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ADSL - what works out of the box?


Dutch
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Hi all,

 

I've read various threads talking about problems connecting to the Net using the Speedtouch USB modem in Linux, etc ....so the question I'd like to ask is - what is the best hardware to use for ADSL in Linux, if the speedtouch is so problematic?? For instance, what PCI cards/external hardware is recognised and works?

 

I haven't got the knowledge (or to be honest, the time) to mess about too much trying to make it work! :unsure: so is there anything out there that just works....? I can work inside my machine quite easily - its the software I have problems with!

 

Many thanks

 

D

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I choose to buy a combined router/switch/modem, which works really well with Linux Its got several advantages compared to getting a modem, most importantly being there are NO drivers. The device itself deals with the modem all you need to configure it is a web browser. Then jst set up a standar LAN connection, giving the IP address of the router as the gateway.

 

The other advantage of this approach is that I can have more than one mahcine accessing the internet at once, without having to mess around with connection sharing software. Plus you have all the normal advantages of having your machines networked (eg file sharing) and the router has a built in firewall.

 

The main disadvantage is cost. The router cost me about £65 and if my machine didn't have an intergrated network card I'd have had to buy one of those as well. Plus many ISPs will give you a modem, yet to see one giving out routers.

 

If you are interested here's the link to the one I've got:

http://www.cclcomputers.biz/specs/networkm...DSL504/spec.htm

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Any ethernet DSL modem....

 

not quite right... there are some bloody ethernet modems that do not work with linux because the source code is not available (e.g. many teledat ethernet-modems are only functional with window$. :angry: ). I experienced this the hard way.

A sure bet for linux is the LG LAM200E (cost about 80 €, sometimes you get it at discount prices of 45 €) although I had a problem with a rj-cable that didn't work... but that is (i think) a minor and rare production fault. It is also configured via web-browser. Quite simple to accomplish, even for untrained persons. :P

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thats the point they dont need the source code drivers etc. if they are an ethernet modem. In fact they are not modems at all they are ethernet-pppoe or pppoa bridges/routers.

 

by definition you need no drivers becuase the protocol is TCP/IP over ethernet just like to switch (which many do as well)

 

the only part you need software for is the configuration....

most (Belkin/Netgear/Dlink) have http configuarions where you just connect via ethernet after getting a dhcp address ...

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What I have done, is to put a 3Com Wireless DSL Gateway between my ADSL modem and my PC's. This way I don't have to worry about my ADSL modem, the 3Com-box takes care of that...

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oops forgot 3Com...

yep it seems you can get wireless for little extra incremental cost although you will need a PCI or PCMCIA card to make it work but it makes sense to buy a Wifi capable router if you half expect to use it.

 

All the major names are much the same IMHO so go for the deal.... you might get a PCMCIA card thrown in etc.

 

 

in all of these you basically just connect the box to the internet through its own setup and then you just use ethernet (and optionally wireless) to connect to the box.

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Here is my 2 cents:-

 

After trying various distro's to get my Allcatel USB speedtouch adsl modem working, i found that the simplest way to get it properly working was to do the following.

 

- Install Xandros 2.1 personal edition (free)

- get the latest driver from http://sourceforge.net/projects/speedtouch/ in tar.bz2 format

- get the firmware from http://www.speedtouch.com/dvrreg_lx.htm

- uncompress the drivers from http://sourceforge.net/projects/speedtouch/ then put the zip file (firmware) (still zipped) in the folder where you extracted the driver

- cd to directory

 

(think u have to be root 1st)

sh install.sh

 

- set your vcp vci numbers (ie uk is 0 38) username and password

- reboot

 

Your online!!

 

The rason that Mandrake 10 couldn't get online is due to the 2.6 kernel

- however check this site http://speedtouchconf.sourceforge.net/ they have just updated their driver which works in fedora core 2 and suse 9.1 (also has a free verison now) so should work with mandy 10

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Just to make 1 point clear - i am not activly trying to move people from Mandrake to other Distro's - i just reported on my experience with my USB adsl modem.

 

I shall check at some point if the new driver pack will work with Mandy 10.

 

- One last point - I love mandrake 10 - it crashes more than any other version of linux i have tried and it is quirky - but i use it as my main system - i'm sure that games run faster of Mandy 10 than any of the Distro's ii've tried

- Fedora core 2 - really didn't like it - have major problems with my Nvidia card

- Suse 9.1 (FREE edtion - it's just been realeased) - Came with a really easy option to install the Nvidia driver , but seemed half the speed of Mandy 10

- Xandros 2.1 (free edition) - this comes with the Nvidia driver already installed and is pretty quick - although still on the 2.4 kernel.

 

In mandy u just seem more free.

 

again my 2 cents

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Here is my 2 cents:-

 

After trying various distro's to get my Allcatel USB speedtouch adsl modem working, i found that the simplest way to get it properly working was to do the following.

 

- Install Xandros 2.1 personal edition (free)

- get the latest driver from http://sourceforge.net/projects/speedtouch/ in tar.bz2 format

- get the firmware from http://www.speedtouch.com/dvrreg_lx.htm

- uncompress the drivers from http://sourceforge.net/projects/speedtouch/ then put the zip file (firmware) (still zipped) in the folder where you extracted the driver

- cd to directory

 

(think u have to be root 1st)

sh install.sh

 

- set your vcp vci numbers (ie uk is 0 38) username and password

- reboot

 

Your online!!

 

The rason that Mandrake 10 couldn't get online is due to the 2.6 kernel

- however check this site http://speedtouchconf.sourceforge.net/ they have just updated their driver which works in fedora core 2 and suse 9.1 (also has a free verison now) so should work with mandy 10

yep or just throw away the usb modem....

 

using usb for networking is akin to using a wrench to knock in a nail...

(it works but if you have a hammer its easier)

 

but the main reason is after all the work you might go to getting it working and as soon as you try another distro or kernel or upgrade etc. it needs doing again.

 

this is what I hate most about linux, it drives me mad....

well it used to until I just decided only to buy natively supported hardware...

things like my linmodem in the laptop will either work or not I no longer waste time on them ...

 

I can install a linux distro in 15 mins as a minimum install but then spend forever just getting things like USB modems or stuff to work... if i have to compuile a new kernel to support some hardware I dont use it unless its forwards compatible...

 

i.e. if something will work with a vanilla 2.6 Id go from a 2.4 specially if the 2.4 needed patching BUT if the 2.6 needed patching I wouldnt bother unless it was _really_really_ something i need (like the nforce drivers)

 

this might sound a bit defeatist but it gives me longer to do other things in linux.. and try different distro's ... if each distro needs a custom kernel and patches then its less easy to try them....

 

so back to connecting to broadband....

ethernet modem ... all the way....

setup ... is usually set connection to NETWORK not (ADSL) allow dhcp and viola... your online...

 

reasons this rocks are:

you can do a netinstall for debian or gentoo... their is no messing about it will just work

you can plug in a laptop or a friends laptop, set it to DHCP and it will just work

the router can be an extra firewall, you can plug in a IP phone, you might use Wifi ...

 

you can also chain them with other devices like a cheap switch .. so your investment is more protected... and prices start from about £30 (I havent used this I'd go for Dlink/3com/belkin/netgear etc. (or actually draktek but they are slightly more)

http://www.dabs.com/uk/Search2/Product+Det...archphrase=ADSL

 

point is its about the price of a month or two ADSL access..

 

 

disadvantages

just cost....

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I have a speedtouch usb-modem (the greenish one) and Mandrake community and 9.2 also I believe configured it compeletey automatically for me. It even gave me a list of possible providers, so I didn't even have to type in my dns-settings ...

The only thing you have to do (except filling in the other settings) is go to the alcatel site and download the modemdriver. If you want I can give it to you and place it in "/usr/share/speedtouch".

 

It works for me anyway. The only problem from time to time I have is that when it ca't get connected at bootup an try to do a reconnection, it doesn't work .. but that has something to do with the configure-scripts, because I could do it before (but that was when I installed it manually myself I believe).

 

I removed the latest update for the modem(for support for the silver speedtouch) because it brole support for my greenish modem, but don't know for mandrake 10 official.

 

Anyway everything went automatically for me ....

 

I suppose when I have the possibility, I'll chose an ethernet-modem next time... it seems they are better supported and also better I suppose, sinc eit doesn't use usb (shared usb-system)... almthough I have no complaints for this modem under linux ..except the reconnection ... but that is a configure-thing I think (like mentionned ...)

Edited by Michel
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