Need Cable Modem Advice

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:01 am

I am sick of dial-up so I am upgrading. I need advice on what type of equipment I may need..I have a desktop computer and a Laptop and I would love to be able to have them both online at the same time.I don't need the desktop to be wireless but I would love the laaptop to be... what equipment will I need for this?Also my desktop is far away from where the TV is...any advice?I am guessing I need to buy a cable modem and a wireless card///

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:04 am

Who's your cable provider?I have OptimumTV, and they provide the cable modem free-to-use.They give you a setup kit too, with a ton of cable to run anywhere in the house.To go wireless, you would need a router (which would let you run a NI cable from the cable modem to the PC, and a second LAN cable from the cable modem to the WAP), a wireless access point, and a wireless NIC for your notebook PC...I recommend Cisco, NetGear, or 3Com...To avoid all that cable around the place, you might wanna get a wireless access card for the desktop too. Works the same, will keep you from having all that stray cable.

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:20 am

Ragingfish is right on for card recommendations. Let me just add that the simplest way to go is getting a WAP (wireless access point) and router all in one. Depending on the distance you'll need to go, I'd suggest the following models. For a shorter distance but an overall better router and easier initial setup, D-Link's DI-614+. For longer runs, but a little slower, Linksys BEFW11S4 version 4. If you go with the Linksys, I strongly advise that you get it up and running and follow the instructions to upgrade the firmware. You'll be happiest this way.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:21 am

Good call, forgot about the WAP/Router combos.But personally, I've never had a good experience with Linksys. Nothing but problems. D-Link I never used, so I can't say either way.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:31 am

Cable is good, but you might also consider DSL if it's available. Price both of them. I have two pc's, both of them sharing my DSL on a Linksys router and soon will be adding a laptop.I also need help, can't stop playing Counter Strike...

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:31 am

True, they're not the best. But choosing between Linky and Netgear I went with the lesser of two evils, at least as far as my personal experience. I just went through replacing my wireless router and the Netgear took me a full day to get working and even then it didn't work right. Of course I'm not running your average network so that may have a lot to do with it. Of the Linksys and the D-Link, I say go D-Link and get an external antenna if there are range issues. I had one for a long time and never had the speed and stability (speed fluctuation mainly) issues I'm experiencing with the Linksys and the Netgear. I did forget one brand and I'll mention right off the top that I've no personal experience, but Belkin does seem to get good ratings. They tend to be on the more expensive side however.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:42 am

That's interesting...I have a Netgear hub, and several NICs, all of which have worked trouble-free for at least 2 years now...But yeah, Cisco, 3Com, Belkin, Nortel (if they make it), D-Link, should all work out well for ya. Linksys, Netgear, are the more "budget" options...I hear Microsoft does wireless too, but unsure as to their reliability.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:51 am

I am sick of dial up also, but live in the boonies where I can;t get cable modem, DSL, ISDN, and the best the phone company can give me leaves me at speeds less than 28.8 (that's why I occaisonally sound off about folks who post really big pictures) The cable company says they will get around to upgrading my area, and I'll sign up the first day it's available.If you get a cable modem or any other always there high speed connection, set up a personal firewall like ZoneAlarm to keep the bad guys out. Also, if you go wireless, take the time to turn on encryption so that your neighbors (or anyone with a laptop driving by) can't bootleg your bandwidth. Please don't be one of those folks who lets the hackers use your systems to host spam relays, internet worms, or those distributed denial of service bots.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:52 am

We just got cable around here maybe a year ago, at most. Would NEVER go back either!

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 12:03 pm

quote: Also, if you go wireless, take the time to turn on encryption so that your neighbors (or anyone with a laptop driving by) can't bootleg your bandwidth. Good tip Joatmon. All of the major-brand routers have some form of firewall built in to them, but as an extra layer, the software isn't a bad idea. I quoted the above because some people may encounter an issue here. In my case, the number one problem I've had with all routers is an inability to run encryption. As I mentioned earlier, I'm running an odd network (specifically, 12 nodes with OS's ranging from Mac OSX to Linux). The problem is, as soon as I turned WEP (encryption) on I lost the ability to upload or download files with my Macs. Working with images and video, that made my life difficult at best. If I even attempted such a maneuver, the connection was immediately dropped. At any rate, further investigation yielded an incompatibility between the manufacturer's firmware, Wi-Fi cards, and most importantly, the implementation of WEP. This is something you'll want to be aware of Cibomatto. You're at the advantage in this case as usually having the card and router from the same manufacturer, this problem can be avoided. Might be something you wish to consider. This also brings me to my solution to my problem. I told my router not to broadcast its presence to the world (if you wish to do so, the instructions are in the manual). Also, I have the router restricted to only allow the interface cards I define onto my network. There are ways around this as well. WEP isn't entirely secure either. Something to keep in mind is that if you desire total security, nothing can beat good old-fashioned wires.

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:30 pm

*** my head is spinning..*** I am printing this off though and going to Bestbuy to price some of these equipment...Seems like going completely wireless is the route for me .. Thanks so much for your help guys....*what a GREAT awsome sight of helpful people

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:03 pm

I have Linksys, and have had no problem. Check with your cable company before buying a cable modem. Many cable companies give you the cable modem at no charge, or offer a rebate, when you get cable internet service.My setup is:Cable Modem----------------||Linksys Wireless Access Point/Switch -----> Wife's Desktop||----------> My Desktop (wired)||---------> Son's desktop (wireless)||------------> My laptop (wireless)Never a bit of trouble.

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 10:30 pm

quote:My setup is:Cable Modem----------------||Linksys Wireless Access Point/Switch -----> Wife's Desktop||----------> My Desktop (wired)||---------> Son's desktop (wireless)||------------> My laptop (wireless)Never a bit of trouble.does the "Linksys Wireless Access Point/Switch" provide connections to all of the computers in your house?cable modem---> Linksys----> all four PCs

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:22 pm

quote:does the "Linksys Wireless Access Point/Switch" provide connections to all of the computers in your house?cable modem---> Linksys----> all four PCsI can't speak for Esjones, but it should certainly be able to. I believe the Linksys is rated to 32 simultaneous connections through the wireless side.

ShotInTheDark · Post by **ShotInTheDark** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:20 am

Did I hear the word Counterstrike? I'm going to a LAN Event in Chantilly Va. It's 5v5 for 5000 bucks.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 3:07 am

quote:Did I hear the word Counterstrike? *nod*You just had to say that word, didn't you. I would like to bring it to work, but nothing would get done.

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 3:25 am

I previously had Charter Pipeline cable (well, still kinda have it) and am testing out DSL right now.I'm running Macs, and we have computers throughout the house - so we went for a fully wireless internet via Airport. It worked nice, but the Airport has been kinda spotty lately.I would highly suggest you check out DSL. For the same price it tends to be faster, and no need to worry about a router or anything. The modem that we have here is the 2wire one from SBC. It has a built in wireless antenna in it, so my laptop worked w/o using the airport through the modem, which eliminates the middleman :DIt works nicely, I am putting DSL into the house I am moving into for college this year, will keep things nice and simple.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:52 am

DSL always goes out in bad weather.

abe98gt · Post by **abe98gt** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 7:03 am

CS? IP?

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 9:26 am

quote:does the "Linksys Wireless Access Point/Switch" provide connections to all of the computers in your house?cable modem---> Linksys----> all four PCs YES! In fact, you can plug the wired connections into a hub, and expand even more! (I do this, but left it out for the sake of clarity.) I think the wireless side can support around a hundred or so wireless devices.

millster · Post by **millster** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 10:05 am

quote:I think the wireless side can support around a hundred or so wireless devices.The Linksys WAP11 and BEFW11S4 support 32 wireless nodes at maximum. I'm not sure I'd ever want to max one out though, that would put quite a limit on throughput!

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 11:26 am

I've had cable access for a few years now. (anyone remember @home???) Anyways, I've got network cable ran from the router at my computer in one end of the house to my wife's laptop we keep in the living room. Yes it was a P.I.A. snaking network cable through the walls and through the attic, but at the time I did this, wireless was just coming out and was slow, buggy, and VERY expensive. Prices have came way down, and speed has increased on wireless so if I had to do over, I'd go wireless.The package deal we have now, I'm supposedly at 1.5mb/sec, but you never see transfer rates that fast. I like the fact that with cable, you turn on your computer and you have immediate access, the computer doesn't have to "hook up" with your host on startup, and your computer doesn't need to run any program for the internet connection. I go through windows installs every few months it seems, and there's no software to load, or b.s. getting the connection going. Stick a paperclip into the reset switch on the modem and you're surfing Genvibe again.

ShotInTheDark · Post by **ShotInTheDark** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:03 am

I would give you the Ip of the server I play on but it's an east coast server and I don't think you'd enjoy the ping. I'm addicted to the warcraft 3 mod of counterstrike right now and anxiously await the release of condition zero and half life two. My clan competes in bout the CAL and Ogl leagues for both counterstrike and DOD.

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:37 am

I called linksysthey recommend based on what I told themDesktop-Wired or UnwiredLaptop- UnwiredThey recommended ..BEFW11S4 and WPC11

millster · Post by **millster** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:45 am

Sounds good. One more bit of advice. Make sure when you buy the router you the the BEFW11S4 v4. That's the latest revision of the device.

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 3:53 am

quote:Sounds good. One more bit of advice. Make sure when you buy the router you the the BEFW11S4 v4. That's the latest revision of the device. You read my mind.. that was my next question..

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 5:13 am

Thanks everyone for your input... I am finally now an official cable internet user.. WOO HOOO.. gosh it is FAST......

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Thu Aug 14, 2003 5:19 am

quote:Thanks everyone for your input... I am finally now an official cable internet user.. WOO HOOO.. gosh it is FAST......Welcome to broadband.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 9:53 am

I've come to the conclusion that my linksys router bites the hog! It drops my internet on the desktop and laptop by the minute. I unplugged the router from my desktop so that my cable is going straight to the desktop and its working beautifully. Now I've got now connection on my laptop though. I had been trying to download two programs all afternoon with no success, until I unhooked the router.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:01 am

Sputnik, do you have the latest firmware version. I have the BEFSR11 - EtherFastÂ® Cable/DSL Router.Firmware Date : 6/24/2003Firmware version 1.45.6Click here to start downloading the new firmware version 1.45.6.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:03 am

I have no idea... this whole wireless router stuff is very new to me... all I did was plug in my cable to it and then to my desktop.

VibeInTx · Post by **VibeInTx** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:06 am

I've had the opposite experience with Linksys vs. D-link that others are mentioning.I've used linksys routers (with an without wireless), for about 3 years, with no issues whatsoever. I use a VPN connection for work, and the support for it is transparent and flawless.On the other hand, I picked up a D-link 614+ to set up my Mom's new cable modem this weekend, and it sucked. There were frequent dropped connections, and the VPN didn't work unless it was manually configured for a single LAN IP address. After I did a direct swap with my Linksys router, the network worked flawlessly. In fact, I just got back from picking up a new Linksys router to replace the one running in my mom's house now (everything up and running in Based on the research I've done on the internet, my experience is not common, and most posts I have seen state that D-link and Linksys should perform similarly: I suspect that I got a defective unit. After 3 routers without problems, however, I'm a linksys man.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:07 am

What model No. Linksys router do you have?

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:08 am

quote:What model No. Linksys router do you have? I have BEFW11S4 ver 4

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:15 am

Follow this link and select your router to download the latest firmware. http://www.linksys.com/download/ Sometimes if you do a hard reset on your router, it will correct your problems.

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 11:56 am

Does the connection actually drop, in other words, does it actually say disconnected? If so, and you're running anything other than a Linksys network card, try disabling the encryption and see if that solves the problem. That's the only way I can get mine to work with some of my cards.

dmitri · Post by **dmitri** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 1:51 am

blah i hate home networking. My connection is all about speed, all for me. I used to have cable, but because of all the people on the cable network, it's ping times didnt make me happy, and i play unrealtournament and UT2k3 online. So, i got verizon DSL. A little less bandwith, but better pings.

millster · Post by **millster** » Mon Aug 18, 2003 1:56 am

Well, given the area I live in I don't think I have to worry about having too many people on my node. The main problem here is that all of the main networks are down in the valley and I'm up on the back side of the cliffs surrounding said valley. Our lines, both phone and cable are a mess of booster stations, splices and various other horrid things. DSL isn't even an option. I'm about a mile too far out and with all the amplifiers anyway...

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Tue Aug 19, 2003 11:48 am

after spending 2 and a half months in fairbanks for work, i got used to having a cable modem. wow! what a differnece to go back to dial up! i'm gonna have to upgrade right away!

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 6:39 am

quote:Does the connection actually drop, in other words, does it actually say disconnected? If so, and you're running anything other than a Linksys network card, try disabling the encryption and see if that solves the problem. That's the only way I can get mine to work with some of my cards.It says its still connected, but nothing online works. Its gotten much worse lately. I downloaded the firmware for it and when I run the program there and it tries to connect, it can't connect, so I can't actually upgrade. Also now when its going through the router neither the desktop nor the laptop connected wirelessly will connect to the internet. As soon as I run my cable back directly to the desktop and bypass the router it works fine. I give up... I think I'll have to take this POS back to Best Buy.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 6:44 am

Definitely sounds like you have a bad one. I haven't had any trouble with the wired side of things unless it's been the cable modem.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 6:45 am

Well now I'm just worried they won't take it back. We bought it almost two months ago.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 6:57 am

Ooh... yes, that could be a problem. If they won't, it's possible Linksys might be able to help you. If you want to deal with them that is.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:32 am

Nope they wouldn't take the router back. Didn't think there was much hope in it though. Maybe I'll get it back out of the box this weekend and see if there's anything I can do with it before going to Linksys. I really hate sending away stuff I've bought, to be fixed.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:48 am

If you don't mind reconfiguring all the settings, try holding the reset button for about 10 seconds with the unit powered up. This will kill all the settings and reset it to the factory defaults. Mine went crazy the other day when my cable company upgraded the modem firmware. I powered the router down and everything, still no go. Finall tried this and it worked... after I re-entered all of the settings of course. Might be worth a try though.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:54 am

No I don't have a problem reconfiguring. I didn't realize there was a reset on the router. Guess I never looked for it though.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:56 am

It's on the back somewhere. I don't recall right off hand, and I'm not real close to it at the moment. It requires a writing pen or some such object to poke it.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:02 am

The reset button must have worked - I've got the wireless router connected and so far this afternoon it hasn't dropped my connection. However, I used to have it so that I could access the shared files on the desktop computer, but now I can't do it. I'm not sure how to do it. I tried running the network connection wizard and that messed up my internet connection on the laptop.

millster · Post by **millster** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:46 am

Great! Let's see, a few questions to help out here.1) Does the desktop work on the net?2) Is the Desktop wired or wireless?3) If wired, does it plug directly into a port on the router or is it connected through another device?4) Does the laptop see the desktop and then fail to connect, or fail to see it at all?If it worked before, resetting the router config shouldn't have changed that. That's weird.

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 7:39 am

quote:Great! Let's see, a few questions to help out here.1) Does the desktop work on the net?2) Is the Desktop wired or wireless?3) If wired, does it plug directly into a port on the router or is it connected through another device?4) Does the laptop see the desktop and then fail to connect, or fail to see it at all?If it worked before, resetting the router config shouldn't have changed that. That's weird.The desktop does work on the net. It has a wired connection which is plugged directly into the router.The laptop doesn't see it at all as far as I can tell. The desktop computer has a name assigned to it and thats what I should see on my laptop when I look at my network places, right?