It's history, the broadband routers were firstly Ethernet based, it is only recently when ADSL suddenly became available that the systems became available to go with it, and most prefer to covert what is already there.
As you said, changing horses in mid-stream....
Interesting to note FWIW that 3Com/USRobotics started selling ADSL stuff in
1999, but had decided to discontinue the ADSL range of equipment in 2001, either because they saw wireless interconnectivity coming or because cable was seen as the preferred option for this traffic.
Peter
-- Peter & Rita Forbes snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Engine pages for preservation info:
It's slack terminology. On the box for mine it says "4 port router with built in Annexe A ADSL modem" This isn't strictly right either because AFAIK there is no MODulating or DEModulating going on with ADSL, but still...
"Routers" have been around for years, and are generally understood to be an ethernet device. Peter's is one of these, and cannot connect directly to an ADSL line. Likewise I have had one for some time (in fact it's a network "switch" but functionally it's a router) connecting the various computers on my network, but I still needed an ADSL "modem" to connect to the internet. It happens to have a router and a firewall in the same box.
The grumpy BT man who came a few weeks ago seems to have left his modem/router behind, (found it in a corner 3 days later!) though I do remember him muttering something about it being on the blink. Supposing it's OK, is it something I could use? Labelled BT model
5861, it has 4 ethernet sockets, one labelled DSL, & one labelled CONSOLE, plus a mains input. I use a USB ADSL modem at present, but have wondered about connecting the other 3 computers in the house together. Given the unimpressive service the combined forces of Onetel & BT have provided, I'm not rushing to send it back to them, though it's still here if they wish to collect it...
S'not my terminology, that's what it says on the box. All I'm trying to say is that an ordinary router is no use for ADSL on its own, and there is technically no such thing as an "ADSL router".
"ADSL modem" is sort-of-right, and in common use, because it performs the same function as a dialup modem. The confusion arises because "modem" seems to be becoming a generic term rather than an acronym. Many years ago I was involved with units known as line drivers which some people referred to as "modems" for the same reason, although they didn't mod/dem either. (Gandalf LDS120 if anyone remembers them).
I just did a quick google websearch and found some stuff on it. Manual at:
formatting link
CONSOLE is a serial port for setting it up.
If you plug it in, connect one of the ethernet ports to your network, start a browser and type http://192.168.254.254:80 into the address bar you should be able to communicate with the beast. Not sure if it has an integral ADSL modem or not, the manual should help.
Speaking of computer set-up, this came across my desk today.
Apologies if too off-topic.
Dan |>))
WORTH READING
What follows is a superb example of British humour in A LETTER THAT WAS TRULY WRITTEN AND SENT. The piece suggests two things:
(1) Americans and Canadians are not the only ones who get poor service from their ISP, cable and/or alarm companies. (NTL is a cable operator in Britain.)
(2) The Brits probably write the world's best letters of complaint.
Dear Cretins:
I have been an NTL customer since 09th July 2001, when I signed up for your four-in-one deal for cable TV, cable modem, telephone, and alarm monitoring.
During this three-month period I have encountered inadequacy of service which I had not previously considered possible, as well as ignorance and stupidity of monolithic proportions. Please allow me to provide specific details, so that you can either pursue your professional prerogative and seek to rectify these difficulties -- or more likely (I suspect), so that you can have some entertaining reading material as you while away the working day smoking B&H and drinking vendor-coffee on the bog in your office.
My initial installation was cancelled without warning, resulting in my spending an entire Saturday sitting on my fat arse waiting for your technician to arrive. When he did not arrive, I spent a further 57 minutes listening to your infuriating hold music, and the even more annoying Scottish robot woman telling me to look at your helpful website.
I alleviated the boredom by playing with my testicles for a few minutes
-- an activity at which you are no doubt both familiar and highly adept. The rescheduled installation then took place some two weeks later, although the technician did forget to bring a number of vital tools -- such as a drill-bit, and his cerebrum.
Two weeks later, my cable modem had still not arrived. After 15 telephone calls over four weeks my modem arrived, six weeks after I had requested it -- and begun to pay for it. I estimate your internet server's downtime is roughly 35% -- the hours between about 6 pm and midnight, Monday through Friday, and most of the weekend. I am still waiting for my telephone connection.
I have made nine calls on my mobile to your no-help line, and have been unhelpfully transferred to a variety of disinterested individuals who are, it seems, also highly skilled bollock jugglers. I have been informed that a telephone line is available (and someone will call me back); that I will be transferred to someone who knows whether or not a telephone line is available (and then been cut off); that I will be transferred to someone (and then been redirected to an answering machine informing me that your office is closed); that I will be transferred to someone and then been redirected to the irritating Scottish robot woman. And several other variations on this theme.
Doubtless you are no longer reading this letter, as you have at least a thousand other dissatisfied customers to ignore, and also another one of those crucially important testicle moments to attend to.
Frankly I don't care. It's far more satisfying as a customer to voice my frustrations in print than to shout them at your unending hold music. Forgive me, therefore, if I continue. So worth the read!!!
I thought British Telecom was shit; that they had attained the Holy Grail of god-awful customer relations; and that no one, anywhere, ever, could be more disinterested, less helpful or more obstructive to delivering service to their customers. That's why I chose NTL, and because, well, there isn't anyone else, is there?
How surprised I therefore was, when I discovered to my considerable dissatisfaction and disappointment what a useless shower of bastards you truly are. BT -- wankers though they are -- shine like brilliant beacons of success in the filthy mire of your seemingly limitless inadequacy.
Suffice to say that I have now given up on my futile and foolhardy quest to receive any kind of service from you. I suggest that you cease any potential future attempts to extort payment from me for the services which you have so pointedly and catastrophically failed to deliver. Any such activity will be greeted initially with hilarity and disbelief and will quickly be replaced by derision, and even perhaps bemused rage.
I enclose two small deposits, selected with great care from my cat's litter tray, as an expression of my utter and complete contempt for both you and your pointless company. I sincerely hope that they have not become desiccated during transit -- they were satisfyingly moist at the time of posting, and I would feel considerable disappointment if you did not experience both their rich aroma and delicate texture. Consider them the very embodiment of my feelings towards NTL, and its worthless employees.
Have a nice day. May it be the last in your miserable short lives, you irritatingly incompetent and infuriatingly unhelpful bunch of twits.
I do think this was a little over the top. After all NTHell's downtime is normally only 25% Unless it's the evening I want to place an order on line for a computer upgrade, when it's 100% for 12 hours.
Whoopee. We've just been told we're getting broadband from Feb, 'tho apparently at crippled speeds.
In the wonderful ways of BT, they advise us of many "money-saving" offers, which have to be exercised in December, & must be activated with connection by 22 Jan or somesuch. Doesn't fit their cutover schedule!
Excuse the total ignorance, but once broadband is established in an area by BT mods to exchanges, is there automatically a range of potential suppliers, or is "BT + others" only if you are lucky?
However, I see everything is cheaper on eBay. I want to build a part- LAN, part wireless network to connect up the workshop, garage, loft, study, daughter's annexe, hammock, future pool room etc. I don't want to be limited by telephone socket connectivity -- nor by BT hardware choices.
If anyone has done this, & can recommend suitable not-BT hardware or give pointers to advice, I'd be grateful.
|Whoopee. We've just been told we're getting broadband from Feb, |'tho apparently at crippled speeds. | |In the wonderful ways of BT, they advise us of many "money-saving" |offers, which have to be exercised in December, & must be activated |with connection by 22 Jan or somesuch. Doesn't fit their cutover |schedule! | |Excuse the total ignorance, but once broadband is established in an |area by BT mods to exchanges, is there automatically a range of |potential suppliers, or is "BT + others" only if you are lucky? | |However, I see everything is cheaper on eBay. I want to build a part- |LAN, part wireless network to connect up the workshop, garage, loft, |study, daughter's annexe, hammock, future pool room etc. I don't want |to be limited by telephone socket connectivity -- nor by BT hardware |choices. | |If anyone has done this, & can recommend suitable not-BT hardware or |give pointers to advice, I'd be grateful.
From my experience - mostly good, I must say - with Telewest, it appears that they sell area franchises (although I'd obviously stand to be corrected) and if it's been sold to BT on your area, lucky you!
I've had some minor difficulty with my Broadband connection twice. Both times I got a human service engineer on the end of a telephone line within a few minutes during normal business hours free of charge. He knew his stuff and fixed it with me on line. From his questions, it was obvious that he could see his end of my connection, but there appeared to be no intrusive twiddling - unless, of course, he was a very clever man as I was just waiting for him to "know too much" !
will replace the BT one cost about £48 with an 4 x RJ45 connection to attach to the network. You would then not need the router as it will do that for you as well..... they used to do a single port one for £26.....
I personally wouldnt touch BT ADSL again as it was rubbish for me. Have gone to Freeola, same wires etc but much quicker and more relable and only £21 including a fixed IP address.
We already have the network set up, otherwise we may have looked out for Wi-fi rather than a cable solution, but whatever, we are almost there now :-))
Kind regards,
Peter
Peter Forbes Prepair Ltd Luton, UK email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk home: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk
Once you have a BB exchange within 6km (512k service) or 3.5 km (1Mb service) you can go with any BB provider AFAIK.
Have a look at the SMC 7404 BRA, or the wireless version SMC 404 WBRA on
formatting link
. I use a 7404 and it works fine. Includes a hardware firewall which is essential. I didn't go for the wireless version because I'm thinking of getting a USR WAP which works at 54M but will do 100M to compatible kit. Of course even the cheapest 11M wireless kit is faster than the ADSL connection; I do daft things like video-over-IP across my network.
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