OT: Heading toward DSL Road; looking for directions

Fyron · #1 June 2nd, 2004, 07:54 PM

Quote:

I have the option of getting a USB modem or an Ethernet modem. Which is better?

Always avoid USB whenever possible (this applies to ALL hardware, not just modems). It is horribly slow and works much worse than dedicated ports for nearly all devices (the exception, of course, being devices that can only work through USB...). Ethernet is far, far faster than USB.

geoschmo · #2 June 2nd, 2004, 08:34 PM

What Fyron says about USB speed is mostly true, but isn't really so much of an issue when looking at a choice for a DSL modem. Ethernet is much faster, but both of them are faster then your DSL anyway. Ethernet isn't going to suck data through your phone lines any quicker. You would notice a difference between USB and Ethernet if you were comparing local area networks running flat out. But nobody hooks up LAN's using USB.

That being said, I can't really think of a good reason to go with USB over Ethernet, unless you just really are opposed to getting an ethernet card for your pc and have a USB port sitting there doing nothing. USB is slightly easier to setup, but today's ethernet isn't that hard either. Most of the cards are plug and play, and the software that loads the drivers is pretty much idiot proof. (Not that you'd need that Krsqk.

) And Ehternet does give you more flexibility down the road if you decide to setup more then one computer on your home network to share that DSL line.

[ June 02, 2004, 19:40: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Atrocities · #3 June 2nd, 2004, 11:01 PM

I am free of my chains and once again have escaped the dark age dungeons of modern day dial up. I am human once again..... I have DSL.

Captain Kwok · #4 June 2nd, 2004, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Atrocities:
I am free of my chains and once again have escaped the dark age dungeons of modern day dial up. I am human once again..... I have DSL.

Welcome back Atrocities.

David E. Gervais · #5 June 2nd, 2004, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Atrocities:
I am free of my chains and once again have escaped the dark age dungeons of modern day dial up. I am human once again..... I have DSL.

Yup he has DSL, allright, I was there (Online) when it happened. (I was probably the Last person he chatted with before making the switch)

but, compared to me his speed is lacking,...

I'll let AT post his results. And I'm anxious to see others.

Want to compare your DSL speed? go here..

DSL SpeedTest

..and post your results. (be sure to choose ADSL as you connection speed.

Here are my results..

Communications: 2.6 megabits/sec
Storage: 319.6 kilobytes/sec
1Mb Download: 3.2 secs
Speed result: Great!

FYI I'm twice the average speed of DSL in Quebec, and almost twice the speed of a T-1 line.

Cheers!

[ June 02, 2004, 22:12: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

Krsqk · #6 June 21st, 2004, 09:04 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I did get DSL, and I do have a router. My new situation is this: DSL works fine connected directly to the computer. The router works fine for home networking. The DSL connection is not recognized when the modem is run through the router's Internet port. Right now, of all things, I have the modem hooked up to the third standard port on the router, and the connection works. Is this okay? I can't see the firewall and packet filtering portions of the router functioning when the modem is treated as part of a LAN, as it seems this setup would do. Any ideas?

geoschmo · #7 June 21st, 2004, 09:25 PM

Is the internet port on the router bad? Can you get one that works?

I agree with you that it doesn't seem like your router firewall is going to do anything with the setup the way you have it now. You'd need a software firewall on every pc on the lan if you are going ot leave it like this.