Broadband Virgin (not Virgin broadband)

I am just about to sign up to broadband for the first time (on of these upto 8Mbps services). My ISP is offering either a Netgear DM111P for free or a Netgear DG834G for 25 quid.

As this is my first time on ADSL I don't know what the quality of my line is like. All I do know is that I am about half a K from the exchange as the crow flies. Do I take the free one so that I can discover what the line is like? I would prefer the wireless so is it worth my while shelling out for the router/modem only to discover it isn't suitable for the line? Or am I being paranoid?

I don't know much about either modem so any comment about them would also be much appreciated.

Cheers

Willo

Think you're being paranoid.
Unless BT have taken your cable on a magical mystery tour, there's no reason to suspect you should be able to get the full 8128kbps connection (resulting in a maximum data speed of around 6.5Mbps).
There are a few things that can screw this up (namely, dodgy 'phone lines, or rubbish internal wiring), but some of these are easily sorted.
Sounds like the DG834G would be the better option.

You didn't say who your intended ISP is.
As they're giving away free/cheap hardware, it's likely they'll tie you to a long contract (maybe a year).
Sometimes it's worth going for an ISP with a short (1-3 month) minimum contract and buying your own hardware.

If you're sure that thats the ISP you want defo get the DG834G

Cheers Al and Ade I shall take your advice.

Do you know how good the security is on the wireless modem?

I will be trialling the broadband service from Vodafone. The trial will last three months after which I can sign a contract or go somewhere else. I haven't signed up yet as they haven't sent me the terms and conditions they want me to agree to.

Willo