Can I make my pc wireless?

[titchy]

Just have an old desktop pc ATM. There is no phone line where we keep it so it is linked to the internet on a phone/ADSL extension cable. I THINK the reason I get a serious amount of hiss when I'm on the phone and the pc is switched on is because it's on this extension cable. The broadband connection is also somewhat sporadic (keeps cutting out each time I load a new page).

So I THINK I have two options )other than buy a wireless laptop) - get a fibre optic internet connection from Virgin (does anyone know if these are any good) and have it connected to the room where the pc is, or would it be possible to plug some gizmo in the pack of the pc which would make it wireless?

TIA!

[morethanmum]

belkin wireless adapter might work. try currys or comet. x

[purpleturtle]

you can get a dongle (I think that's the technical term) that plugs into a USB port and then communicates with the wirless adapter.

[titchy]

Ok so do I also need a wireless router? What plugs into the phone line - the adapter, or router? And what's the difference between a dongle (who on earth thought of that term ) and adapter???

I'm confused (dot com..)

[purpleturtle]

That would be my fault. I don't mean a wireless adapter, I mean a wirless, um, connecter? Anyway, the wireless connecting thing plugs into your phone socket, and sits there looking pretty with little lights on, and communicating with the dongle in the USB port. I think I spent about £50 on our router in Argos (just took a look at it). No doubt they can be got much cheaper but I am an impulsive shopper not a bargain hunter.

[purpleturtle]

and you'd used the word router already.

I really should learn to steer clear of Geeky stuff, since it's so obvious I understand very very little. That said, I managed to make our desktop wireless all by myself, thus proving that it's not very difficult at all.

[Tech]

Virgin is very good IME, BUT if you are getting hiss on the phone you should just be able to stop it by putting a "dsl microfilter" between the phone and the broadband line. Your ISP should have given you some of these filters when you first had broadband put in..... If this is the problem, going wireless won't fix it.

[titchy]

OOOOOHHHHH Tech answered my post [swoon] - thanks! No idea if we were ever sent filters [what do they look like] and pity the wireless rout won't sort out the hiss...

Will hunt for filters and check out cable option. As an existing Virgin customer the cost for basic limited download package seems to be the same as I pay now for broadband plus phone and I think installation is only £30... Will investigae further.

And thansk Tech!

[EvelynsDad]

You can see a picture of a typical ADSL microfilter here.

If you don't have these on all phone extensions in the house, it's likely you'll have problems.

When you get the hiss, are you on a wireless phone? If it's an analogue wireless phone, the problem could be radio frequency interference. If it's a DECT (digital) wireless phone then you won't get a hiss from that part of it.