I'm a bit of a novice wrt iPads (to put it mildly) and am after some basic information on what to look out for and what I need to do.

As I understand it, they generally use wifi or 3G and don't come with USB ports (therefore I don't have an option to connect to my PC, load up any apps I want and run standalone until the battery is flat).

I currently have cable with a whizz-bang super-fast modem and run an ethernet cable from my VM modem to my PC. Am I right in thinking that to (sensibly) use an iPad, I'd need to swap the modem for a VM wifi thingy (Superhub?) ?

If I changed to a Superhub, can I still connect my ethernet cable from my PC in somewhere (as I'd rather not wifi my PC as well) ?

Is this nice and straightforward to do, and what sort of figure are VM likely to charge for the priviledge?

And the $64m question, recommendations for a cheap but good iPad (or similar). It's for the missus and she's likely to primarily use it for playing flash games and checking up on racecards for tomorrows race meetings. I'm sure that will expand to other uses, but that's her starting point.

Thanks very much in advance for any handy pearls of wisdom.

They don't have a usb they have their own Apple port, but at the other end of the cable is a standard USB so that attaches to your computer.

And yes you will need a WiFi hub/router to fully get the benefit of your iPad, or if you have unlimited data plan on your phone, you could set up a "hot Spot" but having never used that method for home use I'm not sure how successful that is to use permanently.

iPads don't use flash, so if your wife is really in need of flash it will have to be an Android device, Nexus 7 seems to get great reviews from people on here.

Just to add to that, flash is'nt officially supported and developed anymore on hand held devices so you will need to 'side load' the install.

Dont forget some flash games/apps etc. will need the use of a keyboard to use them and in the case of a table you wont have one.

Some more complex flash games are quite processor intensive so will struggle to run on lower end tablets.

You can connect a keyboard to most tablets easily enough.

Also, if you want to continue to use your current modem, you can just buy your own router and use that to provide the wifi signal.

I do that. The wifi on the original superhub is pretty rubbish. I have mine on modem mode and use my own router which gives me a much stronger wifi signal.
Last edited by sancheeez : 20-09-2013 at 15:30

I wouldn't bother with the hassle of trying to get a Superhub from Virgin. They're not that great and they may try to sign you up to another contract in order to supply one.

Just get a cheap wifi router, this one would do and it would sit between your existng modem and PC.

In fairness you need a super hub according to Virgin to get 30mbs or above so might be worth it for that alone. But agree you need use a separate wifi router range is terrible on mine barely makes it outside room it in.

Contrary to the previous superhub thoughts, my superhub gives me a full 30mb wifi speed throughout the house

Thanks for all the replies.

Trying to understand this now ...

I think this is how it is currently cabled up (i.e. I don't think the incoming cable splits to the modem before going into the TiVo)

TiVo --- Modem --- (ethernet cable) --- PC

Are you saying that the wireless router connects into the modem AND i can plug an ethernet cable into the router so I have a hard-wired conenction to the PC and wireless for the iPad ?

TiVo --- Modem --- Router --- (ethernet cable) --- PC

or do you mean I can connect both the router AND the ethernet cable to the modem this ?

TiVo --- Modem --- Router
........................ |- (ethernet cable) --- PC

As I've said, I don't want to alter the internet for the PC unless I have to as it works perfectly well as it is (I've tried getting wireless to work to the PC in the past but failed dismally as it is in a different room with a supporting beam in the way).

I originally just bought a cheap off-the-shelf router and attached it to the VM modem. My desktop was still a wired connection, but everything else, laptop, tablet and smartphone worked fine wirelessly.
I've since had a Superhub installed, that's a modem and router from VM. You can keep your PC as a wired connection, and connect any other devices wirelessly.
I don't find a lot of difference in performance to be honest, but installing a Superhub cut down on the number of wires and it looks a lot smarter.

Morning all. I am about to prove beyond doubt my beginners tag in this field.

I had taken VM at their word that I had a modem, whereas checking last night with a view to upgrading, it turns out that I have a superhub already.
Therefore, hopefully, I can just buy a wireless router, plug it in to the superhub, configure and secure it from my PC(*) and be able to see it from the iPad and mobile phones, without affecting the ethernet connection to my PC at all.

(*) I'm presuming that I'll be able to see it from my PC through the superhub, although I need to read up on this somewhere.

Surely if you have a Superhub you won't need to buy a wireless router/access point?

Is it one of these ?

Yep. If you already have a superhub, then you already have a router .... with wifi.

Give it a try and see how it works for you. It's OK for some folks. Was no use for me as I'm in an old tenement type flat with thick walls. The signal wasn't strong enough more than one room away from the router. Got a separate, more powerful, router and it's fine.

So give it a go. It might be fine. If not, put it in modem mode and buy a better router. (Note - if you do, you need ONLY a router. Note a modem/router combo ...)

Looking on the VM website, they provided two types, Netgear VMDG480 and Netgear VMDG485. I've got the former.
I'll have a read up on how to configure it and take it from there, and report back.

Okay, that was embarrassingly easy. The pass code was on the back, and I (sensibly) changed the password as well

Mrs will be happy, just to figure out a suitable table now.