Do you *have* to manually connect with ADSL?

Hi All,

I was talking to a friend who had recently gone to BB with BT over
ADSL.

They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
every time and I thought not. I typed them through various setting
(over MSN) but we couldn't find anything that seemed to automate the
process (ie you click on IE and it sparks up the BB)?

As I don't have ADSL (and have a router enyway) I ccan't check it out
myself so wondered if anyone here could point me in the right
direction please?

One though I'd had since (as a 'get round' rather than solution) was
maybe putting the 'Dialler' in the startup folder?

All the best ..

T i m

On 26 Jun 2005 19:35 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
>every time and I thought not.

If they have a nasty USB modem, then quite possibly... :-(

>One though I'd had since (as a 'get round' rather than solution) was
>maybe putting the 'Dialler' in the startup folder?

That's how it was for me about 39 months ago. Around 36 months ago I put
a router in place and have never been tempted to look at USB again :-)

Unless someone uses ADSL for a bit of e-mail and browsing a few times
a week, keeps the PC off 90% of the time, and won't spend 30-50 quid on
a router (and perhaps a network card, for an older PC) then I'd suggest a
router *every* time as a first line of defence (using NAT) for their PC,
and because the router will stay online while they do other things on
the PC, can reboot, etc, but also as they have no USB drivers to get
corrupted, the router will keep some stats on errors/speed/etc and
is just a handy thing to use :-) ADSLguide.org is worth using for
some equipment reviews... and dabs.com or ebuyer.com for buying.

--

UK ADSL <http://tinyurl.com/5jpa4> - Happy to save cash with Plus.Net!!
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On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 19:35:17 GMT,it is alleged that T i m
<(E-Mail Removed)> spake thusly in uk.telecom.broadband:

>Hi All,
>
>I was talking to a friend who had recently gone to BB with BT over
>ADSL.
>
>They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
>every time and I thought not. I typed them through various setting
>(over MSN) but we couldn't find anything that seemed to automate the
>process (ie you click on IE and it sparks up the BB)?

[snip]

It would depend on the method of connection. I know the
cheapocrappofreemodemdealthing(tm) I got from the isp is USB and
requires me (bizarrely) to use dialup networking to access it, it
appears to the computer as a dialup modem that you have to enter a
phone number of 0 for. That should be possible to automate in the same
way as normal dialup connections, with save password and connect
automatically checked. As you, I have a router, and the modem is in
the attic as a spare so I don't use it normally.

--
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build
bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rich Cook.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 21:02:05 +0100, Peter M <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On 26 Jun 2005 19:35 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
>>every time and I thought not.
>
>If they have a nasty USB modem, then quite possibly... :-(

Hi Peter and yep they do .. for now .. ;-)
>
>>One though I'd had since (as a 'get round' rather than solution) was
>>maybe putting the 'Dialler' in the startup folder?
>
>That's how it was for me about 39 months ago. Around 36 months ago I put
>a router in place and have never been tempted to look at USB again :-)

Are you saying you got round it that way (startup folder)?
>
>Unless someone uses ADSL for a bit of e-mail and browsing a few times
>a week, keeps the PC off 90% of the time, and won't spend 30-50 quid on
>a router (and perhaps a network card, for an older PC) then I'd suggest a
>router *every* time as a first line of defence (using NAT) for their PC,

As would I .. and they are talking about it for later ..

>and because the router will stay online while they do other things on
>the PC, can reboot, etc, but also as they have no USB drivers to get
>corrupted, the router will keep some stats on errors/speed/etc and
>is just a handy thing to use :-) ADSLguide.org is worth using for
>some equipment reviews... and dabs.com or ebuyer.com for buying.

What really gets me is how many folk with cable modems use the USB
interface and install all the nasty software when they could often
just plug in the supplied Ethernet cable and do nothing more
(especially if you know the 'back door' for signing up <g>). What
doesn't help is that most NTL cable modems I have seen have some tape
over the ethernet port?

Ho hum ..

All the best ..

T i m

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 20:02:39 GMT, Chip <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 19:35:17 GMT,it is alleged that T i m
><(E-Mail Removed)> spake thusly in uk.telecom.broadband:
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>I was talking to a friend who had recently gone to BB with BT over
>>ADSL.
>>
>>They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
>>every time and I thought not. I typed them through various setting
>>(over MSN) but we couldn't find anything that seemed to automate the
>>process (ie you click on IE and it sparks up the BB)?
>
>[snip]
>
>It would depend on the method of connection. I know the
>cheapocrappofreemodemdealthing(tm) I got from the isp is USB and
>requires me (bizarrely) to use dialup networking to access it, it
>appears to the computer as a dialup modem that you have to enter a
>phone number of 0 for.

That's the badger ;-)

That should be possible to automate in the same
>way as normal dialup connections, with save password and connect
>automatically checked.

Tried all that but it seems not (this was 'remote' though)

As you, I have a router, and the modem is in
>the attic as a spare so I don't use it normally.

Or they get sold on eBay ;-)

I might get them to go WiFi router later as they are talking about a
second PC and "don't want wires everwhere" . <sigh>. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

On 26 Jun 2005 20:40 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Are you saying you got round it that way (startup folder)?

I think it was 'automatic' or as part of the setup notes from the ISP to
put a link there to MS IE, so a connection would be needed and one just
clicked the 'yes, make a connection'

> and they are talking about it for later ..

Encourage them to make it sooner, for their (and your) sake... fewer headaches
and it allows one to disable the firewall for some test with less risk of the
outside world staging an attack...

>What doesn't help is that most NTL cable modems I have seen

.... a bit academic for me... no cable service (not even TV) in the whole of
North Wales. Franchise was won by some group but it never even tried...

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 20:44:04 GMT,it is alleged that T i m
<(E-Mail Removed)> spake thusly in uk.telecom.broadband:

>Or they get sold on eBay ;-)

The time I sell it on eBay will be precisely 24 hours (+/- 10 mins)
from the time that the DSL modem/NAT router decides that its existence
is pitiful and that it would much prefer to be a paperweight.

It happened to me with an external analog 56k modem I "definitely
didn't need because I had this here internal one" :-)

--
"The perfect computer has been developed. You just feed in your problems
and they never come out again."
- Al Goodman.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 21:54:28 +0100, Peter M <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On 26 Jun 2005 20:40 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Are you saying you got round it that way (startup folder)?
>
>I think it was 'automatic' or as part of the setup notes from the ISP to
>put a link there to MS IE, so a connection would be needed and one just
>clicked the 'yes, make a connection'

Ok ..
>
>> and they are talking about it for later ..
>
>Encourage them to make it sooner, for their (and your) sake... fewer headaches
>and it allows one to disable the firewall for some test with less risk of the
>outside world staging an attack...
>
;-)

>>What doesn't help is that most NTL cable modems I have seen
>
>... a bit academic for me... no cable service (not even TV) in the whole of
>North Wales. Franchise was won by some group but it never even tried...

Same with lectric isn't it .. we went from PortHaddock to Festivalfog
and we went by steam ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 21:06:45 GMT, Chip <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 20:44:04 GMT,it is alleged that T i m
><(E-Mail Removed)> spake thusly in uk.telecom.broadband:
>
>>Or they get sold on eBay ;-)
>
>The time I sell it on eBay will be precisely 24 hours (+/- 10 mins)
>from the time that the DSL modem/NAT router decides that its existence
>is pitiful and that it would much prefer to be a paperweight.

Oh isn't *that* the truth! I fitted an ADSL WiFi router 6 months ago
for a mate and said "better keep that modem somewhere safe .. just in
case". I got a phone call the other day saying none of the 3 machines
could connect to the net .. turned out the router had just died .. ;-(

>
>It happened to me with an external analog 56k modem I "definitely
>didn't need because I had this here internal one" :-)

Well he had listened to me, the modem was plugged back in and at least
one machine had access again ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Peter M got up from the bar and shouted: :
> On 26 Jun 2005 19:35 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> They asked if it was right they had to click on the 'Connect' thing
>> every time and I thought not.
>
> If they have a nasty USB modem, then quite possibly... :-(
>
>> One though I'd had since (as a 'get round' rather than solution) was
>> maybe putting the 'Dialler' in the startup folder?
>
> That's how it was for me about 39 months ago. Around 36 months ago I put
> a router in place and have never been tempted to look at USB again :-)
>
> Unless someone uses ADSL for a bit of e-mail and browsing a few times
> a week, keeps the PC off 90% of the time, and won't spend 30-50 quid on
> a router (and perhaps a network card, for an older PC) then I'd suggest a
> router *every* time as a first line of defence (using NAT) for their PC,
> and because the router will stay online while they do other things on
> the PC, can reboot, etc, but also as they have no USB drivers to get
> corrupted, the router will keep some stats on errors/speed/etc and
> is just a handy thing to use :-) ADSLguide.org is worth using for
> some equipment reviews... and dabs.com or ebuyer.com for buying.
>

You can get 1 port ADSL router from Aria and the like for £25 these
days. Hardly worth the grief that is ALWAYS associated with USB modems..