Help me understand DSL (Join the fun!)
Dial up sucks, and even my parents are realizing that. So we'll be getting Earthlink DSL. Now I have wuite a few questions:
1) When we have DSL, can I plug my computer, via a CAT-5 cable, into ANY PHONE JACK IN THE HOUSE, and have internet?
2) We have wuite a few macs, and all of them should be able to have a DSL conncetion. How do I go about this? Do I need an ethernet hub to share the connection? Do I need multiple modems, one for each comp?
3) Do I even need a DSL modem? Or does the Ethernet card do the same thing?
4) Do I need a hub if I'm to see other computer's contents?
I am quite clueless on the subject, as you can see, and any clarification would be appreciated.
1) When we have DSL, can I plug my computer, via a CAT-5 cable, into ANY PHONE JACK IN THE HOUSE, and have internet?
2) We have wuite a few macs, and all of them should be able to have a DSL conncetion. How do I go about this? Do I need an ethernet hub to share the connection? Do I need multiple modems, one for each comp?
3) Do I even need a DSL modem? Or does the Ethernet card do the same thing?
4) Do I need a hub if I'm to see other computer's contents?
I am quite clueless on the subject, as you can see, and any clarification would be appreciated.
Comments
Originally posted by Placebo
Dial up sucks, and even my parents are realizing that. So we'll be getting Earthlink DSL. Now I have wuite a few questions:
1) When we have DSL, can I plug my computer, via a CAT-5 cable, into ANY PHONE JACK IN THE HOUSE, and have internet?
2) We have wuite a few macs, and all of them should be able to have a DSL conncetion. How do I go about this? Do I need an ethernet hub to share the connection? Do I need multiple modems, one for each comp?
3) Do I even need a DSL modem? Or does the Ethernet card do the same thing?
4) Do I need a hub if I'm to see other computer's contents?
I am quite clueless on the subject, as you can see, and any clarification would be appreciated.
Answers:
1) No, you cannot plug a CAT5/RJ45 cable into a phone jack in the first place, it's wider. The phone line that has the DSL on it is plugged into a DSL modem or router that is usually supplied free-of-charge from earthlink. It makes the connection to the DSL and gives you a RJ45 connection port to plug in your network port to using a patch cable.
2) To connect multiple computers to a DSL line you must have a network switch/hub. There are a couple ways of doing this. You can either buy a broadband router that has multiple ports on it (wired or wireless) or buy that AND a small switch and then plug the router into the switch. The router acts as your default gateway and can even act as a DHCP server and give your mac's (and pc's if the case applies) IP addresses so everyone can talk together and share the internet connection. Earthlink actually has a wireless bundle you can get straight from them if you'd like to give them a little extra money.
3) Yep, gotta have the modem, DSL comes in on a phone line, so it can't plug into your network card.
4) Yep, like I said a small switch/hub would give you a small peer-to-peer network whether or not you were going to share DSL or not. Just setup your appletalk and/or TCP/IP network stuff... I have no idea how to do the appletalk stuff. You'll have to use TCP/IP for the DSL router, that's all I know.
ME
These seem like strange questions for someone with 637 posts...
You'll need a DSL modem, a router, and a whole bunch of CAT-5 ethernet cabling. The router will log onto the internet and your computers will log onto the router.
My advice... find a computer guru to help you in person with the setup. It can be quite complicated unless you have experience with the technology.
Originally posted by dfiler
Is this the real placebo?
These seem like strange questions for someone with 637 posts...
You'll need a DSL modem, a router, and a whole bunch of CAT-5 ethernet cabling. The router will log onto the internet and your computers will log onto the router.
My advice... find a computer guru to help you in person with the setup. It can be quite complicated unless you have experience with the technology.
Quiet, you.
The reason I'm asking such newbie-esque questions is that I really haven't dealt with setting up DSL before. You wanna fight? Huh?
I've set up many local networks in my time, but not with shared internet.
Originally posted by Placebo
I've set up many local networks in my time, but not with shared internet.
Setup the LAN as normal, then use a spare ports on the hub/switch to connect a DSL router to.
Personally, i always recommend the ethernet DSL routers, as they can be anywhere on your LAN, but the USB ones have to be connected to a single computer running internet connection sharing.
Linksys?
but then again, you could use a hub if u were clever enough to telnet into the modem and turn on the built in dhcp server....
ok, nm on that one. my advice to you is to go and get a linksys 4 port cable/dsl router. i have one and they are very reliable and simple to use. i used to have a belkin, and loved it, however, after having it and its 2 replacements die on me (thank god for belkins great lifetime warranty) i bought the linksys.
the one im talking about can be found here.
Originally posted by Placebo
Earthlink says that if I pay an extra $10 a month (fat chance), every phone line in my house will be a DSL line. When I pay that, what am I actually getting?
Do you mean phone lines (as in different telephone numbers) or phone jacks (as in places to plug in a phone)?
Originally posted by ThunderPoit
ur confusing him again, its a router, not a hub
but then again, you could use a hub if u were clever enough to telnet into the modem and turn on the built in dhcp server...
Expand upon this!
edit: err, umm, cant see how i missed this, but the problem is that i dont seem to see a way to do NAT w/ this thing... so nm the whole dhcp server thing.
thats what i told you not to do
the 10$ fee is cuz earthlink dosent like the idea of you sharing ur connection, so they make u pay 10 extra so that u can do it w/ their permission. there is no technical reason that you cant do it w/o their permission, as there is virtually no way that they can tell.
Originally posted by spotcatbug
Do you mean phone lines (as in different telephone numbers) or phone jacks (as in places to plug in a phone)?
I mean jack. Sorry.
Originally posted by ThunderPoit
**smacks forhead**
thats what i told you not to do
the 10$ fee is cuz earthlink dosent like the idea of you sharing ur connection, so they make u pay 10 extra so that u can do it w/ their permission. there is no technical reason that you cant do it w/o their permission, as there is virtually no way that they can tell.
That's what I thought. So I can buy any Home PNA adapter, and be fine, right?