virgin beginners help please

[mare]

I'm reminded about 'standby' and power usage when I navigate the house in the 'dark' by the numerous lights  ... like Lizzie we rarely turn appliances off at the power point.  If we are away for some time we do though, and have to remind OH about the video recorder if it has been set for anything.
We always used to turn the modem off each evening until we had trouble with the on/off button wearing out and were then advised it wasn't necessary, we have a fast broadband connection.
At work we only turn the screen off each night as the computers are worked on remotely after hours.
  mare

[lesleyhannah]

I suspect littlewren switches things off for the same reason I do - it seems wrong to waste energy. Before I got broadband I just used to turn off the computer, monitor and printers individually. The broadband box and the router don't seem to have individual switches - I'd have to crawl under my desk and pull out a cupboard to reach the only socket with a switch. This is why I was worried - it seems to imply they shouldn't be switched off.

Personally, I'd have liked virgin to leave a simple manual with do's and dont's. Guy has reassured me that switching it all off when I get the place rewired won't cause the heavens to fall in, but I am cursed where electronic stuff is concerned, so if it can go wrong I bet it will.

[Lydart]

I was told it costs about 1p per day to leave things on standby ... so with the computer, printer, TV, video, lamps, planks, chargers ... all those little red lights ... I went round the house and counted as I switched off ... I had over twenty !   I'm more than happy to save 20p per day, £1.40 per week, or £72.80 per year ...

[mare]

I know it can add up a bit and I have to remind myself to make more effort with some appliances, wouldn't want to be resetting all those clocks too regularly though.

Often after I've turned the computer off when I think I have finished, suddenly remember something I've forgotten to check or email  if I'm home during the day I put it to sleep between sessions 

With a fireman in the house, we are aware of overloading plugs etc
... and it is probably a good idea to keep up to good habits Littlewren, just not compulsory  mare

[Nick29]

It doesn't really matter whether you switch the broadband modem/router off or not, as long as you don't switch it on and off more than about 4 times in an hour, because this can cause the broadband line management to kick in, because it will think you have a fault on the line, and you may get a temporary reduction in speed.  You can turn the router and PC on together, because I've yet to find a PC which boots up faster than a broadband modem can log in.

Of course, if you do choose to switch off, you will save a little on the electricity bills.

[Guy Etchells]

I was told it costs about 1p per day to leave things on standby ... so with the computer, printer, TV, video, lamps, planks, chargers ... all those little red lights ... I went round the house and counted as I switched off ... I had over twenty !   I'm more than happy to save 20p per day, £1.40 per week, or £72.80 per year ...

A TV on standby does not just draw power to illuminate the light, there are other drains of energy giving standby consumption of between 1 watt and 20 watts per night.
Not a lot but it still adds up over the year, this is more apparent in a house with a number of children each who has their own TV, DVD/Video etc. etc.
It is quite easy to burn 5 or 6 hundred watts per night just on standby.
Cheers
Guy
Spelling

[behindthefrogs]

I agree with Guy.  Turn it all off.  I have everything connected to my computer on a single switch which I turn off once the computer has closed down.

I cut my electricity bill by 10% when I got into the habit of turning everything off that I didn't need.

David

[lesleyhannah]

Littlewren

I was prompted by this thread to ring the dreaded helpline today and ask about the 'security' they said I'd get with the higher speed package. 'It is put on automatically?' I asked.
'No, you have to download it yourself,' I was told. BUT noone had told me that before. I'd been using the broadband for days thinking my system was protected, when it wasn't. Maybe you knew this already, but I thought I'd mention it in case you're as naive as I am!
Lesley

[goldy]

don't rely on it use your own firewall and virus program.  we use free comodo and avast