Input on New Network with DSL

Quote from LeeD:

You are welcome!

If you haven't got the router working yet, you probably need to contact the internet provider and ask them what settings they require. Performance is pretty much driven by the provider (and the length and quality of the cable). The modem is set up just to ensure compatibility.

If you use WiFi, set the encryption to the most complex. Usually this will be WPA2. Some access points allow downgrading encryption if the connecting device doesn't support it. Encryption is as good as the weakest encryption allowed. So, just set it explicitly to one supported by all devices. You can "obscure PSK" but this will make connecting a new device to the network a little more difficult. The user will have to enter the network name manually rather than select it from the list. Some WiFi devices can check all wirelessly connected computers against a list of accepted MAC addresses. This is an extra hurdle for a naive intruder.

Most modems allow changing their MAC address and in particular cloning the MAC address of one of the connected computers. (This is the MAC address ISP sees when the modem connects to the interrnet.) This is one of the things you'd already know if you needed it. For exmaple, it may be a requirement of the internet provider.

It is possible to forward some or, in fact, all portd from the modem to one of the computers connected to the network. It's not required for typical home or business use and is in fact a security risk. You'd need to do it only if you are duing something special like running a Web-server on your network.

Thanks for the WiFi input, as that will be something I deal with very soon. Since my provider tacks on another $5 or $10 per month, if you want to run it from their equipment, I am just going to buy my own access point and run with that most likely. I don't want to hook up a wireless router to the DSL modem/router, because sometimes in my experiences I have see where hardware does not play nice together and it potentially negatively impacts the overall speed quality of the network.
 
Quote from DeltaSpread:

How exciting, the DSL modem is in fact a router. I have 4 RJ45 sockets. However 1 of them is labeled LAN/WAN. Can I still connect a computer specifically to this port or not? What else could I use this LAN/WAN socket for since I do not need to hook up a router to the modem now?

Not sure. Need to refer to the user manual. What make/model do you have?

Is it indeed a RJ45 but not RJ11? RJ11 is narrower. Phone cords use RJ11. That's where the DSL hook up should go.


Quote from DeltaSpread:


.....
But now I am curious, since my modem does support ADSL2, whether or not that is the actual infrastructure that is being run from my provider. I am going to ask.

Not sure what you were asking. The DSL service provider divides their throughput into some 0.75Mbps chunks. The more chunks you have, the higher the speed (and you pay more). Their equipment will know to multiplex all the signals for the subscriber.
 
Quote from DeltaSpread:

How exciting, the DSL modem is in fact a router. I have 4 RJ45 sockets. However 1 of them is labeled LAN/WAN. Can I still connect a computer specifically to this port or not? What else could I use this LAN/WAN socket for since I do not need to hook up a router to the modem now?
I understand you connect to the internet via the phone line, not a dedicated cable. Then you need ADSL modem.

Double-check that your "modem" actually says "modem" on the box. A device with a "WAN" connector is usually a router which you are supposed to plug into a separate modem, it doesn't have a built-in modem.
 
The 2701HG-B has two WAN input ports to go to the phone-line. One RJ-11 and one RJ-45. Both are for ADSL connection, but only one can be used at a time. Some DSL providers have a phone-line converter/filter/splitter box that outputs an RJ-45 socket. Not sure why.

Here's a simple set-up guide: http://www.server-servers.com/att-dsl-2wire-2700hg-b-router-setup

And setting up the wireless: http://support.2wire.com/?page=view&article=60

As others mentioned, don't bother with the WiFi as speeds achieved are seldom over 40% of the maximum bandwidth (due to duplexing, errors and re-transmits). This unit has numerous complaints about the bad WiFi performance. So if you really want to use WiFi, set it up as a modem-only and disable the built-in router and use your own wireless router.

The Linksys router, depending upon model, will have QoS that you can configure so that bandwidth-hungry apps like streaming-video and bittorents are allocated lower-priority than your data-feeds and VoIP. It may also be upgradable to much better firmware: http://www.dd-wrt.com . Which has QoS settings based upon IP, MAC or L7-applications (best).
 
Quote from DannoXYZ:

The 2701HG-B has two WAN input ports to go to the phone-line. One RJ-11 and one RJ-45. Both are for ADSL connection, but only one can be used at a time. Some DSL providers have a phone-line converter/filter/splitter box that outputs an RJ-45 socket. Not sure why.

Here's a simple set-up guide: http://www.server-servers.com/att-dsl-2wire-2700hg-b-router-setup

And setting up the wireless: http://support.2wire.com/?page=view&article=60

As others mentioned, don't bother with the WiFi as speeds achieved are seldom over 40% of the maximum bandwidth (due to duplexing, errors and re-transmits). This unit has numerous complaints about the bad WiFi performance. So if you really want to use WiFi, set it up as a modem-only and disable the built-in router and use your own wireless router.

The Linksys router, depending upon model, will have QoS that you can configure so that bandwidth-hungry apps like streaming-video and bittorents are allocated lower-priority than your data-feeds and VoIP. It may also be upgradable to much better firmware: http://www.dd-wrt.com . Which has QoS settings based upon IP, MAC or L7-applications (best).

While I don't use all of the features I use Paracloud Tomato on Lynksis and am very happy with it.
 
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