Broadband connection

Teresa,

Most ISPs are platform independent. In other words, it doesn't matter if you are using Mac OS X, Windows XP, Linux, or any other operating system. In most cases, all you need is to get the high speed service, a cable/dsl modem, and then connect the modem to a router or directly to your Mac(I suggest a router as it will allow you to connect more than one computer to your broadband connection). Who is the Internet Service Provider in your area?


Grant

Teresa,

I'm pretty sure you can purchase your own DSL Modem and/or router from any store and set it up yourself. All you need is to pay for the service from BTYahoo. Usually when they say they don't "support" OS X, they mean they don't know how to set it up. I'll try to get some help from your neck of the woods to jump in on this thread.

Grant

Hi Teresa

No, really, they say they don't support Mac OS X (Tiger or whatever) because they don't have any support staff qualified on the Mac system, but this makes no difference. I have had broadband in both the UK and Norway several times, and it is only now that many ISPs are even becoming aware that not everyone has a Windows box. Broadband is broadband and your Mac is ready for whatever type of connection you throw at it.

I just checked the BT website: they don't even seem to be aware Tiger exists. But this does not matter. Your Mac is fully compatible.

Matthew Whiting

Hi Teresa

A friend who lives near me (South London) uses Tiscali with his iMac G5 and Tiger. No problems. I know quite a few mc/tiger users who are on BT broadband. No problems apart from when they deal with support: they could make more sense talking to a tin of baked beans. Go for any provider available in your area and make sure they give you a modem that connects via ethernet and not usb as the latter suffer from quite a few problems.

Teresa,
Using Broadband ADSL here in West of Scotland. Prior to Broadband arriving here in 2004, I was with BT. I had so much trouble getting any sense out of BT, I went elsewhere and ended up with Pipex. I did have to modify the MTU setting in the Ethernet Pane of System Preferences, reducing the default Max Packet Size from 1500 to 1458. As already mentioned, ignore USB Modems and go with a Router/Modem. I happen to use an AMX64 by ADSLNation but I suspect they have something new today and there are others.

Take a look around here

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/

My computer is connected to the internet via the
phone line and the place where I live has just got
broadband. When I look to see if I can use this I am
told that it's not available for OSX Tiger.

Virtually all UK Broadband can be used with a Mac running Tiger, regardless of what is said on the ISPs website. They may not support OS X but it will work.

Check out the following website.

Reviews of equipment
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/reviews/

Comparisons of ISPs
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/isps/compare.asp

I would suggest going for a wires only deal and purchasing your own equipment.

Do not get a USB modem unless you are going to only use it to keep a door open or similar... 😉

As most ADSL Modem Routers are setup through a web browser you should be fine with a Mac.

Personally I use plusnet and Netgear ADSL Modems. One is a DG834G combined device and the other is a DM602 Modem Router connected to an AEBS.

Teresa,
I am certainly no expert but after taking advice obtained around here, I chose the AMX 64 Router/Modem from ADSL Nation (bought on-line) then Pipex as ISP (again on-line). The Router/Modem is an external device with separate power, ethernet and telephone line connections. Power is via an adapter. For each telephone line you must fit a filter. You also require an Ethernet cable. If you decide on ADSL Nation, look here - almost certainly new products but e-mail sales for more info.

http://www.adslnation.com/company/contact.php#

Similarly, if you opt for Pipex, look here

http://www.solo.pipex.net/?source=dgma8018

Teresa,
It may look complicated but it is not that difficult. I managed to get this stuff working smoothly and I am a Very Senior Citizen with teenage grandsons. One thing to be very wary of is using a USB ADSL Modem. Nothing but trouble and to be avoided. When I signed up with Pipex, I declined the Modem and that was an option. I accept that the Router/Modem is another part you have to find a home for but believe me it is worth it. I have two Macs here, with ability to transfer files via Ethernet and I can access the net with either.

Teresa
I have been using broadband from BTinternet.com for about four years. Whatever they say about support, I can assure you that it works fine with OSX 3 and 4 (Tiger). After several years of USB modem, I migrated to a Router/modem (don't tell Tim Haigh!). I was using a BT Voyager 205 - a simple wired router, and have just swapped it for the BT Fusion box. The change has nothing to do with the Mac internet connection, but is required for the Fusion mobile phone.

Hope this helps (from another very silver surfer!)

Hi Teresa

We have a variety of technologies when it comes to interfaces to connect our Macs to different media. In the case of a broadband internet signal ethernet is the best interface we have for this job, and to have the best trouble free broadband internet experience you want to use an a broadband ethernet modem, as explained in previous posts.

You will want a router for two reasons. The first is if you use more than one computer to connect to the one internet connection you have. In my previous house we had 5 Macs and one PC all connected through a router to one broadband connection. The second good reason for a router is the extra security it provides. A router is like a brickwall between the outside world and your computer. No one can see through it or past it.

When it comes to 10.4 it is identical to 10.3 in how it deals with a broadband internet signal. Ignore what BT says in this respect: it has no bearing on the matter.

Likewise with your internet browser. No browsers are perfect; they all have their strengths and weaknesses, and it may turn out that you find a website that has been poorly written so that one browser or other does not display it correctly, or in the case of banking one browser or other might not work with that site. Again, ignore what BT says about what browser to use. Only in the rare case that your chosen internet browser, Safari, has a problem with a site that you need to use should you concern yourself with using another browser. There is now a decent choice of free browsers for Mac OS X, and if you need or want a different one and don't know how to get one just come back and ask.

Matthew Whiting

Message was edited by matthew whiting: I added router info