Topic: ADSL Alcatel speedtouch USB ADSL

[Andy Parkinson]

Can anyone tell me if I can get the Alcatel USB speedtouch modem to work with SME 5.1.2

[James Barber]

Hi,

I have been trying to find a solution to this problem for about 12 months. I didn't want to get ADSL until I could.

I assume you are living in the UK and have an ADSL connection supplied either directly or indirectly by BT. If you have one of the new DIY installs you are allowed to change your hardware ie the modem for something else, if you have had an engineer call out you are not allowed to change the modem. You porbably know all this already any way.

If you go to http://www.seg.co.uk, they can supply an ADSL Router that replaces your existing USB modem or they also supply an ADSL router that your USB modem plugs directly into, this is then connected to your Server via a Network card.

The 2 models are the

AR-601 (£139 + del + VAT) This unit replaces the USB modem, which you will not be allowed to do on the Engineer installed ADSL connection or

Vigor 2200USB (£169 + del + VAT) This uses the orginal modem so it is ok to use on all versions.

I have just purchased a Vigor Router but haven't received it yet. I'll let you know how it goes if you want.

[Andy Parkinson]

Thanks for the info James I didn't know all this.I am living in the UK My situation is that I am a network engineer and have been installing SME for a couple of customers and one of them already has an alcatel modem and wants a firewall installed. I know that you can download Linux drivers at http://www6.alcatel.com/products/productsummary.jhtml?_DARGS=%2Fcommon%2Fopg%2Fproducts%2Finclude%2Fproductbrief.jhtml_A&_DAV=%2Fx%2Fopgproduct%2FSpeed_Touch_USB.jhtml

but what i don't know is if I can use these with SME and if it will all work. If I can't get it to work then maybe i will use Smoothwall although I was hoping to have a file and print server as well as an email server all on the same machine. I do seem to remember that there might have been some issues with the Alcatel drivers for Linux or maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.

[James Barber]

Hi Andy,

Becuse E-smith does not , by default, support any DSL connection, except through ethernet you are limited.

I have now got the Vigor USB router, 'it does exactly what its says on the tin' but I cannot get the server to use it as its internet connection and work as a proxy as well. At present the Server and the 'clients' are all directly connected to the Router. I find this very annoying for security reasons but other than that it works brilliantly, even seems to increase the speed of the connection.

In your case, I know for certain that the Alcatel modem will work correctly with smoothwall. You could have 2 servers, Smoothwall for the firewall and E-smith behind it, doing everything else. It probably works out about the same as buying the Vigor Router (cost wise) but Smoothwalls Firewall capabilities will greatly exceed the Vigor's system.

If you do go for both, please let me know how you get on and how you get e-smith to correctly recognise Smoothwall as the Internet Gateway. It may help me to get my Vigor and E-smith server working the way I want them to.

Good luck

[Andy Sime]

I might add some info to this shortly. My brother-in-law is having e-smith installed into 3 of his depots and two of them have USB ADSL presentation. The guys doing the install have worked around the problem of getting Alcatels set up sweetly before, and said it didn't matter what presentation was provided.

I plan to go along and gather all the info I can. I'll post it here afterwards if people are interested, and the if install guys are happy to tell.

Andy