Cable tomorrow=Questions

[Philip1952]

Thats the good news. The bad news it is @Home. But it is the only chance I have of broad band here. Now then
Of the @Home software. What do I need to install if any to make a cable connection. For now I won't be useing a router or hub. I will in a week or so.
So someone tell me the steps and or pitfalls I might be walking into with the soft ware. I have never done a cable hookup before.

[DutchMaster]

Which OS do you have? Win98?
Is it an USB modem or one which is connected with your network card?

That is if you want to do a manual configuration. You could also do the @home instalation which sets the network configuration for you.

[Philip1952]

I am on ME. I am not sure which modem I am getting. I hope not USB. I would prefer an cat5 modem hook up. I already have a nic in this computer.
I have three USB ports on this box. But two are used all the time. The third is only used if I am working on somes computer. I use a Belkin direct connet usb network setup.
I'll make sure they leave me a cat5 box.

[DutchMaster]

Setting up is easy, just use the @home install CD. I hope you get a cat5 modem. Somehow I don't trust the USB ones, but it is just a feeling

Owh if you want to use two NICs you have to get into the manual settings after all. The best way is to install with only one NIC (the one that hooks up the modem) and install the second one after the @home installation.

Cable modem is great but it makes your computer much vulnirable for hackattacks. Be sure to install a good firewall (sygate or zonealarm is freeware!!) and use antivirus autodetection. It saves you allot of problems.

[GroundZero3]

you do NOT need the software at all. its very very very simple. all you have to do is plug the modem in into your network card


right click on network neighborhood > properties> then click the identication tab. for computer name use the @home name you were giving. something like CXxxxxxx-a

and then in workgroup put @home

Simple

the software doesn't really do jack crap. they also give you a manual that even a 6 year old can read with other tips.


JaYsin

[DutchMaster]

Yep they use the same names overhere with the Dutch @home.

If you are in network neighborhood > properties> go to the configuration tab and check if the "TCP/IP protocol" is installed. You don't need other protocols like "netbeui" and "ipx/spx" so remove them.
Click on the "TCP/IP protocol"
select "Obtain an IP address automatically"
uncheck "Use DHCP for WINS resolution"
Disable DNS
Disable Gateway (no gateway)
Click OK (could be that you need the winME install CD and/or your NIC install disk)
Reboot and configure IE by using the connection wizard for "auto detect connection" for LAN

[Philip1952]

Thanks for the info.
I already have zone alarm installed. I have had it for 2 years.
I would like to do a manual setup. That way I know the steps to doing it. If I can't figure that out. Then I'll put in thier disk. I helped a guy setup one a while back. The @home disk he had installed a bunch of useless junk from what I could tell. Plus we still had to call tech support because it would connect.

[^hyd^]

right click on network neighborhood > properties> then click the identication tab. for computer name use the @home name you were giving. something like CXxxxxxx-a

and then in workgroup put @home

Perhaps it is different at your location, but I have never had to do this!! Been on Shaw@home for over 2 years now and as mentioned (by DutchMaster) all I have ever had to do was set it to obtain an IP address automatically in my Lan settings.

I have heard fo others having troubles after going from dialup to cable in which they had to fully remove any DialUp Setting Accounts in their "Internet Properties->Connections". But I think it was just because they still had the dialup account set as default...

Good luck!!

[DutchMaster]

Yes correct you have to go into the Internet Explorer settings too as I mentioned before. I don't know which version you have but basically you have to set it up to "internet via LAN connection", disable/remove proxysettings and something like automatically find or set connection. Don't know the exact words, my version is dutch and it is IE6.0.

[Philip1952]

I all ready knew about the IE reconfig. I have IE 5. So I'll see what happens later on this evening.
It took @home 2 years to setup this small town for cable access. Talk about a long 2 years. Cable company got tired of me calling them.
I will try all suggestions. Plus I'll let you know when I'm on line with it. Does this mean I can post faster. LOL Bad part is I can't type faster to go with the faster connection.

[DutchMaster]

Typing has to be in sync with the upload speed otherwise you will get CRC errors. with cable it means you have to type atleast 50 words per minute. With T1 you have to type 320 words per minute.

If you are one of the first you may enjoy very fast speeds this month. I have cable internet here since last year june. It was one of the first connections here in the neighbourhood. So I enjoyed maximal bandwidth the first month. But now more people have a connection so I have to share my bandwith with them
Still got a 230KBps average. It used to be the advertised 450KBps

[Philip1952]

Well I can make the 50 wpm's. I better stay away from a T1.
I'm going with DSL when the ISP's decide to kick it in here. THEY say that the lines need upgraded. But three people I know who work for the phone company tell me the lines in this town have been ready for DSL for 5 years. (These are line men also. Not office people). The ISP can't explain this one when I tell them that.

[Philip1952]

Well I'm up and running now. I couldn't get it to work thru the network properities. So I used @homes software. Worked then.
I went and checked my download speeds. I was getting 200K at first. Then did some repairs and went up to 400K. So I can live with that.
Its a lot better than the 50k I had before.
Now I have to find out what all these other programs wanting to access the internet.
tgfix.exe
exshell.exe
tbcmd.exe
finalset.exe

I have denied them access. So I must not need them. Time to head to google and do some searching.

[Cody]

Heh...
at least it's not

34.95 (Silver Package, 256k)
5.05 (Toshiba Cable Modem)
10.00 (Surcharge for not having their Cable Service, which is 50 per month for basic)
======
$50/month

Argh.

[Philip1952]

Here cable is $34.95 plus tv which for basic is $34.95.
Dialup was $24.95. Extra phone line was $17. a month. So the price comes out about the same for me.
I'll buy my modem. It is a 3com modem. USB or cat5 hookup.

[Philip1952]

Ok Next update.
I found out last night that something in the @Home software and my computer didn't play well together. I was getting lockups every 30 to 45 minutes. No BSOD's just hard lockups. Had to use the power button to get out of windows.
I have had this computer running and playing games for the last month with no lockups or BSOD's at all. So this morning @Home software went out the window. I got M$ to play right on networking now. I even noticed a increase in download speed with the removal of the @Home software. HHHMMM I wonder why.
Thanks for all the help.

[GroundZero3]

i told you not to install the software. gotta learn the hard way. its junk thats not even really related to use the cable modem

[Toadman]

Perhaps it is different at your location, but I have never had to do this!! Been on Shaw@home for over 2 years now and as mentioned (by DutchMaster) all I have ever had to do was set it to obtain an IP address automatically in my Lan settings.

Hyd, @home assigns a computer name and workgroup name to identify your account and x-ref to your IP. Some ISP's use the mac address of the cable modem, or assign just a fixed IP. Do you not have an assigned "CX" number for your computer name?
The @home install disk is gawdawful bloatware with a messy browser.

[Philip1952]

Yes they did give me a number. But for some reason it wouldn't take. After the lock ups last night and two this morning. I decided this was enough. So I uninstalled @Home soft way. Which took out all settings. Which I figured it would. Then I put everything back it. It work. I didn't do anything different from last night when it didn't work.
Your right there Toadman I clicked on the browser one time. After looking at the main page. Time to go back to IE.I didn't see anything that would inhance my surfing experiance.
Plus the extra tool bar it installed I hated. I only have a 17" monitor and it wanted some of it. No way.
I would like to have a 19" or 21" monitor. But it won't fit into my roll top desk.