AOL and Networking

I hear horror stories about AOL and networking but have no direct
experience.

A friend want to set up a small office network that will allow VPN
access, he has a current dialup access with AOL and doesn't want to
lose his present email address so is considering AOL's broadband.

I've had a brief look at the FAQs on AOL's web page and can't forsee
any major difficulties.

If a router is the connection mechanism can the machines not connect
using any available software of do they need to log on to AOL with
some screen name.

Geoff Lane

The only problems are making sure he gets the right AOL package - has to be
gold for wireless and a AOL compatible router.

--
Martyn

*** STRESS - The condition brought about by having
to resist the temptation to beat the living daylights out
of someone who richly deserves it.
"Geoff Lane" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I hear horror stories about AOL and networking but have no direct
> experience.
>
> A friend want to set up a small office network that will allow VPN
> access, he has a current dialup access with AOL and doesn't want to
> lose his present email address so is considering AOL's broadband.
>
> I've had a brief look at the FAQs on AOL's web page and can't forsee
> any major difficulties.
>
> If a router is the connection mechanism can the machines not connect
> using any available software of do they need to log on to AOL with
> some screen name.
>
> Geoff Lane
>

On 05 Jul 2006, Geoff Lane <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>A friend want to set up a small office network that will allow VPN
>access, he has a current dialup access with AOL and doesn't want to
>lose his present email address so is considering AOL's broadband.

>If a router is the connection mechanism can the machines not connect
>using any available software of do they need to log on to AOL with
>some screen name.

So long as the router is given the AOL screen name and password, that
should be enough. I have seen other posts from people that they have
mail (IMAP or POP, sorry, cannot remember) and a neighbour switched a
year ago (when they did the 500 -> 2000 kbps upgrades), and initially
I suggested he use webmail (AOL USB unit would no longer connect, so
I lent him one of my routers, then he bought one for himself a little
while later once we were happy that he could use AOL without problems
but I've no idea what his account type is - the 'support' advice that
he had was to reinstall the USB drivers (after a few times doing same
things and getting nowhere I doubt he will ring them for support now,
anyway, so who cares if the router is one they "allow"!!!) Peter M.

On Wed, 5 Jul 2006 19:35:34 +0100, "Martyn"
<martyn.rowland(at)REMOVETHISBITbtopenworld.com> wrote:

>The only problems are making sure he gets the right AOL package - has to be
>gold for wireless and a AOL compatible router.

What I wonder, makes it AOL compatible.

I want to use a conventional ethernet router (Draytek) that has a
built in VPN server.

Geoff Lane

On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:29:21 +0100, Peter M <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>>A friend want to set up a small office network that will allow VPN
>>access, he has a current dialup access with AOL and doesn't want to
>>lose his present email address so is considering AOL's broadband.
>
>>If a router is the connection mechanism can the machines not connect
>>using any available software of do they need to log on to AOL with
>>some screen name.
>
>So long as the router is given the AOL screen name and password, that
>should be enough.

That's what I am thinking, so I assume other networked machines can
use IE or Firefox etc.

Geoff Lane

Geoff Lane <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> [snip]
>
> I want to use a conventional ethernet router (Draytek) that has a
> built in VPN server.

Please excuse my late entry into this discussion, but I think you should
Google for 'VPN on AOL' as there have been/may still be problems using VPN
on this ISP.

Geoff Lane wrote:
> I hear horror stories about AOL and networking but have no direct
> experience.
>
> A friend want to set up a small office network that will allow VPN
> access, he has a current dialup access with AOL and doesn't want to
> lose his present email address so is considering AOL's broadband.

Best bet would be to sign up to a different provider, and pay AOL the £3
a month for their BYOA plan (do they still call it that?)

That way he gets a reliable connection elsewhere that he won't have any
bother with, but still maintains his AOL email address.

Then, over time, move away from the AOL address. Having one of those is
like having a wart on the end of your nose.

On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 10:11:12 +0100, Simon Dobson
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>Best bet would be to sign up to a different provider, and pay AOL the £3
>a month for their BYOA plan (do they still call it that?)

I'll look in to that option, I've still got accounts that 'tick over'
with other ISPs to maintain my old email addresses but briefly looking
at the AOL site didn't see any option other than the pay monthly
Anytime option.

>That way he gets a reliable connection elsewhere that he won't have any
>bother with, but still maintains his AOL email address.

That would be ideal.

>Then, over time, move away from the AOL address. Having one of those is
>like having a wart on the end of your nose.

Yeah, agree but it has been used for a business :-(((

Geoff Lane

On Fri, 07 Jul 2006 14:22:28 -0500, Peter <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>> I want to use a conventional ethernet router (Draytek) that has a
>> built in VPN server.
>
>Please excuse my late entry into this discussion, but I think you should
>Google for 'VPN on AOL' as there have been/may still be problems using VPN
>on this ISP.

I'll give that a try, thanks.

Geoff Lane

Geoff Lane wrote:
>
> I'll look in to that option, I've still got accounts that 'tick over'
> with other ISPs to maintain my old email addresses but briefly looking
> at the AOL site didn't see any option other than the pay monthly
> Anytime option.

I don't think they offer it on the site, but they certainly offer it.
You may have to request a disconnection and have someone from retentions
offer it to you. I maintain one of these £3 a month plans as I'm in IT
support and it's handy to have access to their software to see how bits
work. They definitely offer it though!

>> That way he gets a reliable connection elsewhere that he won't have any
>> bother with, but still maintains his AOL email address.
>
> That would be ideal.
>
>> Then, over time, move away from the AOL address. Having one of those is
>> like having a wart on the end of your nose.
>
> Yeah, agree but it has been used for a business :-(((

All the more reason to get rid! ;-) There's nothing worse than seeing a
business address ending '@aol.com' on stationary or the back of a van.
It doesn't have to be done overnight, but register them a domain for
peanuts and move across over time. It'll avoid the need to stay loyal to
one ISP, and the customers won't imagine your pal with AOL chat loaded
up at the same time he's replying to their mails. It just looks more
professional. But maybe I'm just an ISP snob :-D