I built this about 8 years ago. I believe i have a pci slot in it available or i'll pull the modem out of it or something. Been so long since i had the side off it i forgot what i have actually have in it. My new dell has the network card in it already so thats not a problem there as long as they give me the right setup parameters for the cable modem etc. i forgot what i have for a motherboard. i'll have to dig through the paperwork with the dust on it.
Chuck , the modem is not usb compatible but that sounds like a slick setup.
I've always done dialup so this is a new adventure for me.
Bill, Verizon FIOS might be available but i have cable in the house already so i can go with a all in one package and save money. i'll have 4 times as many channels and plus unlimited phone. then i can call everyone in LTS and shoot the breeze. MMMMMMMMMMM Who will I call FIRST !!!!!
Wohhhhhhh!!! Hold your horses!
First of all, which cable company?
Dont get too wrapped up in the bundle idea. The cable companies want you to believe their VOIP phone service is the best thing since sliced bread. Have you read any reviews about this service though? Both vonage and comcast VOIP phone service that I have experience with are plagued with dropped calls, hit or miss connections, garbled voices, etc. I dont have any first-hand experience with any other cable companies, but in general, VOIP technology needs some perfecting, there are huge numbers of dissatisfied VOIP users. Sure, they've got some neat features, and if you're calling long distance constantly, the unlimited is a nice feature, but at the cost of reliability. I will take my twisted pair analog phone service any day of the week, I need to know that when someone calls my number, my phone will ring, and when I pick up the phone, I'll have a dial tone. If you're only after the unlimited long distance, and you spend more than $25/month on long distance, get an extra line thru Vonage which works thru your cable internet connection and keep your landline for local calls and for when Vonage doesn't work (yes, it will happen, trust me).
If you're set on doing the all-3 bundle, wait to port your home phone number. Use the number the cable company gives you for at least a few weeks. Keep the old copper phone line while you try out the VOIP phone service from the cable company, you can always port your phone number later if you happen to like the VOIP...
As for cable internet, do it, and dont look back. I'll never give up my cable high speed internet. I would like faster upload speeds (limited by comcast to 256kb) due to the large audio and image files I upload regularly. Download speeds are regulated more by the computer's processor and the server that the information is on. Most people will not notice a difference between 4meg service and anything higher. Downloading a lot of music on the other hand, I've heard there's a noticable difference between DSL and FIOS. Also, I've had bad experiences with DSL, lots of reliability and speed issues.
As far as connecting your 2 computers, the easiest way will be a wired router. If your computer is 8 years old, it probably has a network card. If not, it's not hard to add one. Connecting a cable modem to a computer with a network card is very easy, connect the ethernet cable, run the wizard, and you're online. You can do wireless as mentioned, but securing a wireless router to keep people like me out can be complicated for the novice... :wink
TV service is a horse a piece. All the channels come from the same place, the difference is the quality of the delivery. In most cases, there's no difference between satellite and cable, other than packaging, which can mean a difference in what you pay. Most TV providers pay a similar price for the channels, so pricing should be real close for the same channels. Unfortunately, some companies put the channels you want in a higher price package to sell you all the channels you really could care less about with the channels you want...
Check with your cable company and see if they have a promo for cable and internet. I wouldn't be persuaded by the "all-3" bundle if you put any value in a reliable phone line. Oh, and before I forget, READ THE FINE PRINT, and know what the price will be when the promo for all the 3 ends. I deal with people every day who "didn't realize" this $99 deal was gonna cost them $180 a month after 6 months...
And before I get blasted, I work for the cable company, this is all first hand advice! :wink
