ADSL modems and Linux

I will soon be getting broadband, and need an ADSL modem. I have two
options:

- Get a USB 2.0 card (it's an old computer, without USB),
and get an USB ADSL modem
- Get a ADSL modem that uses Ethernet

I'm assuming due to the problems with USB support in the kernel, that
Ethernet is probably better? Does anyone have any suggestions about ADSL
modems that play well with Linux?

Thanks in advance,

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Jamie <jps at silverdream dot org> ()
w: www.silverdream.org /\
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|I will soon be getting broadband, and need an ADSL modem. I have two
|options:
|
|- Get a USB 2.0 card (it's an old computer, without USB),
|and get an USB ADSL modem
|- Get a ADSL modem that uses Ethernet
|
|I'm assuming due to the problems with USB support in the kernel, that
|Ethernet is probably better? Does anyone have any suggestions about ADSL
|modems that play well with Linux?

Ethernet is better, USB has bandwidth limitations. Most recent DSL
modems look just like Ethernet devices and work with any OS. Look up the
usual suspects and then google for Linux <model of modem>. If you get
hits indicating it works, Bob's your uncle.
--

Jamie Penman-Smithson wrote:

> I will soon be getting broadband, and need an ADSL modem. I have
> two options:
>
> - Get a USB 2.0 card (it's an old computer, without USB),
> and get an USB ADSL modem
> - Get a ADSL modem that uses Ethernet
>
> I'm assuming due to the problems with USB support in the kernel,
> that Ethernet is probably better? Does anyone have any suggestions
> about ADSL modems that play well with Linux?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>


Get an ethernet modem with a built-in router. It will appear to
your system as a lan with dhcp which is universal and is the
default configuration in most distributions.

I have seen these working in linux:
The Alacatel (Thompson) 530 is such a device with a single port
router built in.
The Alcatel (Thompson) 510v4 has a built-in 4 port router and uses
the same firmware as the 530.
The Netgear DG814 ADSL Router has a built-in 4 port router.

The Netgear one is marginally easier to install than the Alcatel
one.

Avoid the Alcatel (Thompson) 330 as it is a straight usb device
without a router.

The Netgear device uses dhcp to give a private ip address to the
computer and then the modem's firmware accessed using a browser and
the service provider's required parameters are plugged into the
modem through the browser, which makes set-up independent of the
operating system.
This is the normal way that modems with built-in routers are set up.

When considering an ethernet modem, look for an online quick install
guide to see if it can be configured using a browser and also if
its firmware can be upgraded using a browser or does it require
windows for firmware upgrade.

"Clive Dove" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:l%RWa.32510$(E-Mail Removed) e.rogers.com...

>
> Get an ethernet modem with a built-in router. It will appear to
> your system as a lan with dhcp which is universal and is the
> default configuration in most distributions.
>

I don't really want to get a modem with a router, since I want to use an old
Pentium with Linux as a router/firewall etc.

Are there any 'standalone' ADSL modems?

Or... is there a significant benefit to security of using a router on top
of
a firewall, as I mentioned?

Thanks,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Jamie jps-(E-Mail Removed) ()
w: www.silverdream.org /\
Remove -NOSPAM from email address to reply.
---------------------------------------------

In article <bggnma$ojs$(E-Mail Removed)>,
"Jamie Penman-Smithson" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>
> I will soon be getting broadband, and need an ADSL modem. I have two
> options:
>
> - Get a USB 2.0 card (it's an old computer, without USB),
> and get an USB ADSL modem
> - Get a ADSL modem that uses Ethernet
>
> I'm assuming due to the problems with USB support in the kernel, that
> Ethernet is probably better? Does anyone have any suggestions about ADSL
> modems that play well with Linux?

Get an Ethernet modem. This has as much to do with their stability and
speed compared to their USB counterparts as it does with Linux support,
although Linux support is, sadly, an issue.

All other things being equal, I recommend getting whatever Ethernet-based
ADSL modem your ISP offers with their startup package. This way you won't
run into any finger-pointing about the source of problems should they
occur. You may also get a better price on the modem this way. If your ISP
doesn't offer any such modems or if they're unacceptable for some reason,
ask your ISP about supported models and buy one of them. There are at
least two incompatible standards for ADSL modems (CAP and DMT), and there
are various parameters that can be set in both that can cause problems if
they don't match. New CAP installations are rare or nonexistent today,
but if you're unwary, you might end up with a CAP modem, particularly if
you buy it used on eBay or the like.

Don't worry about Linux compatibility; to Linux, an Ethernet-based ADSL
modem is more-or-less invisible. Linux, or any other Ethernet-equipped OS,
will see the router on the other end of the modem, not the modem. Some
modems can be addressed using a special IP address on a private address
range, though. Some high-end models also incorporate routers themselves,
and so are visible to Linux. You can get the same functionality by
purchasing a separate broadband router, and doing so provides greater
flexibility. Even if your modem includes a router, Linux compatibility
isn't an issue; it just looks like any other router to Linux.

--
Rod Smith, (E-Mail Removed)
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux, FreeBSD, and networking