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Subject

Author

Date

Cable Newbie questions

IdaSpode

03-25-2005

Re: Cable Newbie questions

Elmo P. Shagnas ..

03-25-2005

Re: Cable Newbie questions

Joseph

03-25-2005

Re: Cable Newbie questions

$Bill

03-25-2005

Re: Cable Newbie questions

James Knott

03-25-2005

Posted by IdaSpode on March 25, 2005, 9:58 am

If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options

I'm about to drop my DSL service and go cable. I can either rent the
modem ($5/mo) from the provider or buy one. If I buy one, by what
criteria should I be judging the various modems?

Right now, I have our home network hardwired (1 desktop, 2 laptops).
My desktop has the DSL modem (internal), running the laptops off/thru
a Linksys 5 port "workgroup switch". The networked printer is hooked
up to my desktop via LPT1. We are all running the same version of XP.

We are considering going wireless. Would I be better off to go with a
wireless modem or wireless router and adapters? I'm asking from both
financial and performance/reliability standpoints. From a cursory
online search of Bad Buy/Jerkuit City, it looks like conventional
modem= $60-80, wireless = $130. I haven't begun to look at adapters
for the laptops. Any advice there?

Possibly stupid question: There is no need to have a wireless
connection on my desktop, can I hardwire the desktop off a regular
cable modem then the laptops off a wireless router and still keep the
printer networked via my desktop?

BTW, what are the technical differences between a router, a hub and a
switch?

DJ

Posted by Elmo P. Shagnasty on March 25, 2005, 1:10 pm

> I'm about to drop my DSL service and go cable. I can either rent the

> modem ($5/mo) from the provider or buy one. If I buy one, by what

> criteria should I be judging the various modems?

The "cable modem" is nothing more than a somewhat intelligent bridge.
It bridges between the coax cable and Ethernet, and does so according to
instructions given it by the cable company head end.

It does nothing more.

All you need to worry about is what specifications your cable company
require--that is, what level of DOCSIS your equipment needs to support.

Simply call your cable company and ask.

Any other criteria would simply have to do with how well the thing is
put together to do the single, simple job it has to do.

I bought a refurb, old stock 3com unit a couple of years ago; it does
DOCSIS 1.0, which is all my cable company requires. I paid $13 for it.
It's still working just fine. No, it doesn't have a web browser built
in; I don't need a web browser to look inside my cable modem. I know if
it's working or not without anything like that.

Don't spend a bunch of money on a cable modem.

Posted by Joseph on March 25, 2005, 4:07 pm

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 13:10:25 -0500, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"

>All you need to worry about is what specifications your cable company

>require--that is, what level of DOCSIS your equipment needs to support.

>Simply call your cable company and ask.

Also don't think you can just plug a modem in and it will work. The
kable kompany needs to know the mac address.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Posted by $Bill on March 25, 2005, 2:05 pm

IdaSpode wrote:

> I'm about to drop my DSL service and go cable. I can either rent the

> modem ($5/mo) from the provider or buy one. If I buy one, by what

> criteria should I be judging the various modems?

First you need to see what modems are supported by your ISP. If they
support the Motorola SB5100 get one of those.

> Right now, I have our home network hardwired (1 desktop, 2 laptops).

> My desktop has the DSL modem (internal), running the laptops off/thru

> a Linksys 5 port "workgroup switch". The networked printer is hooked

> up to my desktop via LPT1. We are all running the same version of XP.

> We are considering going wireless. Would I be better off to go with a

> wireless modem or wireless router and adapters? I'm asking from both

> financial and performance/reliability standpoints. From a cursory

> online search of Bad Buy/Jerkuit City, it looks like conventional

> modem= $60-80, wireless = $130. I haven't begun to look at adapters

> for the laptops. Any advice there?

I would stick to either Netgear or Linksys for all your gear. You
can get a wirelss router with 4-port switch which gives you the best
of both worlds for like $30 on sale with rebates. Similar deals are
available for adapters if you need one. Stick to one brand for
everything if at all possible. CompUSA, Circuit City and BestBuy
along with Office Depot, Officemax and Staples all have regular sales
on networking gear from Netgear and Linksys.

> Possibly stupid question: There is no need to have a wireless

> connection on my desktop, can I hardwire the desktop off a regular

> cable modem then the laptops off a wireless router and still keep the

> printer networked via my desktop?

You can hardwire the desktop off your wireless router - they come
with a 4-port switch.

> BTW, what are the technical differences between a router, a hub and a

> switch?

Google it - you don't need a separate hub or switch if you have a router
with built in switch (unless you need more than 4 devices connected).
Hubs are pretty much passe these days with switches being so cheap.

Posted by James Knott on March 25, 2005, 7:34 pm