Which ISP for an old lady with no previous

I have to recommend a low cost ISP for a friend, she's in her 70s and
this will be her 1st computer, and her first ISP.

I don't expect her bandwidth requirements will top 1Gb/month for the
first year. We are not close to the exchange, I get 1.5Mb, she is
about the same distance, so we are not expecting 5M - and the exchange
is not LLUed at all (according to Sam).

Madasafish seem to have the right sort of package. Free connection &
router at £10 a month.

But maybe buying a router and paying, say IDnet £50, for connection are
worth it. I'm with Freedom2Surf (now part of Tiscalli, spit) and have
had no problems, but I'm a 40year computer-literate - I'd get a £15
kickback though.

What would you recommend?

R.

"TheOldFellow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
I have to recommend a low cost ISP for a friend, she's in her 70s and
this will be her 1st computer, and her first ISP.

I don't expect her bandwidth requirements will top 1Gb/month for the
first year. We are not close to the exchange, I get 1.5Mb, she is
about the same distance, so we are not expecting 5M - and the exchange
is not LLUed at all (according to Sam).

Madasafish seem to have the right sort of package. Free connection &
router at £10 a month.

But maybe buying a router and paying, say IDnet £50, for connection are
worth it. I'm with Freedom2Surf (now part of Tiscalli, spit) and have
had no problems, but I'm a 40year computer-literate - I'd get a £15
kickback though.

What would you recommend?

R.


Use a professional ISP which will provide a static IP address. Install a
Vigor router and configure a VPN from your own internet connection - ideally
use a similar Vigor router and set up a LAN-to-LAN VPN. Install VNC on the
friend's computer and configure the firewall accordingly.

You will then be in a position to connect to that computer whenever your
friend has a problem (which since it is here first computer will be very
frequently!).

-- Graham J

Graham J wrote:
> "TheOldFellow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have to recommend a low cost ISP for a friend, she's in her 70s and
> this will be her 1st computer, and her first ISP.
>
> I don't expect her bandwidth requirements will top 1Gb/month for the
> first year. We are not close to the exchange, I get 1.5Mb, she is
> about the same distance, so we are not expecting 5M - and the exchange
> is not LLUed at all (according to Sam).
>
> Madasafish seem to have the right sort of package. Free connection &
> router at £10 a month.
>
> But maybe buying a router and paying, say IDnet £50, for connection are
> worth it. I'm with Freedom2Surf (now part of Tiscalli, spit) and have
> had no problems, but I'm a 40year computer-literate - I'd get a £15
> kickback though.
>
> What would you recommend?
>
> R.
>
>
> Use a professional ISP which will provide a static IP address. Install a
> Vigor router and configure a VPN from your own internet connection - ideally
> use a similar Vigor router and set up a LAN-to-LAN VPN. Install VNC on the
> friend's computer and configure the firewall accordingly.
>
> You will then be in a position to connect to that computer whenever your
> friend has a problem (which since it is here first computer will be very
> frequently!).
>
> -- Graham J
>
>
Why not use an ISP which really is 9.99 a month rather than just for the
first 6 months (then 14.99).

If feel you need VPN tunnels (rather than just remote desktop over IP)
why not use some Netgear DG834 v3 which are ~£42 rather than the £100++
of the Vigors.

The DG834 also allows registration with a dynamic DNS provider so you
don't need a static IP.

"TheOldFellow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
I have to recommend a low cost ISP for a friend, she's in her 70s and
this will be her 1st computer, and her first ISP.

I don't expect her bandwidth requirements will top 1Gb/month for the
first year. We are not close to the exchange, I get 1.5Mb, she is
about the same distance, so we are not expecting 5M - and the exchange
is not LLUed at all (according to Sam).

Madasafish seem to have the right sort of package. Free connection &
router at £10 a month.

Only for first 6 months - after that it's £14.99 a month.
http://www.madasafish.com/broadband/
Madasafish are now owned by Plusnet, who in turn are now owned by BT.
Complicated, innit!
Plusnet themselves have a genuine £9.99 tariff, with a router, that won't
increase in 6 months' time.
See http://www.plus.net/residential/broa...r=broadbandtab
Hope that helps

George

TheOldFellow wrote:

> I have to recommend a low cost ISP for a friend, she's in her 70s and
> this will be her 1st computer, and her first ISP.
>
> I don't expect her bandwidth requirements will top 1Gb/month for the
> first year. We are not close to the exchange, I get 1.5Mb, she is
> about the same distance, so we are not expecting 5M - and the exchange
> is not LLUed at all (according to Sam).
>
> Madasafish seem to have the right sort of package. Free connection &
> router at £10 a month.
>
> But maybe buying a router and paying, say IDnet £50, for connection are
> worth it. I'm with Freedom2Surf (now part of Tiscalli, spit) and have
> had no problems, but I'm a 40year computer-literate - I'd get a £15
> kickback though.
>
> What would you recommend?

I'd consider Plusnet actually with their £9.99 package.

Graham

"George Weston" wrote in message

> Plusnet themselves have a genuine £9.99 tariff, with a router, that won't
> increase in 6 months' time.
> See http://www.plus.net/residential/broa...r=broadbandtab

I've been with PlusNet for almost a month now (Albeit on Option 2) Its been
excellent so far and would have no concerns about recommending it to others.

--
JC

JC wrote:
> "George Weston" wrote in message
>
>> Plusnet themselves have a genuine £9.99 tariff, with a router, that won't
>> increase in 6 months' time.
>> See http://www.plus.net/residential/broa...r=broadbandtab
>
> I've been with PlusNet for almost a month now (Albeit on Option 2) Its been
> excellent so far and would have no concerns about recommending it to others.
>
There is a set up fee of £40 and the router is £29.99 if you want a 1
month contract. Both free if you stay with PN for 12 months.

JC, don't forget to give your usename to get a referral fee.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make
people believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

Old Codger wrote:
> JC wrote:
>> "George Weston" wrote in message
>>
>>> Plusnet themselves have a genuine £9.99 tariff, with a router, that
>>> won't increase in 6 months' time.
>>> See
>>> http://www.plus.net/residential/broa...r=broadbandtab
>>
>> I've been with PlusNet for almost a month now (Albeit on Option 2)
>> Its been excellent so far and would have no concerns about
>> recommending it to others.
> There is a set up fee of £40 and the router is £29.99 if you want a 1
> month contract. Both free if you stay with PN for 12 months.
>
> JC, don't forget to give your usename to get a referral fee.

And PlusNet have a customer services that you can phone and talk to someone
who talks English, not computerize.

--
Mark BR

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:46:49 +0100
Eeyore <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>
> TheOldFellow wrote:
>

> > What would you recommend?
>
> I'd consider Plusnet actually with their £9.99 package.

All of these excellent responses just go to show that you need a
personal recommend, and not rely on Internet Comparison Websites.

Plusnet's £10 for 12 months it is then. I might even move there myself.

R.

TheOldFellow wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:46:49 +0100
> Eeyore <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> TheOldFellow wrote:
>>
>
>>> What would you recommend?
>>
>> I'd consider Plusnet actually with their £9.99 package.
>
> All of these excellent responses just go to show that you need a
> personal recommend, and not rely on Internet Comparison Websites.
>
> Plusnet's £10 for 12 months it is then. I might even move there
> myself.
>
> R.

My next-door neighbours are 80 and 84-years old and very light users (email
to relatives in Canada and the UK, and a bit of general surfing) so instead
of them laying out for a connection of their own, I suggested that they buy
a wifi adapter and I'd let them piggyback on my account (top package from
BT). Works very well in our case but don't know if it's practical/desirable
for you - may be worth considering though.

John