Re: OT: Oh woe is me:-(

Mrs Nemo wrote:
the Omrud wrote:
Mr
Broadband modem USB drivers are notoriously unreliable. If at all possible, you should switch to using Ethernet for connecting to your broadband. This is standard networking and if your PC has the correct port it will almost certainly just work when you connect it.

I haven't a clue - how do I tell whether it has the correct port? Presumably this would also entail a different "piece of wire" to connect modem to pc would it?

An Ethernet connector looks quite like a BT telephone connector, although slightly narrower and slightly fatter. Look at the picture on the WikiP article, showing the RJ45 connector - this is what you're looking for on the back of your computer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

Can you post the model numbers of your PC and laptop?

You may
need to force your modem to reset by pressing a hard reset button so that it will pick up the fact that you've switched connection models.

The modek doesn't have any buttons to press.

If this doesn't make sense, or if you don't have an Ethernet option, post the model name of your broadband modem so that we can check the specs online.

It's a Thomson SpeedTouch 330. I've just checked the version number on the CD which came from Virgin and it says "Version 4.1" but I see on Virgin's website that they say the latest driver for XP is 3.01 and for Vista it is 4.1. Could it be that I was actually given the wrong driver by Virgin, but that didn't matter until I got SP3 and now Windows XP doesn't like this driver?

Yes, it's possible, although it could be any combination of different factors which might have been upgraded at the same time. As I say, ADSL modem USB drivers are notorious.

I've just read this on Wikipedia: "the Speedtouch USB to work. The absence of an Ethernet interface also means that a Local Area Network, or LAN, cannot be built using this modem, even with the use of a USB capable router or a USB Hub." I expect you're going to advise a new modem! (assuming I have this Ethernet thingy.)

Yep - actually, an "ADSL modem router" which also contains a "switch" which enables multiple devices to connect at the same time.

You should also uninstall the USB drivers from your PC. Ethernet is supported natively and requires no installers at all from your ISP. I always recommend that any CD or other software delivered by ISPs is forwarded directly to the bin.

Yes, this modem and its accompanying disk were what was supplied by Virgin. Interestingly (fsvo of interesting!) they actually supplied 2 and one of them seems not to work on this machine, but the one I was using successfully on my "proper" computer does work fine, even though I get an error message about the modem every time. (This machine has an old pre-SP2 version of WinXP.)

You could invest in a broadband router which would allow you to have more than one computer connected at the same time. These are not expensive - about £30 gets a decent one, but we'd need to know what sort of broadband you have to make a recommendation. Is it ADSL (over the BT phone line, no matter who is the ISP) or Cable (provided by Virgin Media)?

Yes, it's ADSL. Connecting 2 computers at the same time is probably never going to be a requirement as this one will only be for use when the other one isn't working.

Even so, it would make things ever so much easier, and also more secure. At the moment your PC is connected directly to the Internet. If you use a router, it provides a layer of security which means that your PC is not visible on the Internet, which reduces the security risk considerably.

Thanks for your interest. I'm feeling a bit more positive already.

So, to sum up, although you are using Virgin Media as your ISP, you are using their ADSL service via your BT telephone line, not via a VM cable line?

I like Netgear home networking equipment although DLink, LinkSys and Belkin are also good. If you are sure that you will not need wireless, then take a look at the Netgear DG834, which can be had from Amazon and probably from PC World. If you think you might want to use wireless, e.g. for visitors or your laptop, look at the Netgear DG834G. You can always buy the wireless version and switch the wireless off if you don't need it at the moment.

--
David
.

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