My advice: don't overthink it. Pick the option that works best for your situation right now. Technology changes every 2-3 years anyway so nothing you choose today is permanent. The best technology is the one you actually use.

I've been using computers since the early 90s and the answer to this has changed dramatically over the years. Right now, the best approach is to use open source alternatives when possible — they're usually free and often better than commercial products.

Have you tried checking the manufacturer's website for updates? A lot of these issues get fixed in patches that most people don't know about. Also check your firewall settings — sometimes they block things they shouldn't.

Honestly the manual that came with it explains this pretty well if you actually read it. I know nobody reads manuals but for once it's worth flipping through. The troubleshooting section in the back covers the most common problems.

First thing I'd do is reboot and try again. Sounds dumb but you'd be amazed how many 'tech problems' fix themselves with a restart. If that doesn't work, write down the EXACT error message and search for it — somebody on Experts-Exchange or a Geocities help page has hit the same thing.

It depends a lot on your connection speed. If you're still on dial-up, some of this just isn't going to work well no matter what. Broadband makes a night-and-day difference. Is DSL or cable available in your area yet?