Can AOL 9 be used with a router rather than a modem?

I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
(either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of laptops
to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.

Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what about
go-it-alone AOL?

"Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
>ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
>(either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of laptops
>to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.
>
> Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what
> about go-it-alone AOL?

I forgot to add...

If a router cannot be used, can ICS be enabled on the PC with the modem so
that as long as that PC is on and logged on to AOL, other PCs can access the
internet via that PC?

"Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
> ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
> (either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of
laptops
> to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.
>
> Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what
about
> go-it-alone AOL?

*IF* you buy AOL 'recommended' (enforced) hardware, it'll work.
I can't remember if ICS worked when I had my AOL nightmare but I ended up
using a load of proxies on the 'AOL machine' to forward stuff for the rest
of the network, so I'd presume that I had no luck with it.

The only trouble with that is, I don't know what kind of firewall
capabilities the AOL hardware has so you might be in for a surprise when you
open windows shares for your LAN.

Good luck! I'm glad it's you and not me ;O)

Treefrog

In article <424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...

> I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
> ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
> (either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of laptops
> to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.
>
> Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what about
> go-it-alone AOL?


easy peasy too, assuming you know what you are doing.

"RolYat" <newsaccount@-removethis-hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
>
>> I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
>> ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
>> (either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of
>> laptops
>> to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.
>>
>> Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what
>> about
>> go-it-alone AOL?
>
>
> easy peasy too, assuming you know what you are doing.

Any clues as to what to do?

The customer is now wondering about enabling broadband over a second phone
line (using a sensible, non-AOL ISP) and making that connection available to
her computers by wired/wireless LAN.

An interesting situation arises if she connects her AOL computer to this
network: when AOL is not connected, the PC will access broadband over the
router and the other connection. But when AOL is connected, there will be
two routes that any internet traffic can take: via the router or via the AOL
broadband modem. Sounds very dodgy!

Enquiring closely, it seems that the only reason she wants AOL is to access
her AOL mailbox - she doesn't want to have to give everybody a new email
address. I presume AOL mailbox can't be accessed by POP3 from Outlook or
Outlook Express. If it *can* be, then I could get her to downgrade her AOL
account to the very cheapest that preserves the email account, and get her
to access it via the router and whatever SMTP facilities the router's ISP
provides for sending email.

Bloody AOL :-(

"RolYat" <newsaccount@-removethis-hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
>
<snip>
> >
> > Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But
what about
> > go-it-alone AOL?
>
>
> easy peasy too, assuming you know what you are doing.

....and... ?

Or are you just yet another Easter holidays troll.

Martin Underwood wrote:
> "Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:424c69c8$0$94534$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>I was reinstalling a customer's PC which used AOL 9 and a BT Voyager 105
>>ADSL modem. She asked whether she could instead setup a local network
>>(either wired or wireless) that would allow this PC and a couple of laptops
>>to access the internet and to share files/printers locally.
>>
>>Had it been any other ISP, the answer is "yes - easy peasy". But what
>>about go-it-alone AOL?
>
>
> I forgot to add...
>
> If a router cannot be used, can ICS be enabled on the PC with the modem so
> that as long as that PC is on and logged on to AOL, other PCs can access the
> internet via that PC?
>
>
Well ,if you believe MS then ICS can be set up on AOL UK.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e.../04june01.mspx
Therefore it should! be just a normal(?) ICS set up.The Host computer
will have the AOL s/ware and the remainder will use their normal
Browsers (non-AOL),this of course means any "Parental Control" settings
in AOL will not be available to these machines.Since AOL uses a MTU of
1400 it would be advisable to set all of the computers in the network to
a MTU of 1400.
If the non-AOL PC's wish to access mail with OE6 see
http://postmaster.info.aol.com/imap/express.html

NBT

"Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:424d7a9e$0$42289
$(E-Mail Removed):

> Any clues as to what to do?
>

Setup is identical to any other ISP (VPI/VCI/Encapsulation etc.).
For the login-name, you use screen-(E-Mail Removed) (replacing screen-
name with your actual screen name). In the AOL software, you also
need to set its communications setup to use a network connection
rather than directly connected modem.

ADSL Line Parameters
Encapsulation: PPPoA VC-Mux
VPI=0
VCI=38
ATMQoS=UBR
MTU size 1458 change to 1400 <===== AOL-specific ======

Worked fine using a non-AOL Netgear modem/router

"Kinell" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns962C7904FFE2Dkxxx@194.168.222.124...
> "Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:424d7a9e$0$42289
> $(E-Mail Removed):
>
>> Any clues as to what to do?
>>
>
> Setup is identical to any other ISP (VPI/VCI/Encapsulation etc.).
> For the login-name, you use screen-(E-Mail Removed) (replacing screen-
> name with your actual screen name). In the AOL software, you also
> need to set its communications setup to use a network connection
> rather than directly connected modem.
>
> ADSL Line Parameters
> Encapsulation: PPPoA VC-Mux
> VPI=0
> VCI=38
> ATMQoS=UBR
> MTU size 1458 change to 1400 <===== AOL-specific ======
>
> Worked fine using a non-AOL Netgear modem/router


Thanks. I'll give that a try when I'm next at the customer's house and when
I've got a router that I can try it with.

Does the AOL software need to be removed and reinstalled to configure it to
use a network rather than a USB ADSL modem, or can it be configured
afterwards? Is it fairly obvious where the config screen is? I freely admit
to having as little to do with AOL as I can (snobbishness?) so I haven't
investigated its menus very thoroughly.

In article <424d7a9e$0$42289$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) ...

[...]

> Any clues as to what to do?

I'll start again seeing as I rudely (and inadvertently) sent an
incomplete post in reply to your earlier question.

AOL is "easy peasy" too, assuming you know what you are doing. if you
don't, and aren't used to configuring routers et al, then you may want
to tread with a bit of caution before committing yourself to helping
out?

It really is quite straightforward, the only issue you /may/ have, is
resetting the MTU on the router, which needs to be set to 1400, a figure
I understand to be AOL specific.

Aside from that, you just input the users full email address, and
password, into the relevant fields of the router config, configure the
AOL9 software to connect using TCP/IP, and away you go.

I just set up a Draytek for AOL, and the guide for that is here
http://www.draytek.co.uk/support/router_faq.html

It refers to AOL8, but 9 is about the same, and I didn't have to
uninstall the present installation at all.

The other settings are the same as other PPoA ISP's AFAIK. I didn't
bother with DNS servers or IP's (I don't believe AOL used fixed IP's
anyway) and it was all up and running easily within 5 mins.

I see others have posted settings, so pointless doing the same.

BTW, there is nothing terribly wrong with AOL ... it suits some, but not
others. You may regret talking someone with little knowledge out of
using AOL, as it includes some relatively useful tools for 'correcting'
issues users may have, meaning you'll get left in peace!

Leave the Voyager installed for something to drop back to until you get
it all working.

Good luck.