Re: DSL support
"Tiffany S." wrote:
> > A LAN card (or NIC), is the most common way to connect to a
> > DSL modem.
>
> Okay, I'll buy one.
When you install it, based on what Franc posted, follow these
instructions:
You should see a "network neighborhood" icon on your desktop.
If yes, right-click on it, select properties.
You will see a list of items in a box. Slide the list down. Near the
bottom you should see something like "TCP/IP -> (ethernet device)"
where "(ethernet device)" will be your ethernet card. Select it, then
hit the Properties button. Another window will open.
There are a number of tabs across the top. It should open on a tab
called "IP address".
Click the radio button that says "Specify an IP address". Then in the
box called "IP Address" enter 192.168.1.123.
Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0
Click on the Gateway tab. If there is anything listed in "installed
gateways" then select it and remove it. Then in the New gateway box
enter 192.168.1.1. Then click the Add button.
Click the DNS configuration tab. Hit the radio button "Enable DNS".
Under host, enter some cute name, or just type the word "hello". In
the box "DNS server search order", enter 4.2.2.2 and hit add. Then
hit the "Bindings" tab.
You should have a check-box that says "client for microsoft
networks". Make sure there is a checkbox in that box.
Then hit the OK button. That should take you back to the Network
window. Hit the OK button on that window. Windows will want to
restart, so let it.
You should have access to the modem when your computer restarts
(assuming you have an ethernet cable connected between your modem and
ethernet card). Most ethernet cards have a few led's visible on the
back bracket of the card. One (or more) of them should be on or
flashing.
Open a browser and enter this address:
http://192.168.1.1
That should take you to the configuration interface of the modem. You
may be faced with having to provide login credentials at that point,
or you may automatically be given the ability to configure most
generic functions of it's router component, such as entering pppoe
login information. There will no doubt be other settings, which you
could post here if you want to know what they are and what they should
be set to.
> A LAN card is just another name for an ethernet card, right?
> My brother told me to buy a token ring card, but I think
> he was pulling my leg. He knows less about computers than
> I do.
He might have been serious, but you do NOT want a token ring card (but
no retailers would be selling them anyways these days - not for the
past 10 years).
> wizard before I plug it into the USB port. As I previously
> mentioned, the setup wizard does not work with Win98se.
As has already been mentioned (and which I would have also told you)
is that you would not have been able to find win-98 USB drivers for it
(or the search would not have been worth it compared to simply
installing an ethernet card).
> Someone told me that the setup wizard and driver are only
> necessary when connecting through the USB port, not the
> ethernet port. Do you agree?
Once you establish a connection to the modem via your ethernet card
(and the settings I gave you above) you will be configuring the modem
via a web browser like IE. Not a setup wizard or driver.
> > No, the LAN card drivers aren't going to activate
> > your DSL account.
>
> I was told that I can activate the account by phone.
It most likely has already been activated on your phone line. In
other words, there is now an ADSL service on your phone line. Your
modem will not connect to that service unless it knows the user ID and
password your ISP assigned to you. The modem will use that
information during the pppoe login process.
> The Tech Support department will not talk to me knowing
> that I have Win98. Hopefully the Activation department will.
You will not have to talk to them unless your modem is unable to
connect to your ISP's network. Possible reasons why your modem may
not be able to connect include:
- adsl service not yet provisioned on your phone line
- your phone line was erroneously listed as being able to
support ADSL
- your modem is not properly connected to your phone line,
or you have not installed line filters at the proper
points in your house's telephone wiring
- the user ID and password are incorrect, or you haven't entered
them properly into the modem's configuration settings
> I had read that part of the setup requires me to program my
> username and password into the modem. Does the NIC software
> do that?
No, you will do that via a web browser as mentioned above.
