Just ordered cable. What do I need to know?

[Tomteriffic]

OK, I'm tired of 28,800 on a real good day on my dial-up (it's not the ISP, it's the local phone wiring in the area). I just ordered Earthlink cable through Time Warner (since I'm already an Earthlink subscriber).

I know some Time-Warner monkey is gonna come out, hook up the cable modem to one computer, run some software and voila.

Here's the rub: I've got quite a herd networked here and I intend to run the whole mess through an 8 port Linksys BESFR81 router that I already have. One of the herd will be a Mac, just to make things difficult. And it's my wife's Mac, which makes things even MORE difficult

What do I need to know/undo/whatever, to get the connection happening on all the machines once they are behind the router? I'm assuming that EL, like most, are using PPPOE, which this router supports. I also will be using Zone Alarm on each machine (the freebie version).

Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm running a (mostly) Win98SE simple peer-to-peer network at present. The Mac doesn't need to do file/print sharing.

TIA

Tom

[Ruler2112]

Something you might want to consider is putting a Linux box with two NICs in as a router. You sound a lot like myself (with the herd ) and once it's set up, all you have to do is set the internal IP of the linux box as the gateway on each of your networked machines. The firewall would also be run on the linux box alone, thereby eliminating the need for ZoneAlarm on every machine. If you want details on how to set it all up, feel free to ask as I've just done it.

The Lynksys router is all you need because Win98 and newer versions of Windows already contain everything necessary. I would also be hesitant to let the comcast guy install anything on your computers, because as I said, you don't need to install any custom ISP software to get things up and running.

It's been a long time since I set up a Win98 network with cable so I can't remember everything, but I'm sure all the procedures can be found at these two sites....

http://www.practicallynetworked.com
http://www.helmig.com/

[Tomteriffic]

Ran out of time this evening, but I need to read the destructions again on the router on how to do this. Seems the Time Warner guy has to run SOMETHING to establish the account/connection, sumpin' like that. I'll have Clean Sweep running to monitor the install to I can undo it if necessary.

Also need to get the latest firmware for the Linksys. I almost pulled the trigger on DSL about a year ago and bought the router then, so I'm sure it's been improved since then, since it's basically the ubiquitous BESFR41 with more holes on the back

Thanks, Fingers, forgot about the Practically Networked site.

[John Prophet]

he shouldnt have to really run any software. I worked on a network a few days back....adelphia cable going to a router and several switches.

It started with the motorola surfboard modem and then to a router.

So for troubleshooting purposes the adelphia phone support guy had me go from the cable modem to one machine only..and it was NOT a machine that had ever been hooked straight to the cable modem......in other words it was pretty much a straight w98 machine.

Usually you can save a few bucks by doing "self activation"...as in..installing it yerself.

The may come run the cable etc..then you just hook it to the cable modem...which then usually gets a dynamic IP from the ISP...after that you can just hook to a pc and pretty much just set it to recieve an IP address automatically...maybe run WINIPCFG and do "release/renew" to pick up the new IP.

Or just go to the router from the cable modem...the cable modem gives the router a dynamic IP and then its usually pretty easy to go thru the router wizard which makes stuff almost self explanatory.

(hehe, Ive done it like once, so I shouldnt be tryin to sound like a pro)

JP

[John Prophet]

Quote------> "Seems the Time Warner guy has to run SOMETHING to establish the account/connection, sumpin' like that"

Well, I dont think so...they may have to activate stuff on their end to send a dynamic IP to/thru your cable modem but thats about it....when you hook up your router they will be able to see the MAC addy of the router but at that point it is just going to recieve a dynamic IP with no effort on their part.

I remember once I totally formatted and rebuilt a dudes Dell P3 with XP on it..he had cable ISP...I was wondering myself about exactly HOW I was going to get the cable back on his machine etc....hehe, it was a very hard process...basically I....hooked the cat5 cable into his nic..viola..lol.

The router setup will be pretty easy for you also. You basically hook the cable modem up..let it go thru its deal and let it get all its lights lit solid....THEN hook the router up and then go to a pc hooked to the router and usually you go to your browser and type in 192.168.1.1 and usually that is the router config page. You may have to run winipcfg and/or set it to recieve an IP automatically. And then the router page will come up and it will have a name and password which is usually "admin" and "password" lol. Of course you change them to something a little stronger.

Usually most of the defaults are ok for getting started. I cant speak much to setting up security so I wont try.

The only "software" I can think of would be stuff like a prog to autoconfigure outlook express or something like that.

But personally I wouldnt let em run any software ay all....which is also what i tell peeps who are getting dial up....instead just call em and have em walk you thru the setup manually....better that way.

With dialup, peeps get disks with all this auto this and that on them...and it puts IE6 on their P-133 system, lol.

With cable ISP's they probably have all that gay stuff like stupid little help progs and stuff for total newbs....and auto update junk to..no thanks.

Hopefully I will go ahead and get cable next week or so..then I will be the one on here needin help, lol.

JP

[imac9556]

Hey,
The Mac should not be difficult at all... I used to run Road Runner on my Mac, and all you need to do, is set it to accept a DHCP server automaticlly. (at least in my area, kansas city) It doesn't use PPoE or stuff like that at all....
What verson of the Mac OS are you running?

[Tomteriffic]

JP, thanks for the help so far. I need to call EL and see if they use PPPOE or not.

Imac: Which one (or both) is still up in the air. One is an older 6500 with OS8 on it (I can't seem to find a clean, full install copy of 8.6 anyplace that isn't for an iMac). The other one is a 300 Mhz iBook with 8.6 on it (gotta love them pawnshops!).

I know 8.0 had some TCI/IP problems and it's a pain, even on dialup, but this machine DID, at one time talk quite nicely with a G3 running 8.6, just using a crossover cable.

Any idea where one would find the "accept a DHCP server" stuff in either OS. I know enough about Mac OS'es to wreck 'em, but not much more

I don't think you need anything like that with cable. Only with DSL.
I do think the installer will ck signal strength etc etc. I've had cable 2ce and never used their software or the router software that Linksys says you need.

Prepare to have your mind spin

you'll sit there astonished at how much faster it is! oh and make sure the herd doesn't suffer from the g-force.

[John Prophet]

I think by "accept a dhcp server"...you mean the exact same thing as "obtain an IP address automatically".

In W98se you right click on "network neighborhood"...click properties...then highlight tcp/ip of the NIC and you'll see the check box for "obtain an IP address automatically"

JP