AOL Broadband with a router?

Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a couple of
PCs to the line.
Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know about
before I buy one for them?

No , ditching AOL is not an option (and the broadband service is pretty good
value for money anyway)

--
Alex

Hermes: "We can't afford that! Especially not Zoidberg!"
Zoidberg: "They took away my credit cards!"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.ebayfaq.co.uk

"Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a couple
> of PCs to the line.
> Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know about
> before I buy one for them?
>
> No , ditching AOL is not an option (and the broadband service is pretty
> good value for money anyway)
>
>

Quite probably. I say that because BT have new firmware updates specifically
for "AOL users only" for my BT2100.

What package are they on. IIRC AOL given free networking support on gold and
platinum but no silver. They are freephone so give them a ring and say you
are thinking of getting Gold/Platinum and need hardware advice first.

"Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a couple
of
> PCs to the line.
> Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know about
> before I buy one for them?

You can only run the AOL client on one PC at once. So if its for children I
think you will loose AOL content filtering on subsequent PCs.

>
> No , ditching AOL is not an option (and the broadband service is pretty
good
> value for money anyway)
>
> --
> Alex
>
> Hermes: "We can't afford that! Especially not Zoidberg!"
> Zoidberg: "They took away my credit cards!"
>
> www.drzoidberg.co.uk
> www.sffh.co.uk
> www.ebayfaq.co.uk
>
>

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 08:39:30 -0000, "Dr Zoidberg"
<AlexNOOOOO!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote:

>Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a couple of
>PCs to the line.
>Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know about
>before I buy one for them?

as its AOL there are bound to be issues. They "support" some routers.
and not others. The MTU needs to be 1400 and it might need to use
PPPoE to connect.

The main ccount details are used for the login, but other "screen
names" <vomit> can log on at the same time if you have the right sort
of account.

AOL's world class support and ease of use should help you with this
<ROFL> but otherwise try the AOL forum on ADSLguide
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=aol

also see a walkthrough on a specific router at
http://www-stg.aolsvc.co.uk/help/Speed545.htm

make sure they buy a combined ADSL modem/router not the doorstop
"broadband router" without a modem.

Phil
--
spamcop.net address commissioned 18/06/04
Come on down !

David Wade wrote:
> "Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a
>> couple of PCs to the line.
>> Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know
>> about before I buy one for them?
>
> You can only run the AOL client on one PC at once. So if its for
> children I think you will loose AOL content filtering on subsequent
> PCs.

My dad and his wife , both of whom can be trusted to only download porn when
they want to.

Hermes: "We can't afford that! Especially not Zoidberg!"
Zoidberg: "They took away my credit cards!"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.ebayfaq.co.uk

"Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Relatives of mine use AOL broadband on ADSL and want to connect a couple
of
> PCs to the line.
> Are there any unexpected issues using a router that I sould know about
> before I buy one for them?
>
> No , ditching AOL is not an option (and the broadband service is pretty
good
> value for money anyway)

You poor bastard! AOL + networking == Hellish hairloss

I had no end of trouble when trying to do the same with my dads connection.
It goes along the lines of, AOL don't like TCP/IP so they wrote their own
protocol which nobody supports or wants. The only way I could "share" the
connection was to install a proxy on his AOL'd machine and forward
everything I wanted to use, 80, 25, 110, 22 etc.

If I could give you just one tip, it would be to give in and USE THE AOL
"RECOMMENDED" HARDWARE. It will save you so much pain and frustration.

Good luck.