In the long run you are probably better off owning your own modem/router anyway. They're reasonably cheap (although they are in excess of Ł30), but what you sacrifice in terms of price you gain in terms of functionality - the reason that many boxes don't work with Linux is because the hardware they contain is unable to do all the work itself - it requires some clever pieces of proprietary software to acheive full function. A "normal" router (or even just an ADSL modem, which might be a cheap option if you only want 1 port) will work over Ethernet, and all the "hard work" will be performed by the hardware itself, which is a preferable situation anyway. One option (as hinted above) might be to get an ADSL modem, which will usually have an ethernet port on the back, which you could then swap between your 2 boxes (the mini and the laptop) and then, at a later date, you could buy yourself a router, thus expanding your network. This would allow you to split the cost into 2 smaller outlays. HTH mrben <tt>ubuntu-uk-bounces@lists.ubuntu.com wrote on 05/03/2007 14:54:52: > Having had Orange take five weeks (and dozens of phone calls) to > replace their white box after an ordinary lightning strike, I have > moved to Eclipse.  Their black box works ok with my mac mini but my > webmaster tells me that it won't work with Ubuntu on my Compaq laptop > (which worked ok with Orange) and that I will have to buy a different > box costing in excess of Ł30.  I'm on broadband with non-wireless USB > connections.  Help please... > > -- > ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk > https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/ </tt> <hr> Unless stated otherwise above: IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598. Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU