[oclug]Newbie with an ISP question

[Kevin McLauchlan]

On Tuesday 14 January 2003 21:42, Scott Rollins wrote:

[...]
> My cable company doesn't offer Internet access,
> so DSL looks like it: any suggestions on
> providers, especially since I'll be using an OS
> connected neither to Redmond nor to fruit. 
> Especially if they're backed up with some
> personal experience?

If you haven't already blown the budget, why not 
purchase a D-Link or Linksys (or similar) residential 
router?  Costs a little over a hundred bucks at any 
local computer store, for a 4-port model. (Don't get 
just a hub -- which is well under a hundred bucks. 
You want hub-gateway or router, 
equivalent to the D-Link DI-704  (I'm not familiar 
with LinkSys model names, but they're just as good 
and just as inexpensive)).

With that, you don't need any pppoe software running 
in either of your computers, and you don't need to 
have one computer act as the router or gateway.
Instead, you connect the computers to the D-Link 
(or whatever) and connect the D-Link (or whatever) 
to the DSL modem.

You use your favorite browser to connect to the D-Link 
box's internal home page (at http://192.168.0.1) and you 
enter your ISP's address and turn on PPPOE (which the 
box already knows how to do). That's it. 
You are in business, connected. 

By default, all inbound ports are closed, and do not 
respond, so portscanners see nothing to interest them.
If you want to learn to set up your own firewall and other 
security, you can do it at your leisure, knowing that the 
D-Link (or whatever) is keeping you fairly safe, while you 
sort yourself out and give careful consideration to opening 
and safeguarding any potential vulnerabilities.

At most, you'll need a $15 ethernet card for each computer.
As well, you won't need to do any configuration, nor worry about 
software and setup help from the ISP.  It'll all just work.

Check out "Trailing Edge" for bargain-priced cards and 
stuff.

My arrangement works perfectly with Magma, and friends 
of mine had equally easy setup with Sympatico.

If you later add a third computer (or bring home a company 
laptop), well you still have two more ethernet jacks on the 
D-Link (or LinkSys, or whatever).  It's solid, dependable, 
quiet, has a small physical footprint, and sucks far less 
electricity than a computer being used as a router.

On the downside, you are not forced to learn as much 
about network configuration and routing.

Something to consider, instead of doing everything by hand.

As for providers, I've had only good and friendly service from 
Magma. In eastern  and southern Ontario, if you can get 
Sympatico High Speed, you can get Magma High Speed.

/kevin