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W00T! Broadband!

 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
09:30 / 27.03.03
I have it! I am the future! I am the source! I'm on the sauce! I'm a saucy young man!

Oh yes.

So, those of you already in the future, where shoudl I go for top-quality fat-pipe action? Huge downloads ahoy!
 
 
captain piss
09:37 / 27.03.03
One of my mates got it last weekend and has actually managed to damage his retinas in that time, and has been advised to steer clear of further interaction with TV or screens of any kind for quite a while
 
 
Ariadne
09:56 / 27.03.03
What on earth was your friend looking at, Meme? Or did he just spend so much time online?
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
09:59 / 27.03.03
I may well be getting the big BB this weekend... (apparently Freeserve have a cheap offer that runs out at the end of this month, so depending on how much I spend fixing my car in that time Spectrum could be green...)

So those of you with it... is it worth it?
 
 
Bear
10:00 / 27.03.03
Hehe congrats you'll probably never leave your PC again

Probably your best bet is Kazza Lite for most of your downloading needs (can't find the link as it's banned for me) movies music etc.

Another site you'll probably like is Sledgehammer (check the links on the right)

Also Sledgehammer - you'll have to register but it only takes a second and check out the video posting, but keep away from the discussions they'll only upset you ...

Surfs up indeed

 
 
Bear
10:02 / 27.03.03
Um both the sites aren't called Sledgehammer I was just getting copy and paste happy.

I would say it's worth it Stoat the ability to download episodes of Willy Fogg is worth the price for me!
 
 
Tezcatlipoca
10:19 / 27.03.03
D00D! (and another associated L1T3 speak exclamations).

The Bear is indeed wise with his Kazaa Lite recommendation. The Kazaa Lite website can be found here. Make absolutely sure you take Kazaa Lite, as the standard program is packed with spyware.

On which subject we come nicely to the question of standard security. I strongly advise anyone on broadband to use a firewall, since you are now broadcasting a static IP address. Zonelabs' free version (at the bottom of the page) is perfectly adequate for this. As a side point, you might like to point your browser at Steve Gibson's site which is make sure your firewall is behaving itself.

If you don't already have one, a decent virus checker is handy. I recommend Grisoft's stunning - and free - AVG (just remember to keep it updated).

This is pretty much all you really need, although I also run a Cookie Wall, and a Popup Kiler.

And finally, it's likely that you've already picked up some spyware from surfing, so you might want to clean the system out with Lavasoft's Ad-Aware software.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
10:39 / 27.03.03
Atthe moment I'm running Zonealarm and Norton AV 2003, and using Ontrack's Internet Cleanup to find and kill spyware; does that sound OK? Cookie wall sounds like a quality plan, though.

I've jhust realised I can now listen to Resonance Radio all the time. this is going to bankrupt me.
 
 
captain piss
10:48 / 27.03.03
What on earth was your friend looking at, Meme? Or did he just spend so much time online?

heheh- ehh, dunno. Didn't want to ask
 
 
w1rebaby
13:33 / 27.03.03
This retina thing is worrying me now.

I have nice fat broadband but I can't say it's made much real difference to my browsing habits. Okay, it means you can look at trailers and so on without worrying too much, but there's not actually that much good broadband content out there IMO, and the small amount you do find you could wait for with dial-up. I'm happier loading graphics-heavy news sites I suppose, or things in Flash.

File-sharing is good, but seeing as how the best networks have been killed off, you can't find the obscure stuff like you used to be able to. Kazaa is not Audiogalaxy. Don't expect too much from it.

Meself, I mostly use it to download software, demos, utilities, Linux ISOs, and other geek stuff - that's where it really rules, not really practical over dial-up. The rest of the time it makes your online life more comfortable, but that's it.

Incidentally, if you run XP, it seems to me that broadband is practically essential. So many "critical security updates" they suggest.
 
 
doglikesparky
14:14 / 27.03.03
Get yourself onto the newsgroups. Everything you could ever want is on the newsgroups. The newsgroups should be your friend.

It's quite a lot to learn if you've never used them before but the rewards are many if you put in the effort...

First get yourself a copy of Agent or Free Agent and then get yourself onto the groups themselves.

Your isp will probably host a lot of groups but their service will probably be rubbish. If money isn't too much of a problem, get yourself over to somewhere like the Easynews site and you're well on your way.

A google search will produce many many tutorials and used properly, there really isn't much you can't get on them.

Welcome to the future!
 
 
The Strobe
15:05 / 27.03.03
Damnit why does everyone else have the funky shit?

Answer: because they don't live in a village. Bah.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
15:23 / 27.03.03
Well, so far I've looked at film trailers on apple.com, watched CNN videos on the Guardian site, and have downloaded the CM4 demo. Which is all very nice,. but I think fridge is probably right - not having the service freeze when I'm listening to digital radio and doing other stuff is probably going to be the big benefit...
 
 
kitschbitch
15:45 / 27.03.03
www.kazzalite.tk is where it's at - full fat kazaa is to be avoided at all costs, thanks to the evil spyware it installs; and, as has already been pointed out, lavasoft's ad-aware is your friend.

I am feeling v.v.v. guilty at the amount of music I have downloaded since I've been at home where my dad saw fit to install adsl - my room has become a mini music-piracy empire...
 
 
The Return Of Rothkoid
21:52 / 27.03.03
Fuck the retina thing. I'm online for all but about two hours of the time that I'm awake. Work and home. If anyone was going to have eyeballs falling out, it'd be me. And I can still see you all.

Very well.
 
 
Persephone
23:21 / 27.03.03
Hey, guess what I have? I have a WIFI network in my house. Husb put this little sticky-out card in my poor old laptop* and I can get on the Internet anywhere in the house now.

*Remember I was having problems with visual artifacts & I was waving my wire hanger at them? Turns out the screen is warped somehow. To make the artifacts go away, you have to *gently* twist the screen with both hands...
 
 
w1rebaby
02:59 / 28.03.03
I've considered getting a wireless network, but I came to the conclusion that it was a bit unnecessary for a two-room apartment. Three, if you count the bathroom. But it would let me check my email on the bog.
 
 
Dan Mann (WARNING: This is a fictional character and should NOT be taken seriously.)
03:05 / 28.03.03
Try Sleazy Dream There's some good stuff on there.
 
 
Bear
07:04 / 28.03.03
Best of all of course is that you'll be able to download Wrestlmania on Monday or Tuesday!!
 
 
No star here laces
07:40 / 28.03.03
I have suddenly acquired lots of cash and want to get broadband so I can be in the club too. What's the best deal out there in the UK? BT offer free installation and modem before 31st march, but that's all i know...
 
 
William Sack
10:44 / 28.03.03
Cordon Bleulaces, you could have a look here. I had a look at the messageboards, did a comparison between several that people were talking about, and saw that Nildram seemed to come out top for speed, reliability and customer services. I signed up with them in December and have been very happy, though I have nothing to compare it against. At £22.99 pcm I believe they're pretty competitively priced as well.
 
 
Tezcatlipoca
14:42 / 28.03.03
I currently pay NTL £14.99 pcm for my Broadband, although that's going up to £17.99 as of May. I've never experienced any problems (server based or otherwise) from NTL, but I could just be lucky, especially as I've only been taking BB since January. They seem to be one of the most competitively priced, but be warned, their customer service is pretty much non-existent.

Nildram, judging from the link, seem to be a fairly good bet too. I think the salient point here is whatever you do, don't touch BT. Not for nothing are they one of the worst - and slowest - performers in the Internet service field, and it would be quicker to untie to Gordian Knot than it would be to get any kind of assistance out of their call-centre peons.
 
 
grant
15:34 / 28.03.03
atomfilms will fill your pipe with lovely, bizarre short films. the kind you should be able to see everywhere, but never do.
 
 
minor 9th
15:34 / 28.03.03
You should choose NTL if you can, because should you need to phone them they have amazing hold music. You'll be very familiar with it in no time. They were kind enough to let me listen to it for 45 minutes. In fact, I was humming it to my housemates for days afterwards.
 
 
William Sack
15:40 / 28.03.03
Tez, apparently NTL are sweetening the price-hike pill by speeding you up from 128 to 150 Kbps. Minor 9th, funny you should say that - Nildram's hold music was some cracking blues stuff on the one occasion I had to phone customer support.
 
 
Smoothly
15:10 / 18.11.03
*Kabump*

My ADSL gets activated tomorrow. Is Kazza Lite still the one?
Any new tips/recommendations?
 
 
Bear
15:26 / 18.11.03
I couldn't even find Kazaa lite but normal Kazaa is terrible in my opinion. Bittorrent is my new thing, no hassle and very quick and you can find nearly anything you need. What kind of downloading are you planning?
 
 
Quantum
15:27 / 18.11.03

A friend sent me this sardonic extract from an MP3 group on Kazza:

> I wasn't happy with it at all, I paid my money thinking I would get a
> superior product than those available for free, and on installing it I
> found there wasn't a hint of spy/adware anywhere.
> I've always been a public spirited individual who feels morally
> obligated to assist in divulging my computer habits to whoever is
> interested, I've nothing to hide and that's why I've never bothered
> with one of those ridiculous and troublesome firewalls, so in
> retrospect I wish I had stayed with Kazza and saved my money.
>
> But who am I to judge others who wish to keep their nefarious PC
> habits undisclosed? it's at times like this I wonder what Jesus would
> do in this situation?
>

Good question, Ian. In a way, I always think of the FastTrack
network as some sort of electronic equivalent of the 'Kingdom of
Heaven', with the paid-Kazaa being Jesus, the free ad/spyware-
packed one being John the Babtist, and the free CLEAN one being
Satan, may God strike him down.

I can only add, if Steve is still considering the purchase of
Kazaa, that he should think of his eternal soul, before anything
else.

Buy it, Steve, or spend eternity in Hell. Now; you wouldn't want
THAT, would you? It would suck enormous cock, that would
 
 
Baz Auckland
15:39 / 18.11.03
Get Bearshare as well as Kazaa Lite. If you can't find something on Kazaa, you can probably get it on Bearshare. Easier to download files and movies too...

...just remember that both install lots of nastiness and spyware on your computer. It took me a good 20 minutes of searching and uninstalling to get it all off.
 
 
Smoothly
15:45 / 18.11.03
You've mentioned Bittorrent before, Bear - I'll have to check it out.
I'm only looking for pretty basic stuff - music, a little video maybe. Although I really don't know what's available. In case it's not abundantly obvious, I'm not very computery; but I'm keen to having my horizons broadened.

Kazza Lite is free, no? And safe? I'm a bit paranoid about viruses and security, but am hoping that my McAfee Virus Scan and Firewall will be up to the job. Please tell me if that's naive.

So, basically I'm looking for any advice - and there's little danger that I'll think you're talking down to me, so don't hesitate to say the obvious.
 
 
Bear
15:59 / 18.11.03
I think Kazaa lite is pretty safe, obviously avoid certain files but music and movies should be fine although I remember way back when people saying viruses could be hidden in avi files anyone know if that's true?

But yeah I keep rabbiting on about bittorrent it's just that I've had no problems with it so far, I think it's probably better for bigger files at the moment one of the sites I'm on has everything I could possibly want, TV shows, music, full movies - currently downloading a ROH PPV only 35 hours to go

Spyware is terrible but since installing mozilla I haven't had one popup but that's probably due to uninstalling kazaa and running ad-aware to get rid of all the hidden crap.

I love finding stuff on the net so if your looking for anything I can try and find it for you.
 
 
Our Lady of The Two Towers
17:10 / 18.11.03
You could watch the animated Doctor Who, it's got that endearing awfulness about it, translated into bad Net-based animation.
 
 
Cheap. Easy. Cruel.
17:40 / 18.11.03
I really like SoulSeek for my music needs. No matter how obscure or how small the label, I have yet to search for something I couldn't find.
 
  
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