Planetarion Forums

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:22

I have recently had Broadband installed. I wasn't present at the time. I have just realised that the "connection lead" comes in from outside and ends up where my computer is currently sitting. I am (/was) planning on moving a sofa to where the computer sits and moving the computer through to my room. My room is in the opposite direction from the living room from the main door (where the cable lead comes from).

QUESTION 1

"Is there anything i can do to allow me to get the broadband connection in my bedroom (preferably without resorting to getting the NTL dude coming out again and fitting more wire)?"

I need a new TV and sound system in my bedroom. I was thinking about just optioning up my computer instead ie getting a decent sized flat screen monitor, a TV card, a DVD player drive, coverting my CD's to MP3 format and possibly buying some "decent speakers".

QUESTION 2

"Can anyone give me any advice on this please - what kind of screen (/speakers) should i go for and how much is it liable to cost me?"

Thanks in advance.

roadrunner_0 · 3 Feb 2005, 00:31

idi has it pretty much correct, although i would stick with the wired option unless you have some serious complaint against a length iofrj45 cable running through your house, as its a lot easier, you wouldn't believe the hassle i am having setting mine up at the moment

Blastoderm · 3 Feb 2005, 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by idimmu

did you **** her in the bum?

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by idimmu

#1

you can buy a router which the ntl modem will plug in to, you then either run a wire from this to a network card in your pc (effort) or buy a wireless router and a wireless network card then it all travels over the air (easy)

#2

£50 for tv card
£45 for dvd writer in pc
£150 for a pretty reasonable surround sound system from the likes of creative
££££ for a widescreen flatscreen lcd

did you **** her in the bum?

Thanks and no.

1-X · 3 Feb 2005, 00:34

leave the modem where it is and just buy a longer lead from that to your bedroom - probably the cheapest option

edit - this is what roadrunner said

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrunner_0

idi has it pretty much correct, although i would stick with the wired option unless you have some serious complaint against a length iofrj45 cable running through your house, as its a lot easier, you wouldn't believe the hassle i am having setting mine up at the moment :(

I'd rather not have the wired option (the flat was recentlyish renovated and all the wires and stuff put under the floorboards. Ive just ****ed this up with my random wire hogging the skirting now ... it would be death from parents time for me if i got more cables running around.)

How much hassle am i looking at?

Also does doing it over the "airwaves" leave me vulnerable to those wi-fi type attack thingies?

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:36

P.S. pretteh (expensive)

roadrunner_0 · 3 Feb 2005, 00:39

its easy enough to encrypt when you get a wireless router, just make sure you get the right kit

i actually asked on here, and some kindly (bastard) mod put it in the tech forum, where only about 3 people read, and they sort of answered my question in a way, whilst not, and when i asked about kit, everyone ignored my thread, so i ended up with the wrong bit of kit, which i am not desperatly trying to cover up without the rest of the house finding out, and its costing me money and time

not that i am bitter of course

also, i would get hold of a book on wireless networking before you try if you haven't done it before

roadrunner_0 · 3 Feb 2005, 00:41

everyone loves novatech at the moment

demiGOD · 3 Feb 2005, 00:41

-just run a longer cable on your overhead like mentioned, cheapest way

-VAIO, whole set, not sure how much.. but should be cheaper than separately buying from various brands

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrunner_0

also, i would get hold of a book on wireless networking before you try if you haven't done it before

Skiddy mentioned something about a "get together" in Glasgow in February last month.

Hopefully i could barter a place to crash for some MAD TECH SKILLZ.

"Hopefully"

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by idimmu

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/s....html?REL-EWD3

cheaper

Deffo cheaper (looking at £750 for the Sharp one) but it's also smaller.

TBH im not sure 20 inches is enough.

I dont want to be straining my eyes (although double the price for 3 extra inches aint worth it).

Any other suggestions?

roadrunner_0 · 3 Feb 2005, 00:49

he hasn't mentioned anything to me, i think it got postpond cos you haven't been around

we are meant to be going to cambridge instead

although he is up in your nexk of the woods every so often for work anyway, so you might get lucky

(im in glasgow in march as it happens, coming up there to see jimmy eat world)

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:50

Any (personal ... or otherwise) recommendations on a sound system plsta?

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrunner_0

(im in glasgow in march as it happens, coming up there to see jimmy eat world)

When in March (and when does Skiddy bugger off to Eye-rack)?

1-X · 3 Feb 2005, 00:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

TBH im not sure 20 inches is enough.

I dont want to be straining my eyes (although double the price for 3 extra inches aint worth it).

this is childish I know but I think it's my GD duty to post this

paging MM to thread 183215

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 01:02

I considered posting it in a manner which wouldnt be "open to interpretation" but then i realised i couldnt be bothered.

Dead_Meat · 3 Feb 2005, 01:29

Wireless Networking isn't as much hassle as it sounds.

Especially if you get one of those Microsoft bundled wireless network kits, which include router and client hardware, an installation wizard to get it all set up and secure, and it's apparently not much more expensive than buying the bits anyway.

Entium · 3 Feb 2005, 01:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

Any (personal ... or otherwise) recommendations on a sound system plsta?

I'd stick with a 5.1.
Or one of these.

lokken · 3 Feb 2005, 02:29

idi loves novatech because if something goes wrong, he'll go up to Portchester and sit on them

roadrunner_0 · 3 Feb 2005, 10:37

its the... 13th of march i think, a sunday

i think he buggers off to iraq in may, but i havent seen him in a while so not sure, meant to be seeing him in a couple of weeks though, so that might be a plan

MrL_JaKiri · 3 Feb 2005, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dead_Meat

Wireless Networking isn't as much hassle as it sounds.

My experience of wireless networking so far comes from 4 locales, and in all of them it didn't work, using different equipment and different computers, with different people setting it up.

I'm using a set of £80 Creative 5.1 speakers for the media pc, and they're working very nicely thank you. Space being an issue on my 'main' pc, although that's currently the laptop for things passing understanding of mortal man, I have Creative 2.1's.

Network wise, I would obviously advise a wired network, if they're annoyed about more than one cable can't you just bundle the cables?

Dace · 3 Feb 2005, 23:01

There are no other cables visible.

MrL_JaKiri · 4 Feb 2005, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dace

Ive just ****ed this up with my random wire hogging the skirting now ... it would be death from parents time for me if i got more cables running around.)

What did you mean by this then?

Stew · 4 Feb 2005, 00:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

What did you mean by this then?

I assumed he meant there used to be wires, they're now (recently) under the floorboards/carpet/whatever and now if he added some more it would not go down well.

Dace · 4 Feb 2005, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

I assumed he meant there used to be wires, they're now (recently) under the floorboards/carpet/whatever and now if he added some more it would not go down well.

It's like you read my post earlier in the thread and tried to explain it to a mongo child.

Ta.

(Serious)

MrL_JaKiri · 4 Feb 2005, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

I assumed he meant there used to be wires, they're now (recently) under the floorboards/carpet/whatever and now if he added some more it would not go down well.

I've no idea how it means that. Flat was renovated in the past, wires put under the floors. He's ****ed this up NOW with his wire running NOW.

Don't blame me if I offered you a solution that wasn't fitting with reality dace, I just go by whats yous says.

meglamaniac · 4 Feb 2005, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrunner_0

*moan*

Don't know what you're whinging about, you got plenty of helpful responses. I didn't move your thread though.

Dace:
The best advice I can give you for wireless is to buy everything from the same manufacturer. While there are supposed to be standards in the wireless game, half the manufacturers ignore them or add their own proprietry shit that messes everyone else's kit up. Hopefully they'll grow up soon and it'll all get sorted out, but for now we seem to be playing the "lolz look! my hardware makes the most kit from other vendors stop working!!" game.

I suggest one of these* in combination with however many of these you require. Please note that 54mbps is currently the fastest STANDARD. If you buy anything claiming 100+ mpbs the chances are when the next proper standard comes out your kit will be disabled by any standards complient network within range rather than interoperating with it, so if your neighbours were to install standard compliant stuff you'd be ****ed.
The kit I have linked to conforms to standards with no stupid extras. It might not be as fast as some, but it will work and will continue to work with newer standards.

*Obligatory "lol it has content filtering so your parents can filter out kiddieporn" joke

IncubusGod · 4 Feb 2005, 11:18

Just so you know..do not buy a Sony Viao system or anything from them that involves anything computer related.
TV's, fine. DVD's sure. Cameras okay.

Do

Not

Buy

Computer

Stuff

From

Sony.

I know. I work in the support centre. Nothing of it works right. The cinema systems with HD recorders from recording TV dont work, when they do they dont record the sound right so its out of sync with the peoples lips. Their warranty is shit. Their support is laughable and chargable.

I don't know much about the right kinda stuff you need but I sure as hell know about the stuff you dont need.

Dead_Meat · 4 Feb 2005, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

My experience of wireless networking so far comes from 4 locales, and in all of them it didn't work, using different equipment and different computers, with different people setting it up.

The problem I've found setting my own network up, is that WIndows XP likes ot hijack the settings for Encryption and/or shared keys, then won't release them if and when you decide to change them.

When I set up the network at home, I got it all running completely open, then applied security settings to only allow known Wireless cards. This was fine.
Then I switched the lowest encryption on, and Windows prompted for the shared key, which was fair enough. Sadly, what was not fair enough was that the key it wanted was not the 'shortcut' key that then gets translated into your 12/30 character long string, but the long version.
It only took half an hour to work that out, everything worked fine.

Then I decided to go to full 128 bit encryption (or whatever it is) and Windows refused to recognise the new settings. It would ask for a new key, then forget it, then not work, then disconnect, then just sit there and sulk saying 'this network has limited or no connectivity' I KNOW THAT YOU ****TARD, THAT'S WHY I CAN'T READ KURA'S LATEST WITTY COMMENT.

Anyway, I found taht deleeting teh existing profile for my router and making a new one seemed to fix the problem, but it reaffirms the already known belief that Windows and Microsoft paly their own game and anyone that doesn't know the exact rules gets ejected from the game. The cheating pikey scavs.