Ye Haa - Finally got my ADSL

[Jake]

Yeeeehaaaahh!

Just picked up my Nortel Networks 1-meg modem at the post office today (borrowed from ISP). Now I only have to wait another week before the phone company dude shows up and installs an extra line in my appartment.

Even though this xDSL adaptor will work on a single line my provider (Cybercity, Denmark) requires installation of an extra phone line and hookup to a digital line at my local phone central. Why? I have no idea. But who cares as long as it works.

It's a 384/128 kbps line and it can be upgraded to 960/128 kbps simply by changing my subscription with my ISP. I guess bandwidth is controlled by flashing the bios in the adaptor from the ISP side or by software means. The adaptor itself supports up to 1.3 Mbps/320 kbps, allowing room for future upgrade.

I read a review of the adaptor at dslreports.com and it said that it was "Ugly looking but fast". LOL!

Anyway, I have been waiting for this for a LONG time, and finally I can see "the light at the end of the tunnel".

My new subscription costs about $50 pr. month.

DSL, DSL, DSL! (singing)

Oh thank you God for this wonderful, wonderful day!!! (similar experience to a scene from American Pie. Can you remember which one?)

------------------------------------------

On a sidenote, I was considering the possibility of setting up a home network with two PC's and hooking my LAN to this new DSL adaptor.

On my ISP's homepage it says that there are two ways to do this:

1. Install two NIC's in one of the computers. One for use with the 1-meg modem and one for the LAN.

Disadvantages: This computer has to be turned on for the internet connection to work on the second computer. The LAN has to use ICS or a 3rd party NAT program.

2. Buy a router in stead or chose a more expensive subscription that includes a router (borrowed from ISP).

Disadvantages: Router costs $300! Subscribtion that includes router costs $13 more pr. month. (I'm poor allready)

I discovered a THIRD option while flipping through the manual that came with my new 1-meg modem. Check appendix D in this pdf version for an explanation of the setup.

http://www.nortelnetworks.com/produc...7.08-07-99.pdf

It involves only a crossover cable and a hub. Much cheaper sollution!

My ISP uses DHCP for distributing the fixed IP's to their subscribers as it prevents installation and networks errors caused by (stupid) clients.

As I only get one fixed IP-adress from my ISP, will this elliminate the possibility of the "hub + crossover cable" setup?

Sorry for the long post...

Regards,

Jake

[This message has been edited by Jake (edited 17 August 2000).]

[Jake]

Damn, damn, damn!

I just read at dslreports.com that the "crossover cable + hub" setup DOES requires two seperate IP-adresses. I suspected that since all networked computers require unique IP-adresses, and the 1-meg modem is only a bridge, not a router. Unfortunatly, I also read in a FAQ at my ISP's website that I can't buy or lease a second IP-adress.

Guess I'm stuck with the ICS or NAT sollution...

Regards,

JAke

[Brian R.]

How about a switch/router like we talked about above in this thread?

[Brian R.]

Icestorm - What do you mean by "unsolicited traffic"? How do I set up one of my computers to be this way? Are there any speed advantages?

[Mark F]

Icestorm wrote: "I know two friends who use the LinkSys router on PPPoE systems. They have no problems. I do not know anyone who's used it with DHCP, but I cannot see it being a problem."

I have it working getting it's IP from my ISP's DHCP server. Didn't work well at first. But, I had a work around (don't think my ISP would have aproved if they figured it out). With the newest Beta
firmware (1.33beta), I canset the router to spoof my NIC's MAC, and all works well.

Mark F.


------------------
OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a DVD...
and burped out a movie

[Brian R.]

Actually, now I have my router working as a DHCP server. No problems. Even have the computers able to access each other's drives.

[Jake]

I must be cursed!

Here's a short update on the neverending story of my DSL troubles. (see above post)

After having waited for what seems like an eternity, the day that my DSL line was to be installed in my appartment finally came this friday.

As I'm involved in a study project I was able to work at home while I waited for the phone company dude to show up. He was supposed to show up anytime between 7:30 and 12:00 (noon). So I waited patiently.

At about 9 o'clock I get a call from the head honcho at my local phone central. He regrets that they have 2 guys who reported in sick and were unable to install my line that day. AAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHH!

I pleaded and begged him, if they could manage to "squeze me in" later the same afternoon, and fortunaltly the phone guy showed up at about 13:30. Great! (I thought).

He installed the extra line, and I tried connecting to my ISP while he was still in my appartment. It did not work. The "Loop status" LED on my 1-meg modem indicated "Modem not getting signal from service provider". OK! I asked the guy if he could check the line connection to the central and see if it worked right. So he installed a tempory sound emitting device (dial-tone I think) and drove down to the central to check if it was ok. He returned 15 minutes later and reported that everything was fine on their end.

Last thing left to try was calling my provider and checking if they had forgotten to activate my new account. So I did. The very nice lady from their custumer support told me that all new accounts would be activated at 17:00. Great, I thought! All I have to do is sit back and wait for the automatic update to open my account at 17:00.

I stead of just sitting around and looking at the watch I, called a friend and we vent out to play a round of golf.
When I got home at 18:30, my DSL was still DEAD! No connection to ISP! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!
And I could not even call my ISP to vent my frustration, as their office closed for the weekend at 16:00.

What a lovely day!

Well at least I put up a better score than usual in my golf game....

Regards,

Jake

[Jake]

Why did I get my hopes up for today. I'm such a trusting fool!

I had off course hoped that this mess would be fixed today, and I would be able to enjoy my new DSL connection.

It was not to be. And after talking to yet another person at customer support, I was told that the fault was at the phone company, because they had hired extra cable install guy's the last couple of weeks, and my ISP could not upgrade their local server farms that fast.

So I'll be waiting until, quote "sometime early September, 1 maybe 1½ weeks".

Oh well, I was lucky again today at the golf club and scored 6 stableford points better than yesteday.

Have fun all you DSL people...

Regards,

Jake

[Brian R.]

Got rid of my Linksys router (at least temporarily). It apparently kept losing the connection after various periods of time. Went back to the single computer system without the router and no longer lose connections.

Hope they fix this soon with new firmware.

[Brian R.]

Bought and installed a Zyxel Prestige 314 router/switch. Works great and easy to set up.
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/..._routers/1.htm

and
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/...outers_2/1.htm

Returning my Linksys router. Evidently the Linksys has a problem with ISPs who require PPPoE (at least that's my make on it).

Anyone not have any trouble with the Linksys BEFSR 41 using PPPoE?

[This message has been edited by Brian R. (edited 31 August 2000).]

[cjolley]

Brian,
You just missed it!
Linksys added a "PPPoE Keep Alive" option to the latest beta.
chuck

How is the new router doing?

[Brian R.]

I would not use the current beta firmware anyway. I tried it and it slowed my connection speed down alot. Each page was taking 30 seconds or so to load. When I switched back to the current firmware, the problem disappeared. (???)

As far as the connection stability goes, so far, so good. The new router has not dropped the connection yet (14 hours).

There is no great difference between the two in function or price. Maybe the Zyxel is a little sexier in appearance. I understand it is more flexible, but I haven't tried playing with the advanced functionality yet.
http://www.zyxel.com/html/product/wan/p314.html

[This message has been edited by Brian R. (edited 31 August 2000).]

[cjolley]

Brian,
That Zyxel router looks pretty cool. Keep us informed!
The slow connection problems you had with the Linksys must have something to do with PPPoE.
I can't tell any difference in speed.
They are also adding logging of some sort, but I haven't experimented with it yet.
chuck

[Brian R.]

I understand the Zyxel router is the same hardware as the Netgear RT-314. The firmware is different and suppoedly superior in the Zyxel (see my first two links above).

[Brian R.]

Update to Zyxel router. Runs fine so far. No problems and seems to be quite stable. Figured out how to access the advanced settings in the BIOS. Use Telnet and open 192.168.1.1.

Recommended, specially with PPPoE.