[ale] The 12 Q's of Chrismas (Cable-DSL Modem Shopping)

[Steve Long]

I have a friend who has a brand new Linksys for $50 if you want it.

I like Linksys, I have even gotten AOL DSL (isn't that an oxymoron?) to work
on it.

I have set up a Seimen router once uneventfully but it seemed to have less
functionality that the Linksys.

I also have noticed more firmware upgrades for the Linksys that the Seimens.
You really need to get the latest firmware update for any box you get.

The Linksys box is much more popular than the Seimans and therefore you
would get more support for it.

A network magazine a couple of months ago rated the security of the Linksys
box and rated it very high.  One of the features is logging.  You have to
download a program from Linksys to read the logs but you can do it.

Both models have VPN pass-through.  You have to open ports closed by default
on the Linksys.

If you are using a cable modem you will most likely be throttled to DSL
speed anyway and your speed for multiple systems will not be controlled by
anything you own.  Try to get your own cablemodem if you can so you control
it and not the cable co. Also, it's cheaper in the long run.

I have a Linksys connected a 10/100 switch and a 10baseT hub.  I don't
notice any slowness at all.  If you think that will happen, hook your system
directly and the rest of your network to another port.  Nobody will know but
you!

Also know that these boxes only connect to TCP\IP.  You would have to hook
up a hub\switch anyway if you wanted to use another protocol.
I have a couple of Win boxes using P2P on IPX\SPX so they can share files
between each other and not across the Internet.
My son like to play ArmyMenII and it works best with IPX\SPX.

At some point we will be going wireless and for $100 you can get a
connecting point that would connect to the network.  I would hope it does
other protocols than TCP\IP.

If you go to any kind of modem from any DSL or Cable modem system avoid the
USB modems like the plague.





----- Original Message -----
From: "fgz" <fzamenski at voyager.net>
To: ale at ale.org
To: <ale at ale.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 10:17 AM
Subject: [ale] The 12 Q's of Chrismas (Cable-DSL Modem Shopping)


> Good morning. Long post of lots of questions follows:
>
> In prep for a cable internet hookup later this month, I
> went on a 'fact-finding mission' at Best Buy and Circuit
> City. Linksys and Seimens<sp?> to look at these things.
> Linksys and Seimens<sp?> are the two predominant
> brands at these stores, with the former seeming to have
> the most favorable reviews I've read and heard. There
> were several models of each but the salespeople didn't
> have all the answers to my cable-n00b questions, so
> knowing ALE has some of the greatest IT minds around :),
> I'm asking for info.
>
> 1). Quick poll: Linksys, Seimens, or...?
>
> 2). VPNs come on some of these. Why should I care
> about VPN on a home LAN? Is there is a chance remote
> config of a SOHO LAN PC might get out on the internet?
>
> 3). Seimens mentioned 'VPN pass-through', for example,
> to my corporate VPN. What is that and why do I care
> since I run VPN client sw on my a local PC to get to
> the corp LAN from home now?
>
> 4). Do these distribute bandwidth fractionally to each
> device on the modem, or is it on-demand bandwidth? i.e.
> will the PC casually browsing the web get less overall
> bandwidth than the PC downing a 10MB file?
>
> 5). Can you truly hang a hub, or maybe more properly,
> a switch (and maybe even a wireless 11MB hub), from
> one of the modem ports, and expect to get an IP
> properly assigned to each PC off the hub/switch? Does
> the bandwidth get horribly cut at the hub/switch by
> doing this?
>
> 6). Specific to Linksys: I saw four (4) 4-port models
> at $59-$99, some with firmware VPN, firewall, AV, etc.
> What do I really need for a SOHO LAN, since all PCs
> have at least AV anyway? Allegedly the modem firewalls
> allow port monitoring and blocking etc, but I'm skeptical.
> Is it best practice to run a f/w PC in front of the cable
> modem, then DHCP out to the cable modem itself?
>
> 7). If these things are firmware (nobody knew), can
> they be flashed with an upgrade like a PC BIOS?
>
> 8). Which Linksys model(s) had the web-config utility
> vulnerability? Can it/those be flashed?
>
> 9). What is UPnP? Sounds like a Windows thing.
>
> 10). Some have PPPoE. Why, since dialup goes away? Or
> is this for direct serial connection over the internet?
>
> 11). Modem rent is $5.00/month, yet $99 purchases one.
> Payout is obvious, yet will purchasing yield a better
> quality product and if so, should I get it before the
> installer comes to avoid any MAC changing hassles later
> and billing snafu's when the cable co says I haven't
> returned their modem? Which brand?
>
> 12). Is there any chance that a purchased modem will
> be incompatible with their line sig? If so, what do I
> look for?
>
> The SOHO LAN will be a mixed environment of Linux,
> Win9x, Win2K, Solaris SPARC and i386, three french
> hens, two turtle doves, and a modem maybe under the
> xmas tree....
>
> All comments and suggestions appreciated, much
> thanks, and Merry Christmas!
>
> fgz
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale

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