Internet service proviers?

[wildmaninal]

Re: Internet service proviers?

Not trying to take over the thread but get this. I Charter ran a DSL line up our road, but guess what the service was ran for the school over on the next road and the school only. My cousin is supposed to be having a line put in on there long drive way, once this pans out I am going to see how much it cost and what the service is like. Then go and see about having a line put in for us.
I understand that you can buy the equipment for cable internet, I don't know if I want to get stuck with the equipment if I decide to do away with the service in the futer. I read the small print on the service options and it had a fee for every device needed (modem, router, etc etc), every computer that will be using the internet and all that mess. Even if you had the equipment they are still going to charge for the services being ran to the computer. Right now I don't half to worry about extra fees, just got to deal with the dial up, witch I'm happy that we even have that.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Internet service proviers?

I understand that you can buy the equipment for cable internet, I don't know if I want to get stuck with the equipment if I decide to do away with the service in the futer. I read the small print on the service options and it had a fee for every device needed (modem, router, etc etc), every computer that will be using the internet and all that mess. Even if you had the equipment they are still going to charge for the services being ran to the computer. Right now I don't half to worry about extra fees, just got to deal with the dial up, witch I'm happy that we even have that.

Not correct. I have them both, cable modem and dsl. Actually, I am AT&T DSL tech support for the AT&T technicians.
You get their modem, whatever is dsl or cable dls, then buy a router which you can find as cheap as $20.00. If you want wireless service you can get a wireless router, they start about 10 dollar higher that the wired but they are worth it. The company does not know how many pc's you have connected because your router use pat ( port address translation), a lot of routers advertised they have nat but that is no accurate.
To the ISP it looks like one pc since their moden only interface with your router. Your router does the work to route the communications from the modem to each pc.
As any provider, the cable company is trying to bill you for stuff you dont have to pay.
Also, If anyone uses a wireless system (wifi), make sure you use WPA as your encryption method, use the highest encryption and use the largest amount of characters allowed for the passkey making sure there are few if any real words. I am amazed at the amount of people that uses no encryption at all. Some use WEP, which is better than nothing, but when I am doing wireless penetration testing the WEP hardly takes over 30 minutes to break. If you dont use the wifi then dissable it.

Good luck..

 

[arboldt]

Re: Internet service proviers?

Wait a miniute... If you already have your PCs networked together, then you already have either a router or a hub. Either one will work ok, although routers have many advantages.

Think of it this way -- There is this huge network outside you house, and you connect to it using a modem to your ISP. Inside your home, you connect your own network to that modem, with each PC as a part of that network.

A few years ago, having a router handle your home network was considered a hardware firewall (not quibbling about fine points here) because it presented just one device to the external network. BTW - the bad guys have gotten SO much better so be sure to have a software firewall and antivirus program on EACH PC, too.

Different modems convert signal from cable, DSL, analog phone, satellite, etc. The kind, quality, and price of service varies greatly from one area to another. Around here, the cable companies seem to price-gouge a lot. Other areas, the phone companies (i.e. DSL) do that. Less populated areas may not have all the choices available. Best thing to do is talk to your friends and neighbors about what they have, how much they pay, and do they like it.

Around here, I can get DSL for $20-$30/month; cable is $40-$60/month. Dial-up is $10-$15/month, so it just doesn't make sense for me to use dial-up when DSL is just a little more.

Package deals can make a difference. For my mom, the phone company in her area offered a package of deluxe phone service, DSL, and digital TV for less than what she's paying for phone, cable TV, and dial-up ISP. Unfortunately, the digital TV was available in her neighborhood, so shw couldn't take advantage of the deal.

A coworker changed from satellite dish to very basic cable TV, cable internet, and just uses his cell phone; he cancelled land line phone service, for a significant net savings for him.

It's constant re-evaluation no matter what you do.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Internet service proviers?

Wait a miniute... If you already have your PCs networked together, then you already have either a router or a hub. Either one will work ok, although routers have many advantages.

Not really, a router will work, a hub or a switch will require a routing deviceto handle the pat. Otherwise, you will not have the appropiate address in the computer or the routing.