Steve Firth wrote:

The problem with a short cable is that a WiFi modem is supplied,
and the WiFi signal does not get to where it is needed
if the modem is near the input.

If it's the standard TI modem then it has an RJ45 socket on the back
that you can use for a wired connection to your own network.

There are 5 people in the house using laptops,
so WiFi is more or less essential.

TBH TI are such useless *******s and ADSL is so poor in Italy

To be fair, it has worked perfectly for me for 2 years.
I agree that communicating with Telecom Italia is seriously stress-inducing.
Actually, I have found that Telecoms everywhere are pretty bad,
it seems that any company involved in communication is ipso facto
incapable of communicating with a human being.

I ended up buying a router that can connect to a USB 3G dongle using the
TIM[1]38.8Mb/s 3g unit which was available from my local telephone shop
for EUR 150 for an annual contract with "unlimited" data. It only
achieves 7Mb/s in my location but that's way faster than the wired
connection.

I thought of this, but a friend of mine here says the wireless connection -
perhaps just in this area - is not good.

Telecoms in Italy are generally messed up, and all of the staff at all
of the shops have got "Don't ask me, I don't give a toss" written on
their foreheads, so DIY is the only option for problem resolution.

Actually, quite a good electronics retailer (Compy) has just opened nearby.
I bought a new splitter/microfilter there today,
and it may actually have improved things.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland