT4 as there are some older apps
that only work on it). So the broadband has to workable on both NT4 and W2k.

Broadband is a network connection. As long as you can get networking functioning with NT4 and W2K you should be ok. There are no broadband modem drivers required. I think NT and W2K support networking fairly well. ;-)
(I should say, as long as you use an ethernet connection. You can also connect to some broadband with a USB adapter, but I don't have any experience of this. It's also generall thought to be a poorer solution.)

2)
I use the computer in the garage and the modem in the PC is connected to the
phone extension cable that runs to the house. This is a fair distance - maybe
70+ feet.  This is probably longer that the allowed limit but anyway it works
fine. This cable is just  piggy-backed into a connector at the wall phone
socket. So the question here is, is the broadband hardware that NTL  (or do I
have to) supply, work over such a distance?

The broadband cable comes out of the ground into a junction box on the wall of your house somewhere. Another cable then goes from that box to anywhere else you want it to be put, terminating in another junction box, this one with an external connector on it. Mine runs around 50'.
The NTL man will give you a length of co-ax cable to connect said box to your cable modem. You then run a regular ethernet cable from the modem into the NIC Network Interface Card) inside your PC.

Can existing modem can stay installed and act as a backup access to net if
broadband goes down?

I have that setup. The 'normal' modem connects to the BT telephone socket and works as before.

Any dedicated card PC card must be able to work under NT4 and W2k (ie I need
drivers for both OS's)


No special card needed. Standard ethernet card.

With this setup you have no security against outside people getting into your system. At least use a software firewall product (ZoneAlarm, Kerio, plus others) or consider getting a hardware router. The router would usually have basic firewall capability.

John
.

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