Best way to upgrade BT dial up to broadband?

Hi all

One of my clients has an existing btconnect dial up account and wishes to
upgrade to broadband.

Can she order a 'wires only' upgrade from BT? I have looked on the
btconnect web site but can't find an answer.

She wants to retain her existing (E-Mail Removed) address and doesn't
really want to change provider for that reason.

Does anyone know if the current BT Intel USB modem has an ethernet
connection also?

If not which Ethernet modem is currently the best/most popular?

--
Best regards
Barry

"Barry Higginbottom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> One of my clients has an existing btconnect dial up account and wishes to
> upgrade to broadband.
>
> Can she order a 'wires only' upgrade from BT? I have looked on the
> btconnect web site but can't find an answer.
>
> She wants to retain her existing (E-Mail Removed) address and doesn't
> really want to change provider for that reason.

http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/broadband/products/ is the web page you are
looking for.

On the 1st page of the online order process, it asks you if you are an
existing @btconnect.com customer...

Upgrading to ADSL may be a good time for your client to consider getting her
business its own domain name and collecting email on her current address
using a PAYG connection..

> Does anyone know if the current BT Intel USB modem has an ethernet
> connection also?

No Ethernet connection.

> If not which Ethernet modem is currently the best/most popular?

There are several - all depends on what her needs are..

The ebuyer "own branded" ones are quite popular (for home use?) - they are
actually Origo ones and supported by the UK distributor.

Regards
Sunil..

On Sat, 15 May 2004 15:16:10 +0100, "Sunil Sood"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>"Barry Higginbottom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
>> One of my clients has an existing btconnect dial up account and wishes to
>> upgrade to broadband.
>>
>> Can she order a 'wires only' upgrade from BT? I have looked on the
>> btconnect web site but can't find an answer.
>>
>> She wants to retain her existing (E-Mail Removed) address and doesn't
>> really want to change provider for that reason.

You can choose another ADSL provider and still pick up messages
addressed to the btconnect account. If so desired outgoing messages
from your new ADSL provider can be despatched that gives a btconnect
email header. IMHO using BTConnect for your ADSL requirements would
not be a sensible choice.
>
>http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/broadband/products/ is the web page you are
>looking for.
>
>On the 1st page of the online order process, it asks you if you are an
>existing @btconnect.com customer...
>
>Upgrading to ADSL may be a good time for your client to consider getting her
>business its own domain name and collecting email on her current address
>using a PAYG connection..

Good advice, but totally unnecessary to 'dial-up' on an annalogue
connection to pick up your BTConnect emails - you can use your ADSL
connection to do that! BUT you will have to dial into BTConnect from
timed to time to keep the account active, say every couple of months
or so.

If BTConnect is used for the ADSL service then there is an issue with
using your own Domain name for emails over their service provision and
is perhaps unique to BTConnect. Their SMTP service [by default] only
allows mail to pass through that does not have anything other than a
BTConnect reply address. To overcome this issue then you are required
to register [by phone is OK] such Domail names with BTConnect. There
is no registration charge but it might take up to three hours for
changes to become active.

>
>> Does anyone know if the current BT Intel USB modem has an ethernet
>> connection also?
>
>No Ethernet connection.

Quite so, it is what it says on tin, just an USB Modem for a single
computer connection to the Internet. IMHO for even a single computer
it is better to have an ethernet connection from a modem/router that
enables yiu to have a private IP address. But then that costs more
money which the budget might not stretch to.

>
>> If not which Ethernet modem is currently the best/most popular?
>
>There are several - all depends on what her needs are..
>
>The ebuyer "own branded" ones are quite popular (for home use?) - they are
>actually Origo ones and supported by the UK distributor.
>
>Regards
>Sunil..
>

David Bradley

On Sun, 16 May 2004 08:32:27 +0100, David Bradley wrote:

> You can choose another ADSL provider and still pick up messages
> addressed to the btconnect account. If so desired outgoing messages
> from your new ADSL provider can be despatched that gives a btconnect
> email header. IMHO using BTConnect for your ADSL requirements would
> not be a sensible choice.

But she currently pays around £15/month for her btconnect account with an
0808 dial up, won't that have to continue for her to retain her email
address?

To be honest I would prefer her to transfer to another ISP but she has
decided that she wants to retain her present email address and she
_doesn't_ want her own domain name. So on that basis she will have to stick
with BT?

> Quite so, it is what it says on tin, just an USB Modem for a single
> computer connection to the Internet. IMHO for even a single computer
> it is better to have an ethernet connection from a modem/router that
> enables yiu to have a private IP address. But then that costs more
> money which the budget might not stretch to.

Why should having an ethernet modem/router require you to have a private IP
address. Is it a prerequisite or just an option?

I just thought it would be better not to 'overload' the USB bus when
there's no real need.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated..

--
Best regards
Barry

On Sun, 16 May 2004 10:35:58 +0100, Barry Higginbottom
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Sun, 16 May 2004 08:32:27 +0100, David Bradley wrote:
>
>> You can choose another ADSL provider and still pick up messages
>> addressed to the btconnect account. If so desired outgoing messages
>> from your new ADSL provider can be despatched that gives a btconnect
>> email header. IMHO using BTConnect for your ADSL requirements would
>> not be a sensible choice.
>
>But she currently pays around £15/month for her btconnect account with an
>0808 dial up, won't that have to continue for her to retain her email
>address?
>

No, just downgrade to PAYG, this retains the current email address.
No monthly sum to pay, only a small cost of a few pennies every couple
of months on the dial up phone charge to 'keep alive' the account.

>To be honest I would prefer her to transfer to another ISP but she has
>decided that she wants to retain her present email address and she
>_doesn't_ want her own domain name. So on that basis she will have to stick
>with BT?

Not a pre-requiste, just a sensible approach. It should not be assumed
that a email address provided by an ISP will be in the same format for
ever. Many people have been upset with forced changes to new email
addresses that the ISP has decided upon. This will NEVER happen if you
have your own Domain name.

Choose an ISP on ever other factor, but not solely on the convenience
of retaining their issued email address. BT is not the best or
cheapest ISP in town. I don't wish to be unkind but the lady is
choosing a car on the basis of the colour alone - it's the sort of
thing they do - you, and this knowledge group here needs to persuade
against this course of action,

>
>> Quite so, it is what it says on tin, just an USB Modem for a single
>> computer connection to the Internet. IMHO for even a single computer
>> it is better to have an ethernet connection from a modem/router that
>> enables yiu to have a private IP address. But then that costs more
>> money which the budget might not stretch to.
>
>Why should having an ethernet modem/router require you to have a private IP
>address. Is it a prerequisite or just an option?

You are providing yourself with an extra level of security to your PC
[or more technically the network which your PCs are connected to]
which makes it more difficult to comprise your connection to the
Internet. Make a tiny mistake on the configuration of an Internet
connected PC and its open house for those that derive pleasure from
corrupting your PC. That same error may not be so critical with a
private IP address. Think of the setup with a router as being akin to
having electric gates at the end of your drive.
>
>I just thought it would be better not to 'overload' the USB bus when
>there's no real need.

Good move, just take it to its most sensible conclusion. Remember
that changing ADSL providers later can be very stressful.


>
>Thanks for your input, much appreciated..