Info for XAYD...Router???

[Kubie]

Xayd, This is the modem I have for DSL supplied by Pacbell. If I read this correctly, is the way to have a router?
http://www.alcatel.com/consumer/dsl/supfaqproto.htm#proto2


Carl

[Xayd]

Not that I know of Carl. The Efficient Networks models that were mentioned earlier actually are routers, they're different on the hardware side. They were just "stripped down" by Efficient because they couldn't make enough "modems" to supply all of their ISP customers.

Your modem is basically just a bridge between your computer and the DSLAM, a router can do many more things, such as firewalling, assigning IPs to all computers on a LAN, etc.

Some routers, but not all, can act as a PPPoE or PPPoA client, which is especially nice since you can then ditch the PPPoE software that telco gave ya. If there's a way to jimmy the one you have into a router, someone at the Dslreports forum has surely done it ;), but I haven't heard of it being done with your particular modem.

The Efficient Networks modems were a rare opportunity, and only an opportunity because Efficient actually made them that way.

Xayd

[Kubie]

Thanks Xayd. When I read the part about a "bridge" and always on, I thought that might be the key.
Haven't got the guts to try Raspppoe yet. Some of the inquiries at the dslreports tech forum gives me the idea that it isn't perfected yet.
Carl

[Xayd]

No, not perfected, but pretty close, especially in Win9x. I had a few minor problems with it in Win2k, but nothing above an annoyance of a failed connect every now and then, or a lost connection that required a reboot.

Xayd