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Setting up broadbandContentsWhat are the minimum specifications of my PC to be able to use ADSL? What are the minimum specifications of my Mac to be able to use ADSL? Do I have to buy my equipment from The Phone Co-op? If I buy a router from The Phone Co-op will it be pre-configured with the right settings? About using your own equipment Should I get a router or a modem? What about wireless broadband? What if my computer is not next to a telephone socket? Do you provide fixed IP Addresses? What equipment do I need?A Mac or PC matching the minimum specification set out below, an Ethernet or wireless router to connect your computer to the telephone line and a microfilter (also known as splitters) for each telephone point you intend to use. What are the minimum specifications of my PC to be able to use ADSL?For use on a single machine:
What are the minimum specifications of my Mac to be able to use ADSL?
Do I really need a computer?This is not a trick question! Many more devices are capable of internet connections these days: game consoles, Blu-ray players, and mobile phones, to name just a few. Depending on what you want to use broadband for, you do not necessarily need a computer, but if anything were to go wrong with the connection, you'd have a very hard time troubleshooting without one! Please be aware that we cannot offer support for equipment such as game consoles, or smartphones not supplied by us. Do I have to buy my equipment from The Phone Co-op?We don't sell computers, or any of the other devices mentioned above, but we do supply routers, which are the devices that actually connect to the web. Everything else: your computer, console, phone, etc, connects to the router, and accesses the web via that connection. If you do buy a router from us it will arrive ready to plug in and go without you needing to set it up yourself. Also, our support team know our routers back to front, and will be able to offer much better support when you need it. Remember, if you choose out home phone and broadband package, we include a router for free. If I buy a router from The Phone Co-op will it be pre-configured with the right settings?The routers we supply are set up just as you need them, and should just plug in and work. If you need help with setting up standard equipment our technical support staff will be happy to help if they can, but we cannot guarantee to get a connection working on a third party router. We cannot support third party wireless in any form. About using your own equipmentAs we are not an equipment retailer, you may be able to find cheaper routers to use with your broadband service from other suppliers. However, you should be aware that our technical support staff cannot guarantee to help should you have problems setting up a router not provided by us. Given how many different makes there are, we're sure you can understand we can't possibly support them all! We will do our best, but it may be necessary to refer you to your router's manufacturer. We will only attempt to offer support to routers with wired connections - we can not troubleshoot thirdparty wireless connections at all. Should I get a router or a modem?The short answer is that a router is a better buy. Most modems will not support the higher access speeds of up to 24Mbps, whereas most routers will. Routers are also more secure, as your computer connects only to the router, and it is the router that connects to the net. Most routers (including those supplied by The Phone Co-op) also come with a built-in firewall. If you have more than one computer, and want to use broadband on each, then you need a router. Our routers have four ports, so you can plug four different computers into them. Wireless routers will accept as many connections as you want, and are more convenient for laptop users, and people with mobile phones that can connect to the internet wirelessly. From a performance point of view, a router is far more capable than a modem. Modems need to be instructed to connect to the web whenever you want to go online, but a router is always connected. Because a router takes its power from your electricity supply rather than your computer, your computer will also function better if you use a router, as a modem makes demands on your computer's processor that a router does not. Do I need to buy a firewall?A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorised access to a network. If you use a USB modem then you definitely need firewall protection on your computer, along with regularly-updated anti-virus software. Talk to your local PC shop for advice. If you have a router that doesn't come with a built-in firewall then you should again get a firewall. What is a micro-filter?The purpose of the micro-filter is to split the (analogue) voice service from the (digital) broadband service. If the two are not separated, then every time you make a call, there will be an awful lot of interference on the line! What about wireless broadband?As an ISP (internet service provider) our role is to convert your line to broadband, and then provide a connection to the internet (your log-in details). Wireless is simply a way of connecting your computer or other device to a router, so any broadband connection is potentially "wireless." Nothing special needs to be done to it, you just need a wireless enabled router, and a wireless card in your computer. You will need either a wireless router such as the one we can supply, or other wireless equipment. We are happy to give advice, but cannot offer support for third party set-ups, given how many are available. You will also need to ensure that your PC is enabled with wireless networking if you wish to use a wireless router. Most modern PCs will already be enabled, especially if you have a laptop. The easiest way to tell is if your laptop has a “Centrino” sticker on it somewhere. This means that your laptop has wireless networking built into it. Most desktops with wireless use a PCI card with an external antenna. Check the back of your machine and look for a small aerial sticking out of the back towards the bottom. If it's there then you are wireless enabled. To double check that your computer is wireless enabled:
If you have wireless networking built in, it will show up there. If your computer does not have built in wireless networking, you will need to purchase a USB wireless adaptor to work with a wireless router. If you have built in wireless networking, you do not need to purchase anything other than a wireless router. All desktop and portable Mac computers have wireless built in, and you will not need any equipment other than a wireless router. What if my computer is not next to a telephone socket?If your computer is not next to a telephone socket then you will either need to use a wireless router, or a long Ethernet cable. We don't recommend using telephone extension wiring, as this can degrade the broadband signal and affect performance. Do you provide fixed IP Addresses?Our standalone services have fixed IP addresses as standard. Fixed IPs are also available upon request for home phone and broadband packages. Business customers can apply for additional IP addresses, however you will need to explain what you are using these IP addresses for so that we can justify the new IP numbers to RIPE. I already have broadband, but want one of your packages, will my current router work?If you have a USB modem, this will not work with a home phone and broadband package. Most routers will work just fine, but some are known to be incompatible with the ADSL2+ system. If you have one of these, you will need a new router. Some ISPs lock their routers so they can only work with one service. If your router was provided by one of the following you will need to replace it to use our services:
We do not lock any of the routers we supply. A note about Netgear:
As a default, Netgear routers have their MTU set at 1500 which is the default in the USA. As a result, you will need to amend this to reflect the recommended European setting of 1432 which will give the best transmission rate on our Network. |
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Call us on 0845 458 9000
or write to us at:
The Phone Co-op, 5 The Millhouse, Elmsfield Business Centre, Worcester Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5XL
