My ISP gave me this CD when I signed up for Internet service. Not knowing any better, I installed it, and now my PC is littered with ads and junk software. Do I need any of this stuff?
In most cases, the software that comes with broadband service is unnecessary, providing little more than branded web software and links to your ISP's various marketing partners. The exception is the "dialer" program required by certain types of broadband connections, which is used to send your username and password to your ISP in order to connect to the Internet. Such software is typically flaky and the cause of all sorts of Internet connection problems. Fortunately, you can usually dump your ISP's proprietary software in favor of either Windows XP's built-in dialer or the auto-connect capabilities of a router.
Note: There are a few exceptions. If you're using a USB modem, such as the SpeedTouch 330, it may require special drivers in order to work. If you have one of these, you may be better off replacing it with a combination modem and wireless router, such as the SpeedTouch 580, than trying to get it to work with anything other than the software that comes with it. Another exception is a wholly proprietary Internet connection provider such as AOL, which isn't compatible with anything other than the provided connection software .
First, remove the superfluous software provided by your ISP: in the Add or Remove Programs control panel, highlight your ISP's software, and click the Remove button. If your ISP installed more than one software package, you may have to uninstall several entries from this list.
The best alternative to a software-based dialer is a wireless router, which will dial your connection automatically, keep you online all the time, protect your PC with its built-in firewall, and even provide wireless access to boot.
Although routers are hard to beat, you can use Windows's built-in PPPoE dialer to connect to the Internet without any added hardware. Open the Network Connections control panel and click the "Set up a home or small office network" link on the left (or double-click the Network Connection
Wizard icon). Answer the questions as follows:
1. Click the Next button to skip the introductory page, choose the "Connect to the Internet" option, and then click Next again.
2. Choose the "Set up my connection manually" option, and click Next.
3. Choose the "Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password" option, and click Next.
4. Type a name for this connection, and click Next. A good choice is the name of your ISP, or just "DSL" or "cable."
5. Enter your username and password (see Figure), choose the desired options underneath (if you're not sure, turn them all on), and click Next.
6. Click the Finish button to complete the wizard.
To initiate the connection, double-click the icon you just created in the Network Connections folder. If you elected to create a desktop shortcut in the wizard, you can also double-click the new desktop icon. By default, a Connect dialog will appear, at which point you can click the Connect button to dial and connect your PC to the Internet.
Normally, you'll have to dial this connection before you can go online. To have Windows connect automatically, first right-click the connection icon and select "Set as Default Connection." Next, open the Internet Options control panel, choose the Connections tab, and select the "Always dial my default connection" option.
To skip the Connect dialog, right-click the new connection and select Properties (or click the Properties button in the Connect dialog box). Choose the Options tab, and remove the checkmark next to the "Prompt for name and password, certificate, etc." option. This is particularly useful if you want Windows to connect automatically when you first start your computer; just drag the PPPoE connection icon from the Network Connections folder into your Startup folder in your Start menu.
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