Desperate need of Internet DSL advice needed....

[shadowkat]

I called Time Warner Roadrunner Service about a cable modem - to see if I could get one. Turns out it has to be connected to the TV cable and that won't work since the TV is across the room.

Also I have to install it myself. Also won't work. Live in an apartment - the cable for the TV snakes through a hole in the window cell, across the ceiling down a wall and to the TV. Plus cable has gone out three times last year so far.

So I called Verizon DSL - who informs me that I have to switch from Sprint to Verizon in order to get their DSL service. Phone service is currently Sprint.
Verizon would be cheaper, but no voice mail (that's extra ) - so actually the same amount. Also it's all self-install and requires some sort of Internet card (whatever that is) to attach the DSL Modem to the computer. So not sure my computer can handle it. Computer is 128 Ram, 32 bit.

What should I do?

1. Get a new computer (expensive - also a bit dicey regarding delivery, no one
here during the day.)
2. Switch phone services and get DSL, attempt to install, get the Internet Card? DSL is $29.95 a month. Can I even install this myself?
3. Try to get Time Warner to install cable modem. Cable Modem is 44.95 a month.

Or continue to live without for a while longer?

Any advice on this mucho appreciated.

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

That shouldn't be a problem - you just use a cable line splitter and run a second, longer cable across the room to your computer.

No...that's not going to work. You'd have to see my apartment to understand this. But running a longer cable across the room would basically involve either running it across the path to the door to the apartment, door to the bathroom and the kitchen or the entry to the bedroom - which means me tripping over it constantly and knocking everything connected to it over. (My apartment is basically two rooms.
One is the bedroom, one living room/computer/kitchen space with little stove kitchenett and bathroom branched off like arms from the same wall that contains the entry. ) Not workable for cable modems stretching from TV to Computer. (It's why I couldn't just hook up my Computer DVD player to my TV and had to get a separate DVD player. )

An ethernet/network interface card costs about $15 and should be very easy to install - it goes in one of the slots above or below your modem, and you almost literally just open the computer case and stick it in there.

Open the computer case??? Can you open the computer tower? (Okay - see you can tell I'm clearly not a tech person.)