Broad choice
I've heard that hooking up your broadband modem through your Ethernet port is better and faster than going through the USB port. However, all the ISP providers like BT seem to only offer USB modems. I am using a Mac G3 running OS X. Jonathan Swan
www.new-ways.co.uk
Jack Schofield replies: Broadband service providers typically offer USB connections to home users and Ethernet routers to business users, who pay a higher price. Ethernet is better: it is the industry standard networking system, is operating system independent, needs no drivers, and makes less use of the processor than USB. (With some Windows machines, the USB modem can draw too much power, causing problems with other USB peripherals, unless you add a powered USB hub.) But it is more expensive: ADSL modem/ routers - which can also include a Wi-Fi wireless hub - cost more than USB modems. Also, each computer needs an RJ-45 port or a separate Ethernet card, though most new-ish PCs and Macs have one built in as standard.
Buy a 4-port router and you can easily plug in four machines, either PCs or Macs, all working independently and probably consuming more bandwidth. The cynic in me suspects this may be why some ISPs are less keen on the idea. However, things are improving. For example, from July 1, MyZones will offer a broadband with Wi-Fi support that allows you to share your connection with your neighbours, thus becoming a mini-ISP yourself.
The obvious solution is to buy a "wires only" broadband connection. You have to set this up yourself but you should be able to use almost any equipment you like, and you don't need to run any rubbish ISP software. However, it would be wise to check that the ISP does officially allow the use of a router, and supports the equipment you plan to install. Finally, before buying, search the web to see if you can find any known problems with your chosen set-up. SEG Communications has a good practical guide to the background (www.seg.co.uk/products/ads): at least read What is 'NAT'? ISP Review tracks the various providers.
Word wise
When I type my name - Hutton - in Microsoft Word or Excel, it is automatically changed to Button. I can type hutton and that is left alone. I have deleted Button from the Custom Dictionary but the problem persists. Bob Hutton
JS: Look under Insert|AutoText or Tools|AutoCorrect: both call up the same tabbed dialogue box. Someone has probably made an AutoCorrect entry that converts Hutton to Button, possibly as a joke. AutoCorrect is a good way to correct common mistypings, or get a quick way to type phrases you use often. AutoText pops up a "tip" to automatically complete common phrases and dates, and you can add entries. If you don't like these functions, you can turn them off.
Free web space
I have been running a website for my historical society for over five years ( http://members.lycos.co.uk/barwickhistorical using a free service provider, but the banner advertising on all the pages is unacceptable. Are there alternatives?
Harold Smith
JS: Lots of people provide free web space: see The Free Site, www.free-web-space-finder.com and www.freewebspace.net for examples. However, such sites tend to be slow or limit your use of bandwidth. An alternative may be to use the free web space provided with some ISP accounts (especially broadband accounts) or by companies selling domain names and mail services. Some members of your society may have free space they are not using.
Backchat
* Neil Sinclair asked about recording internet radio broadcasts to his hard disk, and I suggested High Criteria's Total Recorder. Jamil Shehadeh says he "messed about with" this and other programs until he found he already had a copy of Wave Studio, which came with his SoundBlaster sound card. "Just double-click the Volume control, go to Options|Properties and select Recording, then tick What U Hear. Open Wave Studio, open a New File and press Record." (See www.maxwell.syr.edu/ict/help/software/wave_studio.htm)
* Gavin McKenzie tried OpD2d, which is free, but now uses "the wonderful Loop Recorder. Both capture any sound going through the sound card. Once the stream is captured, I use mp3DirectCut, free from www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~pesch, either directly saved from Loop Recorder as mp3, or converted with dbPowerAmp, free from www.dbpoweramp.com. It's also worth disabling the clicks in the Windows browser." Ian McRobert uses http://rawav recorder.homestead.com, which "records RealAudio as a wav file".
* Colin Chambers needed a firewall. Gareth Jones recommends Agnitum Outpost, free from www.agnitum.com/products/outpost, saying it is easier to use than rivals such as Zone Alarm and Kerio.
