[ale] Any experience w/D-Link wired DSL routers?

[Ronald Chmara]

On Dec 14, 2003, at 6:31 AM, John Mills wrote:
> ALErs -
> My son needs a simple DSL-ethernet firewall/router. It must run PPPoE 
> to
> Mindspring/Earthlink, serve DHCP to a couple of boxes in the house, and
> provide simple firewalling: ACCEPT outgoing and reply, DROP new 
> incoming.
> Zero to minimal software requirements for clients and setup.

NAT on the router should handle most of what your requirements are. 
Depending on the model, PPPoE may be a tad trickier (should say on the 
box).

> Wired router prices seem to be in free-fall this season, with D-Link's
> 4-porter at ~$19.99 ($39.99 - $20.00 [someday] D-Link rebate). I think 
> I
> saw LinkSys at around $50.00 at Radio shack, but I may misremember.
> Q1) What is the experience with D-Link, compared with LinkSys and SMC, 
> for
> example?

It's all cheap plastic crap, IME. *shrug*. It's not exactly supposed to 
be high end features, stability or security. They all vary, but nothing 
about any given brands have really stood out for me.

> OT:Q3) On another front, any recommendations where to seek Apple 
> expertise
> (iMac, MacOS, software, problem-solving)?

Asking here works. I've been a Mac systems geek since '84, and still 
use MacOS for my primary desktop to my *nix boxen. I was switching all 
my boxen to various *nix flavours until OS X.

I'm always up for a debate about various version of Open Transport, 
CyberDog/OpenDoc, and kexts vs System 6-9-ish Extensions, or simply 
explaining how the crippled CUPS in OS X works (no, I don't know why 
they didn't go with LPRng). I'm sure there may be a few more mac-savvy 
folks here. Just don't ask me "why does this performa suck" (because 
it's a perfoma!).

-Bop