Cable Modem v. DSL

[pzarquon]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

I don't get the PPP thing either. Some ISPs don't play well with routers/hubs because of various goofy things they do with IPs and protocols, but Verizon never struck me as one of them. Whether my old D-Link or my current Linksys, things were pretty much plug in, power up, and go!

Try starting with everything off. Plug the power cord back into the DSL modem, and let it get a steady signal (watch the light). Then plug the power back into the router/hub, and let it connect to the modem (I think there should be a WAN light). Finally, turn on your PC and let it connect to the router (you should see one of the PC LEDs on the router come on).

If that doesn't work, release and renew your IP/DNS lease. On a Windows 95/98/ME machine, I think that's clicking "Run..." from the Windows Start menu and typing "winipcfg" (without the quotes). You get easy buttons to release and renew. On a Windows NT/2K/XP machine, you type "command" to get the trusty MSDOS-like window. Then, use the "ipconfig" command. Instead of buttons, you have to type in commands, like "ipconfig /release" and "ipconfig /renew" (typing "ipconfig /all" will list all the current settings, and might be helpful to troubleshoot if you still have problems).

Hang in there... it's worth it! For what it's worth, I found the cable modem to be more wonky with a hub than the DSL modem.

Overall, Verizon is seriously putting some firepower into its battle with cable. Whatever you use these days, we all win.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

point-to-point for a lan refers to connections between two points within no intermediary node. more than likely PPP is used between two routers. i am not sure how this plays for a home network. what makes you think it is a problem with PPP?

Well, what makes me think that is that when I go into the "status" section of the D-link setup I get a phrase which says the PPPoE is disconnected. I click the "connect" button and it just sits at "connecting."

Also, the D-link setup instructions say you should disable WinPoet and any other similar programs, and during the Verizon setup it installed WinPoet, as I learned by doing a "Find" command.

[pzarquon]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Wow. I had no idea Verizon did the PPPoE/WinPoet thing (it was a problem with AOL, IIRC, and maybe old GTE setups). I swear, there's no such mysterious setup on my PC -- as far as I know, I have a plain TCP/IP connection via the DSL modem.

I presume you're past your "live date" on your line? It couldn't hurt to call Verizon and ensure someone flipped the switch.

Here's one columnist's frustrating experience with the PPPoE thing. I don't know what to say. (You didn't install their "MSN Experience" stuff, right? I wonder if the PPPoe/WinPoet stuff is hidden in there?)

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

I don't know what to say. (You didn't install their "MSN Experience" stuff, right? I wonder if the PPPoe/WinPoet stuff is hidden in there?)

Nope. For one thing, it told me my 333mhz processor was too slow to run it.


And I'm definitely past the service date, or I couldn't be typing this on the 'Net right now. The Ethernet light on the DSL Modem is lit, and the load speed for web pages is much quicker. I'm puzzled by why I can't access some pages that I used to be able to get to via dialup, but that's a later issue.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Oh for cryin' out loud. I thought I'd try updating the firmware, and so I restarted the whole installation and did that. Lo and behold, it seems to work.

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. Now has anyone got a clue why certain websites (they're clean, I promise!) are inaccessible? Somebody with Verizon DSL go try this blog and see if it works for you, willya?

[adrian]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Somebody with Verizon DSL go try this blog and see if it works for you, willya?

Nope, it doesn't work for me (using Verizon DSL) w/ linksys router.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Well, that's very strange, but somewhat reassuring at the same time. It's a damned monthly magazine. It hasn't suddenly gone out of business. So I wonder if something is going on with Verizon connections to that IP or something. It's the only site of all my usual ones that I have had trouble seeing since the switch to DSL. I could always get to it (slowly) with dialup.

Thanks. Anyone else, feel free to try; it would be interesting to see if others can get through to it.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

I'm on Road Runner, and I can't get to that site either.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Fascinating. Thanks, Glen. I think I'll fire off an e-mail to them, although somebody's able to read him, since one of his posts showed up today on the DCCC's clip they send to blogs.

Huh. Thanks again. Everybody who feels like it, keep trying. Let's see how bad this is.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Mystery solved, for those who care. It was a DNS problem at their end. Thanks for the attempts, folks; it made me feel better knowing that some weird setting in the h/w setup for DSL didn't block me from things.

[malia]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

I have been trying to decide between the two because with all the publishing I do from home for my students' websites, I spend hours online, and I always get the frustrated remarks from people the next day "I spent all night trying to call you, and your line was busy!"

Just before school was let out this year, Oceanic passed around a flyer advertising a "package" for Road Runner & Digital...all for just under $100. Like I can afford that, on a teacher's salary!!!

So I was looking into Verizon's offer of $29.95 a month. However, when I called, they couldn't help me with the setup I wanted. See, I have both a PC and a Mac at home that I would want to connect, and the Linksys router they send for wireless connections is not Mac-compatible.

Well, I was at CompUSA yesterday and I saw that they actually had routers that were both PC & Mac compatible. So I asked a salesman about if it would work with Verison's DSL service and instead got a non-answer as he went on to criticize my having a Macintosh in the first place. (He compared it to the Beta VCRs...the NERVE! hehe)

Anyway...you guys are much more friendlier than that associate so I'm hoping maybe someone here could answer that? I have an old PC (Compaq) that I inherited from my dad when he got his new one, and a G4 laptop. I use the laptop like 95% of the time...I only really use the PC to print or scan, since I don't have either for my Mac. So the Mac would be the primary thing I would want to be online with, since I do all my webstuff on there. However, when I see things online I need to print...I'll go on with the PC, so I would like the PC to have a connection too. Is there a way to perhaps get the DSL through my PC, buy one of those PC/Mac routers instead of Verizon's one, and then be able to access the DSL with my Mac?

And now that I think about it...would AirPort work with a PC modem for DSL? I do have an AirPort sitting here doing nothing. (It's not compatible with my ISP, so I can't use it for wireless now...unless I want to subscribe to AOL or something.)

Anyway...any kind of answer or suggestion would be extremely helpful.

Thanks!

[pzarquon]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Obviously, one of your mistakes was going to CompUSA. They sell Mac stuff, but not well, and with Apple running their own retail outlet two miles away, you can imagine why they might not try very hard to make you happy.

I'm no longer a Mac expert, so I'm sure someone here can give you better information (Mel?), but I find it odd that they say their wireless router is not Mac compatible. Don't all wireless devices speak the same flavor of 802.11b? Besides, I didn't know Verizon sent you a wireless router... I figured they offered a $99 rebate on certain routers you buy yourself up front. I would hope at least one of those eligible routers would work with a Mac.

And if not? Well, 802.11b wireless routers that are both Mac & PC compatible should work just fine, and they don't cost even $99 anymore. Rebate or no rebate, you could get one at CompUSA without a salesperson's help.

Besides, WiFi isn't the only way to go with your Mac (although having an Airport lying around unused is a tragedy!). Does your Mac have a plain vanilla Ethernet jack? You might be able to hook up your Mac the "old fashioned" wired way, since I thought things like DHCP and TCP/IP were standard protocols.

Remember, Oceanic technically charges you extra for having more than one PC on the line (although they can't really tell, and folks set up hubs/routers all the time). Even without that add-on charge, it's more expensive, and less consistent in terms of speed (between 7-10 p.m., surfing's much slower going than at 2 a.m.). And you'd still have to buy some kind of router...

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

I bought the D-Link 604 (shown on this page); the items on the page are all Mac-compatible, and I know for a fact that the 604 is PC-compatible, since I'm using it.

You can find some of these at Amazon if not at CompUSA, I'm sure.

[malia]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Thanks, Ryan and Link!

I didn't even think that the rebate could have been for any router, not just the one that Verizon provides! Duh! Although I did assume that since this one was not Mac-compatible, that maybe they all aren't. It wasn't until I was wandering around CompUSA the other day that I figured it out.

Here is the page I was looking at on Verizon's site that says, "Our wireless home network does not support Macintosh." It also said it here and here. The salesperson I talked to confirmed this. However, I had no idea to ask about other routers! hehe, thanks for letting me know! Now I can go get the clearance router I found for $39.99 at CompUSA! Woohoo!

My laptop does have an ethernet port, and that's fine with me if I can't do it wireless (I'm used to it since I'm tied to my phone line for my ISP). Would I just connect it to this and then when I want to connect it to the PC, unplug it from here and then plug it into the PC? And then switch back afterwards? That'd be fine with me too. (A lot less complicated then what I have to do to get digital pictures from my PC camera on to my Mac! hehe )

Watch I go through all of this and they tell me they can't service me! hehe (this happened to my sister--though she "pre-qualified" through the website check of phone number, and got the modem sent and hooked up and everything, the day that she was supposed to go live, she got an email saying sorry, you don't have the correct line.) Oh well!

Thanks again for your help!

[Linkmeister]

Re: Cable Modem v. DSL

Would I just connect it to this and then when I want to connect it to the PC, unplug it from here and then plug it into the PC? And then switch back afterwards? That'd be fine with me too.

I see no reason why that wouldn't work for Ethernet. I have two phone lines, one for home and one for work. For three years I've been switching the phone cords from jack-to-jack depending on which line I was gonna use for dial-up all day, and I never had any trouble (except maybe wear and tear on the plugs or jacks), so seems like you ought to be able to do the same thing.

On the other hand, of course, you're getting into networking, and the configs on the Mac and PC may get fussy; I just don't know.