I access the internet via cable broadband with Virgin Media (which was Telewest branded as Blueyonder). They also do an unlimited dial access via a phoneline but have run down the deal on it and are pushing more their high speed online all time 'cable modem' access, where they do a capped 'slower' version that is similar price to unlimited dial up access, pushing it in with telephone and TV offers.
I just dropped my service to slowest one (2Meg) as really it is fast enough and paying more is a waste.
Also their TV set top box can crash, and sometime give false info on pay per view film lengths and even costs.
If you start using high speed broadband one will find it so painfull to go back to a plain old modem again after having a fixed broadband connection. I tend myself to like the cable modem tech over ADSL modem using BT copper.
I had some problems moving cable modem from machine to machine, until it was explained that I had release lease on first machine ( run -> winipcfg on win98) , turn off cable modem and wait up to a few hours before setting up on new NIC card. They have now dropped requirement to register MAC address of card with ISP
A cable modem can be used on different machines so long as 1) the mac address of each machine's NIC card has been registered with ISP (if required) and 2) when moving the modem between machines the IP address is released from the first machine before being renewed on the second. You may find it necessary also to power down the modem for a period of time if it does not learn the new NIC card address (and thus acquire a new IP address) - this time could be anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
for interest check out your cable modem config at: http://192.168.100.1 ( but take care here really you don't need to mess with settings here)
Also you can dial up access the Internet without needing to register on the dial up:
0845 6091354
login: yahoo
password: anything
adial have similar universal login.
Demon customers on BT line can use the cheaper
rather than local rate number (pre-fix with 1280 if Carrier Pre-Select used). smtp server: post.demon.co.uk
UK linux ISP supports the free software movement and UKFSN says their profits will be donated to actual free software devlopment. If you pay be the minute at 'local rates' I suggest you switch to using UKFSN. Consider them for ASDL broadband if you have BT phone line, they have month by month contract and one advantage of using them or any BT line ADSL reseller, is one is not as locked in as with cable (or even 'Local Loop Unbunded' suppliers).
The Phone Coop is worth looking into, who also do month by month contract for BT line ADSL. Local projects I help use them.
For alternative wireless networks try:
other wireless links:
http://www.hacktivismo.com/news/
http://www.freenetworks.org/
http://www.ittc.ku.edu/wlan/
http://rooftops.media.mit.edu/
http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/WirelessCommunities
I buy my domains via my host site5 and best option if you use them as web host.
But Idotz is also what I use as domain registar as they have cheapest transfer in rate of any I can find and pretty cheap for new domains as well and they accept payment via Moneybookers.
I get my org.uk domain names from: just the name (see form below) and used to get Top Level from joker.com
( I previously used gandi.net but found joker.com to be cheaper and offered similar service)
I have have found both to be good value and flexible.
But for JTN please use form below to see if one you want is available
who have a cool giraffe logo.
Mathew of mjzhosting got in touch with me to suggest using his hosting over site5.
For web browseing for a long time I have used and recommend Mozilla Firefox as a webbrowser. With using GNU/Linux in form of Kubuntu and SuSE with the the KDE desktop generally on net, for main apps etc,use the Konqueror web browser.. I did have system set up on dual boot, but so rarely boot into MS windows, only to test windows software, that I only have GNU/Linux now. I would recommend anyone try GNU/Linux. I myself started using GNU/Linix by installing Linux Mandrake (as it was then) as a friend used it and recommended for newbies. Many programs that one gets with it one would pay good money for with windows. But I would now recommend other GNU/Linux Distros such as BLAG
I offer email and web hosting to friends under your own domain or a sub domain I can supply. Ask me
I have a Pretty Good Privacy key
For secure email between other hushmail/cyber-rights/PGP users and no IP header line use:
http://www.cyber-rights.net
I still have some pointers from my days of using MS windows:
ZoneAlarm Firewall for MS windows
To get rid of malware (from plugins such as comet cursor or software such as gator), on your computer, get:
Often malware pretends to fix problems or remove other malware, an example of this is WinFixer, so be careful
Virus detection
Free virus checker AVGuard. FreeAV is said also to deal with dialers that run up ones phone bill do tick this option to detect these on install.
Heard reports that ClamAV is ok, but does not have live detect only scan. To get copy follow link from TheOpenDisc.
As I said for web browsing I use Mozilla Firefox but as I use GNU/Linux I also in equal measure use Konqueror which comes with the KDE desktop and the very fast light dillo.
Users of Pre OSX macs (eg MacOS 9) may wish to try iCab
Also see: computing page and web page design