I am going away for a few days with my laptop, but there is no wi-fi access. I want to put a dial up access onto the laptop before I go so I can plug into the BT socket and pay local rates, eg 1p a minute dial-up. Which is the best site to download that doesn't play havoc with the other software that's already loaded? UKU Connect looks ok, but is it reliable/safe?

Does your laptop have a modem installed??

yes, must do, as we only bought it last year and it picks up wi-fi within our house

Sorry I should have been more specific does your PC have a V92 56k voice modem installed. Most WiFi modems are just that and are only capable of handling DSL. There are some however that have built in a V92 voice modem as well which is what you will need for dial up. If you have a dial up capable modem installed try plus net (www.plus.net) they are still offering a payg dial up option. It only takes minutes to sign up, there's no contract and its free.

the site looks good, many thanks. My laptop has AC97 Data Fax SoftModem with SmartCP, so I think it will load up ok. One last snag - when I go in to register it wants the phone number I shall be using. Since the one I want to put in is only a temporary one for 3 days whilst I'm away, can I change it subsequently if we end up going away somewhere else on another occasion where we need dial up access? If not, this could be a problem.

You're being really helpful, so thank you again in advance!

From memory you can change the phone number on the PAYG dial up account. If you can't, no problem just open another payg account with another number. Plus Net are quite relaxed about this, in fact they encourage us broadband customers to open up a payg account as backup should ADSL have a problem. Any PAYG account that isn't accessed for 90 days is deleted from their system anyway so they dont hang around for ever. I have no real knowledge of the AC97 Data Fax SoftModem but what I would do is try things from home before you go away. Through control panel set up a dial up connection and try it. If it's not happy you will get a message such as "modem not present". This in it self may just be a driver problem so it may be worth checking you have the latest driver for the modem. There are plenty of sites around that offer driver downloads e.g. www.soft32.com.

brilliant, will try all this - you've been really really helpful.

Cheers

aaaargh, of course I can't test all this as we're with talktalk and not BT until we go away this Tuesday!

However, have successfully set up the account for where we're going. However, can I ask you how you now set up the dial up connection. I've gone into control panel, phone and modem, then location info, but what do I put in for dial up number? The dial up they gave me from plus.net was 1470, 0845 1400101. I presume I use the 0845 etc, so what's the 1470? Once I put this in, does this then put an icon on the desktop from which to dial, or how do you do it?

Thanks so much

Go to control panel click on network connections then click on new connection wizard. Choose option "connect to internet", click next, then choose option "set up my connection manually, click next, then choose option "Connect using a dial up modem", click next, from the list of modems provided click on yours to select, click next, then choose a connection name (this can be anything you like), click next, then enter the connection number 147008451400101, click next, then enter your internet account information,click next, then click finish, job done.

The 1470 is to enable caller line identification (CLI) should the number you are using have it disabled. CLI can be disabled on a line, the effect is that when you phone someone on a land line with a caller identification display it would show "withheld". It would probably show something like "private number" on a mobile. PlusNet wont allow connections from withheld numbers.

I'm guessing you'll get a desk top icon, I can't remember off hand, but if you don't then go into Control Panel / Network Connections and you can click on it from there.

once again, many many thanks. that all seems clear; I'm at work at present, but will try that. You're a star.

just to say that the instructions and subsequent connection all worked perfectly whilst we were away, so thank you so much for all your time. It would be good if it also worked from other phone networks, eg Talktalk, Tiscali etc - do you know if it will do this, or is it just BT?

Cheers

Good news eh.

According to Plus Net the dial up service will work from anywhere, at any time and from any telephone network.

As your with TalkTalk at home, give it a whirl.