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| Do you *have* to manually connect with ADSL? |
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| message from T i m on 26 Jun 2005 |
Hi All,
I was talking to a friend who had recently gone to BB with BT over
ADSL.
They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
every time and I thought not. I typed them through various setting
(over MSN) but we couldn't find anything that seemed to automate the
process (ie you click on IE and it sparks up the BB)?
As I don't have ADSL (and have a router enyway) I ccan't check it out
myself so wondered if anyone here could point me in the right
direction please?
One though I'd had since (as a 'get round' rather than solution) was
maybe putting the 'Dialler' in the startup folder?
All the best ..
T i m
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| Chip replied to T i m on 26 Jun 2005 |
[snip]
It would depend on the method of connection. I know the
cheapocrappofreemodemdealthing(tm) I got from the isp is USB and
requires me (bizarrely) to use dialup networking to access it, it
appears to the computer as a dialup modem that you have to enter a
phone number of 0 for. That should be possible to automate in the same
way as normal dialup connections, with save password and connect
automatically checked. As you, I have a router, and the modem is in
the attic as a spare so I don't use it normally.
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| T i m replied to Chip on 26 Jun 2005 |
That's the badger ;-)
That should be possible to automate in the same
Tried all that but it seems not (this was 'remote' though)
As you, I have a router, and the modem is in
Or they get sold on eBay ;-)
I might get them to go WiFi router later as they are talking about a
second PC and "don't want wires everwhere" . <sigh>. ;-)
All the best ..
T i m
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| Chip replied to T i m on 26 Jun 2005 |
The time I sell it on eBay will be precisely 24 hours (+/- 10 mins)
from the time that the DSL modem/NAT router decides that its existence
is pitiful and that it would much prefer to be a paperweight.
It happened to me with an external analog 56k modem I "definitely
didn't need because I had this here internal one" :-)
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| T i m replied to Chip on 26 Jun 2005 |
Oh isn't *that* the truth! I fitted an ADSL WiFi router 6 months ago
for a mate and said "better keep that modem somewhere safe .. just in
case". I got a phone call the other day saying none of the 3 machines
could connect to the net .. turned out the router had just died .. ;-(
Well he had listened to me, the modem was plugged back in and at least
one machine had access again ;-)
All the best ..
T i m
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| Peter M replied to T i m on 26 Jun 2005 |
If they have a nasty USB modem, then quite possibly... :-(
That's how it was for me about 39 months ago. Around 36 months ago I put
a router in place and have never been tempted to look at USB again :-)
Unless someone uses ADSL for a bit of e-mail and browsing a few times
a week, keeps the PC off 90% of the time, and won't spend 30-50 quid on
a router (and perhaps a network card, for an older PC) then I'd suggest a
router *every* time as a first line of defence (using NAT) for their PC,
and because the router will stay online while they do other things on
the PC, can reboot, etc, but also as they have no USB drivers to get
corrupted, the router will keep some stats on errors/speed/etc and
is just a handy thing to use :-) ADSLguide.org is worth using for
some equipment reviews... and dabs.com or ebuyer.com for buying.
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| T i m replied to Peter M on 26 Jun 2005 |
Hi Peter and yep they do .. for now .. ;-)
Are you saying you got round it that way (startup folder)?
As would I .. and they are talking about it for later ..
What really gets me is how many folk with cable modems use the USB
interface and install all the nasty software when they could often
just plug in the supplied Ethernet cable and do nothing more
(especially if you know the 'back door' for signing up <g>). What
doesn't help is that most NTL cable modems I have seen have some tape
over the ethernet port?
Ho hum ..
All the best ..
T i m
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| Peter M replied to T i m on 26 Jun 2005 |
I think it was 'automatic' or as part of the setup notes from the ISP to
put a link there to MS IE, so a connection would be needed and one just
clicked the 'yes, make a connection'
Encourage them to make it sooner, for their (and your) sake... fewer headaches
and it allows one to disable the firewall for some test with less risk of the
outside world staging an attack...
... a bit academic for me... no cable service (not even TV) in the whole of
North Wales. Franchise was won by some group but it never even tried...
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| T i m replied to Peter M on 26 Jun 2005 |
Ok ..
;-)
Same with lectric isn't it .. we went from PortHaddock to Festivalfog
and we went by steam ;-)
All the best ..
T i m
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| Black Shuck replied to Peter M on 26 Jun 2005 |
You can get 1 port ADSL router from Aria and the like for £25 these
days. Hardly worth the grief that is ALWAYS associated with USB modems..
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| T i m replied to Black Shuck on 27 Jun 2005 |
Hi Mark
Ah, that's not bad (they were more expensive the last time I looked).
I'll have a look in a mo but are they just Ethernet ADSL Modems or
actually a single port router (if you could get such). Apart from the
cost I think a 4 port would be better value for money and probably the
same size? (I think I looked into this with someone who went from
cable to ADSL and wanted to continue using their WiFi router with an
ethernet ADSL modem .. it was cheaper to buy a new router) ;-(
Hardly worth the grief that is ALWAYS associated with USB modems..
I'm not sure I have experienced ANY real problems with USB modems (ie
the friends / family that have them) and in fact for test purposes I
would think they could be easier (easier to change the connection
details)?
All the best ..
T i m
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| Phil Thompson replied to T i m on 27 Jun 2005 |
plenty of single port routers around, also some 2 port USB & ethernet
where the USB is "ethernet over USB".
real ethernet modems are rare in the UK, there are about 5 on the
market I think.
USB modems need drivers on the PC so you get into operating system
issues. An ethernet solution requires you to put the connection
details into a web page which is fairly trivial.
Then there's the security issues - I spent half a day getting trojans
and viruses wheedled out of a machine that had been on the net for
about 20 minutes via a USB modem :-(
Phil
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| T i m replied to Phil Thompson on 27 Jun 2005 |
And (if we are making a direct comparison) so you would if you had to
add an ethernet card?
An ethernet solution requires you to put the connection
Indeed .. but .. if you were carrying one round to 'test' ADSL line /
solutions you would have to power up the ADSL router (a USB modem is
self powered) connect to the web based config page (ip address +
username and password) then re-configure the connection page with the
correct fields. With a USB modem you just plug in, click on the
internect connection, change the details and connect?
Ah, now there we agree (although I install ZoneAlarm before I put
anything on the net) and having a hardware firewall and the constant
connection is nice ;-)
All the best ..
T i m
p.s. Don't get me wrong, I'm for having a router in there .. just that
I think there are times when a pockatable modem is handy?
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| Phil Thompson replied to T i m on 27 Jun 2005 |
not put drivers in for ethernet cards for years, even if you do they
are trivial compared to USB drivers which are doing a good deal of the
work of the modem in the CPU.
yes as a portable test tool a USB modem has its advantages.
You could have a desktop icon to go straight to the user/password
entry field on a router which would make that aspect the same.
and no reason why you can't power the router off a USB or PoE setup if
you needed to :-)
Phil
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| T i m replied to Phil Thompson on 27 Jun 2005 |
Granted that XP is better than most at this but I've only just
'upgraded' from 98SE because it 'worked' and I was (mainly) in control
;-)
even if you do they
Possibly, but in this context nothing to worry about?
That aspect maybe but .. .. no mains plug, no finding the right setup
page in the WEB gui, no storing the new values, no restarting the box
... ;-)
No reason as you say (as long as it doesn't draw more than 500mA) but
not *common* in the everyday sense?
Nope, for me a pocket sized modem would be a better tool for portable
testing (and I have the router(s) but don't have an ADSL modem .. yet)
;-)
Horses for course n that ..
All the best Phil
T i m
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| Phil Thompson replied to T i m on 28 Jun 2005 |
indeed. TBH I forget what the context it :-)
you don't need to restart a router to change the login credentials,
and like I said if you put a shortcut on the desktop it goes straight
to the correct setup page and would require no more clicks (two) than
changing the entries in a DUN icon for a USB modem.
Phil
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| T i m replied to Phil Thompson on 29 Jun 2005 |
Maybe not on yours Phil but on most of the others I have worked on
(including the one last night) you do? You change a setting and click
apply and the screen reflects the change .. but the box didn't
connect. Choose 'Save and restart' and he presto, connected?
Again, maybe you can do that on yours but all the others I have used
require a username and password?
I just created a link to an advanced page (on my Q-Tec WiFi cable
router) and did still need to login as 'admin' / password (allthough
it did take me to the avanced page after that). ;-)
All the best ...
T i m
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| Phil Thompson replied to T i m on 30 Jun 2005 |
can't you save the user/password combo in the URL in the shortcut you
create http(s)://username:password@server/resource.ext
Phil
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| David Bradley replied to Phil Thompson on 30 Jun 2005 |
Used to be able to do this but if you have a fully patched Xp OS, that syntax
is no longer available.
David Bradley
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| Phil Thompson replied to David Bradley on 30 Jun 2005 |
is that an IE thing ?
Phil
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