Information on 3com lan modem - 3c886A and 888A

Hi all,

I was reading a few earlier posts in this group about using a 3com lan
modem to share a 56k dial up within a WiFi network.

I've got a small wifi home network of 2 desktops and a laptop (all
XP)using a Belkin G router with WAP-PSK.

I want to run my 56k dial up through the wifi and it seems that using a
3com as the router and the Belkin as an access point is the go.

Questions:

Is this best?

Can I use the 3com NT drivers/setup files?
or...are XP drivers etc available?

Is the 888 (dual modem) any more difficult to set up than the 886?

(I have seen a 888 advertised recently)

Anything to watch out for on these secondhand units?

I'm a pretty basic hacker on setting up networks (I managed :-), and
any finer details on this setup would be appreciated.

Cheers

Rob

South Australia

On 24 Oct 2005 21:20:23 +0950, "me here" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>I was reading a few earlier posts in this group about using a 3com lan
>modem to share a 56k dial up within a WiFi network.
>
>I've got a small wifi home network of 2 desktops and a laptop (all
>XP)using a Belkin G router with WAP-PSK.
>
>I want to run my 56k dial up through the wifi and it seems that using a
>3com as the router and the Belkin as an access point is the go.

>Is this best?

I use these 3com modems for dialup backup in case the DSL or cable
connection goes down at commercial customers. I also keep a spare
handy for the inevitable emergencies (like when the customer forgets
to pay the DSL bill and it takes the DSL provider 10 days to restore
service).

>Can I use the 3com NT drivers/setup files?
>or...are XP drivers etc available?

No drivers at all. You just plug it into an ethernet port on your
computer(s). DHCP in the 3Com 3c886A assigns the computers their IP
addresses. Point a web browser at the 3C886A, login, configure, test,
and you're done. Setup is almost exactly the same as a DSL router,
except that the WAN connection is a dialup modem instead of a DSL
account.

>Is the 888 (dual modem) any more difficult to set up than the 886?

Yes. It's really only useful for bonded (multilink) systems. Other
than the 2nd modem, they're identical.

>(I have seen a 888 advertised recently)
>
>Anything to watch out for on these secondhand units?

Not really. None of mine have blown up and done anything disgusting.

>I'm a pretty basic hacker on setting up networks (I managed :-), and
>any finer details on this setup would be appreciated.

The only oddity I ran into was setting the idle timing. It was
somewhat difficult to get it to stay hung up and not dial when the
computers came active. The cute graphics on the main status page were
more confusing than useful.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> configure, test,

Thanks for replying Jeff,

I saw some of your earlier posts and I was hoping you would respond.

So given that I now have the Belkin set up as the router and I intend
to change it to an access point, as I understand it I just change its
address to that of the 3comm unit and change the wiring.

Is that right?

So in the existing Belkin setup, thats the only change and all the
clients stay as they are?

Do I change the Belkin to an access point before I rejig the wiring or
after?

Regards

Rob

On 25 Oct 2005 11:30:14 +0950, "me here" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>
>> configure, test,
>
>Thanks for replying Jeff,
>
>I saw some of your earlier posts and I was hoping you would respond.
>
>So given that I now have the Belkin set up as the router and I intend
>to change it to an access point, as I understand it I just change its
>address to that of the 3comm unit and change the wiring.
>
>Is that right?

No. Leave the Belkin setup alone for now. It defaults to 192.168.2.1
and there's no reason to change that. Most of the configuring will be
in the 3com which will act as a router. The reason for using the 3com
as a router instead of the Belkin is that there's no easy way to
disable the 3com and turn it into an ethernet modem.

However, when you setup the 3com, do NOT connect it to the Belkin
initially. Dive into the setup and configure the 3com 3c886a for
192.168.2.4. The third octet ("2") has to be the same or they won't
talk. You need that or you can't connect to BOTH the 3com and the
Belkin from a workstation.

When you have the 3com dialing, connecting, and you're able to surf
the web with the 3com modem router, then you make the following
changes:
1. Disable the DHCP server in the Belkin. You only need one DHCP
server and that's in the 3com.
2. Don't plug anything into the Belkin WAN (internet) port.
3. Connect an ethernet cable between one of the LAN ports on the 3com
and one of the LAN ports on the Belkin.

This should be easy (famous last words).
--
Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
831.336.2558 voice
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS
http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann
(E-Mail Removed) (E-Mail Removed)

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> On 25 Oct 2005 11:30:14 +0950, "me here" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> > Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> >
> >> configure, test,
> >
> > Thanks for replying Jeff,
> >
> > I saw some of your earlier posts and I was hoping you would respond.
> >
> > So given that I now have the Belkin set up as the router and I
> > intend to change it to an access point, as I understand it I just
> > change its address to that of the 3comm unit and change the wiring.
> >
> > Is that right?
>
> No. Leave the Belkin setup alone for now. It defaults to 192.168.2.1
> and there's no reason to change that. Most of the configuring will be
> in the 3com which will act as a router. The reason for using the 3com
> as a router instead of the Belkin is that there's no easy way to
> disable the 3com and turn it into an ethernet modem.
>
> However, when you setup the 3com, do NOT connect it to the Belkin
> initially. Dive into the setup and configure the 3com 3c886a for
> 192.168.2.4. The third octet ("2") has to be the same or they won't
> talk. You need that or you can't connect to BOTH the 3com and the
> Belkin from a workstation.
>
> When you have the 3com dialing, connecting, and you're able to surf
> the web with the 3com modem router, then you make the following
> changes:
> 1. Disable the DHCP server in the Belkin. You only need one DHCP
> server and that's in the 3com.
> 2. Don't plug anything into the Belkin WAN (internet) port.
> 3. Connect an ethernet cable between one of the LAN ports on the 3com
> and one of the LAN ports on the Belkin.
>
> This should be easy (famous last words).

Thanks Jeff,

Thats good stuff.

I will pass on the 888 and look for an 886.

I intend to go on with this, so if famous last words come true, I may
seek your help again. I trust its not necessary, but I am very
grateful for your assistance.

Many thanks.

Cheers

Rob