next stupid question

This one is probably REALLY stupid - it's about the phrase "always on"

At this stage I don't particularly want something that's always on, I just
want the speed of broadband when I AM on. I'm out all day, so don't see the
need to burn electricity and shorten the life of equipment. But of course
there are bound to be advantages I haven't thought about.

But, once I've set up, is there a problem with turning everything off until
I get home?

Or - if I have a wireless modem/router/access point - can I leave that on
and the computers off until I want them?

Many thanks

"Me" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> This one is probably REALLY stupid - it's about the phrase "always
on"
>
> At this stage I don't particularly want something that's always on,
I just
> want the speed of broadband when I AM on. I'm out all day, so don't
see the
> need to burn electricity and shorten the life of equipment. But of
course
> there are bound to be advantages I haven't thought about.
>
> But, once I've set up, is there a problem with turning everything
off until
> I get home?
>
> Or - if I have a wireless modem/router/access point - can I leave
that on
> and the computers off until I want them?
>

I turn of all my equipment when not in use, including overnight, and I
have never had any problems.

Turning equipment off is fine.

It *can* be always-on(ish).. it doesn't *have* to be.

And yes, you can leave your router on and connected and turn your computers
off. If you choose turn the router off, it'll take a few seconds to re-sync
('reconnect') before your connection is useable again, but it won't cause
you any problems.

Dom

"Me" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> This one is probably REALLY stupid - it's about the phrase "always on"
>
> At this stage I don't particularly want something that's always on, I just
> want the speed of broadband when I AM on. I'm out all day, so don't see
the
> need to burn electricity and shorten the life of equipment. But of course
> there are bound to be advantages I haven't thought about.
>
> But, once I've set up, is there a problem with turning everything off
until
> I get home?
>
> Or - if I have a wireless modem/router/access point - can I leave that on
> and the computers off until I want them?
>
> Many thanks
>
>

"Me" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> This one is probably REALLY stupid - it's about the phrase "always on"
>
> At this stage I don't particularly want something that's always on, I just
> want the speed of broadband when I AM on. I'm out all day, so don't see
the
> need to burn electricity and shorten the life of equipment. But of course
> there are bound to be advantages I haven't thought about.
>
> But, once I've set up, is there a problem with turning everything off
until
> I get home?

No problem at all.
In this instance, 'always on' means that the connection is always there and
available to you. All you do is have to is:-
1. Power up, and connect your PC to your standalong modem/router. Your
modem/router may be configured to only create the connection when needed
(on-demand), or be always connected.
or
2. Initiate a 'dial-up' connection on your PC to get your USB DSL modem
up-n-running. (You don't really dial. It's just that USB modems use dial-up
type connections/drivers to communicate).

> Or - if I have a wireless modem/router/access point - can I leave that on
> and the computers off until I want them?

Sure, if you go down the standalone router/modem route, you can leave that
always on, and just connect PCs as required.
In fact, the settings for your DSL will be held in non-voliatile memory on
the modem/router, so you can even power that up/down as required.

Just make sure that you get a combined modem/router that supports PPPoA (for
ADSL), otherwise, you may end up needing seperate modem and routers.

Of course, for a standalone modem/router, you'll need some kind of network
connection on your PCs (wired ethernet, wireless card, etc).

B

thanks to all - great newsgroup this!

> don't see the need to burn electricity and shorten the life of equipment

Computers are often more reliable when left on rather than switched on /
off repeatedly over a period of time - partly due to the reduction in
stresses caused by thermal cycling.

I ran a system at home from 1993-2000 24 hours a day, except for a period
of two weeks while the house was rewired.

Other than that, i`ve got two other systems which have been on 24 hours a
day since about 1995 and 1998 respectively. The 1998 machine had a PSU
failure (ATX PSUs are sh*te anyway) but remains physically the same
machine, and the other has gone through being a 486, 300Mhz AMD, 1Ghz
AMD, and now a 2Ghz AMD - only being switched off to be replaced by newer
hardware in the same case using the same PSU where possible.

Of course, you may consider the cost of replacement hardware more
palatable than the cost of the electric, but they probably average each
other out in the long run :-}

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