Topic: ADSL Modem

[Tom Veitch]

Telstra Australia is droping the Cat5 ADSL Modem and is only going to supply with any new install a usb adsl modem

Can anyone surgest any other modems

Tom

[Jon Blakely]

Tom,

I use an Asus AAM6000EV dsl modem/nat router . It has been running non-stop for almost a year now with no problems. I have just written a script that gets the ip info from the router via snmp and updates my custom dyndns.org configuration. It is one of the cheaper adsl routers and as yet does not support pinholing but the firm is being updated regularly.
You probably also have the choice of Nokia m1122, these have had problems with power supplys, particularly here in NZ. Alcatel speedtouch pro is another good but expensive choice.
Whatever you look at make sure it has an ethernet output not usb.

Jon

[Charlie Brady]

Jon Blakely wrote:

> I use an Asus AAM6000EV dsl modem/nat router . It has been
> running non-stop for almost a year now with no problems. I
> have just written a script that gets the ip info from the
> router via snmp and updates my custom dyndns.org
> configuration.

You wouldn't need to do that if you had just an ADSL modem. The modem is likely to be less expensive as well.

> It is one of the cheaper adsl routers and as
> yet does not support pinholing but the firm is being updated
> regularly.

If you search these boards you'll find many reports of problems people have had correctly alligning the configuration of DSL routers and SME, but no such problems with ADSL modems.

Charlie

[Greg Zartman]

> You wouldn't need to do that if you had just an ADSL modem.
> The modem is likely to be less expensive as well.

This isn't entirely correct.  I'm not a ADSL guru by any means, but I do know that most, if not all, ADSL equipment are actually very simple routers.  In fact, I've talked with several vendor tech people (Qwest, Bell, and a few local guys) and they all refer to ADSL equipment as routers.    

My DSL router for example (a Cisco unit) can operate in several modes depending on what your ISP provides and how you want to setup your network.  When we first subscribed to the DSL service, we were running in a mode whereby the ISP functioned as our DHCP server.  As their user base grew and IP address became more of a commodity, they changed the mode that our DSL router operated under.  

> If you search these boards you'll find many reports of
> problems people have had correctly alligning the
> configuration of DSL routers and SME, but no such problems
> with ADSL modems.

Again,DSL really aren't modems, but routers.  Maybe their is the odd person that is having problems with internal DSL hardware, but I'm betting that most of folks with DSL problems have a service that does not provide static IP addresses.  

As an aside:  If you are getting DSL for the first time, request an external router/modem.  Makes life SO much easier.

Regards,

Greg

[DaveA]

I understand that Telstra will be providing me with an Alcatel USB modem.  How do I go connecting and configuring this on my SME 5.1.2 box?  SME talks about PPPoE using two network cards, but of course this modem uses a USB interface.  Will this modem work or do I need to get one with a Ethernet interface and install a second Network Card in my SME box? ....... DaveA

[Barry Rogers]

I would also like to know this...

[DaveA]

In the end, Telstra supplied me with an Alcatel Speedtouch home which had an Ethernet interface and this works beautifully.  Given that I don't need the E-mail functionality of SME, I've since switched to IPCop, which is an elegant, 26Mb distro, firewall solution utilising two NIC's in the box - works flawlessly and is very easy to administer.

DaveA