PC help: Vista and broadband

Q I am considering upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista but am worried my broadband modem may not be compatible.

I use an AOL-supplied BT Voyager 105 modem. I ran the Windows Vista: Upgrade Advisor but the advice was confusing. There were two possible references: PPPoEWin Miniport and Globespan USB ADSL LAN Modem. There was no compatibility advice so I don't know whether I should upgrade.

A AOL is not providing drivers for some older USB modems it has supplied for broadband customers. These include the BT Voyager 50, BT Voyager 100, BT Voyager 105, Thompson Speedtouch 330 and Alcatel Speedtouch.

Their advice is to buy an Ethernet-based modem or modem router. These connect to the Ethernet network socket on the back of the computer.

This socket looks like the one for the modem but is wider. If the computer does not have the socket, an internal card can be bought cheaply. An example is the Belkin 10/100 Network PCI card, which costs around £10.

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