Please help AOL and network Confused!!!

I am confused! We have 3 pcs we want to network at home. We have two
ps with win 98SE and mine with XP. I am told I can not home network on
the cheapest AOL broadband and that I must have Gold package..ok so
far!
I know I need to buy a router..theirs I presume cheapest being around
£65...ok I think!
What I dont understand is the way it will run once set up. Firstly
will this be easy to set up?
How does this work when all three of us want to be online at the same
time. My son will be sharing the network on his pc . He is 12 and I am
strict with his parental control setings...how will this be
affected??? Do I understand right that one screen name (master)ie ME,
must be signed on for him or anyone else to use the broadband
connection. Whats all this about only being able to use Internet
explorer? Or have I got that bit wrong? I am very very confused and
would love to hear from anyone who could give me some easy to
understand advice on all this??
Many thanks

Thanks everybody. I've never heard of Pipex and Nildram!!! Why does
everybody hate aol so much! I never get disconnected. I have online
free help (even if they dont know much!). I have not known the
parental controls to fail. I get a report on where my son has been on
the net every time he goes on. I know which sites he has been on and
which sites he has been blocked from using. I can add and take away
sites at my will...it really couldn't be better...could it?
My husband has just chnaged to ntlworld and he hates it. I logged on
to them and I can see why...he's having trouble sending mail as its
timing out and thats only one problem he has. My dad has wannadoo and
I can't say I like that much either.
So! I am really not sure what to do now. George made it all sound
absolutely possible to get up and running with AOL broadband withour
much hassle but I am still not sure.
I always thought BT was expensive...its more expensive than AOL.
What about Ntlworld broadband? Has anyone any problems with setting up
home networking with that one. Might make sense as my husband has now
just signed up despite his problems. They are affordable thats for
sure but I have this niggling doubt in the back of my mind about this
one! I know they are supposed to be working on some kind of parental
control. Is Netnanny good? Is anyonme out there using it? How are you
getting on with it?
I just want broadband..I never thought making a choice would be this
difficult. I am going to go read about Pipex etc but please keep the
advice coming in. There must be loads of mums like me out there who
want broadband and are with aol and have the same doubts about being
able to set it all up and filter their children's online browsing.
Thanks again
Sue

sue wrote:

> Thanks everybody. I've never heard of Pipex and Nildram!!! Why does
> everybody hate aol so much! I never get disconnected. I have online
> free help (even if they dont know much!). I have not known the
> parental controls to fail. I get a report on where my son has been on
> the net every time he goes on. I know which sites he has been on and
> which sites he has been blocked from using. I can add and take away
> sites at my will...it really couldn't be better...could it?
> My husband has just chnaged to ntlworld and he hates it. I logged on
> to them and I can see why...he's having trouble sending mail as its
> timing out and thats only one problem he has. My dad has wannadoo and
> I can't say I like that much either.
>

snip

Everybody hates AOL so much apart from the (awful user interface)
because they have had bad experiences with over the years, a common
experience is putting an AOL upgrade disk in and finding it has trashed
your internet connection. BT Yahoo (don't confuse with BT Broadband
which is a cheaper bargain basement service that comes with only a bare
internet connection)are actually cheaperb than AOL
As a rule of thumb big name TV advertised brands do very badly in the
user ratings at the ADSLGuide ( http://www.adslguide.org.uk ).

"AR Gonot" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:41231067$0$199$(E-Mail Removed)...
> sue wrote:
>
> > Thanks everybody. I've never heard of Pipex and Nildram!!! Why does
> > everybody hate aol so much! I never get disconnected. I have online
> > free help (even if they dont know much!). I have not known the
> > parental controls to fail. I get a report on where my son has been on
> > the net every time he goes on. I know which sites he has been on and
> > which sites he has been blocked from using. I can add and take away
> > sites at my will...it really couldn't be better...could it?
> > My husband has just chnaged to ntlworld and he hates it. I logged on
> > to them and I can see why...he's having trouble sending mail as its
> > timing out and thats only one problem he has. My dad has wannadoo and
> > I can't say I like that much either.
> >
>
> snip
>
> Everybody hates AOL so much apart from the (awful user interface)
> because they have had bad experiences with over the years, a common
> experience is putting an AOL upgrade disk in and finding it has trashed
> your internet connection. BT Yahoo (don't confuse with BT Broadband
> which is a cheaper bargain basement service that comes with only a bare
> internet connection)are actually cheaperb than AOL
> As a rule of thumb big name TV advertised brands do very badly in the
> user ratings at the ADSLGuide ( http://www.adslguide.org.uk ).
>
>
>
>
>
Networking AOL is not difficult, any ADSL router which has selectable MTU
size in its configuration should work (AOL requires an MTU of 1400).
I done this for a friend's business last year using a Netgear DG814, as much
as I hate AOL and was trying to get him to change ISP's, it does in fact
work well for them. They have 5 networked pc's and since installation has
worked faultlessly (Before AOL allowed routers, they had to use proxy server
software to do this).

Why not do the router option with AOL, you can change ISP's as and when you
want to.
My personal preference is for D-Link, the DSL-504T if you want a wired
network
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop...20Microfilters

John.

Thanks y'both. Maybe I am just lazy and enjoy ease of use which is why
I want to stay with AOL. Or maybe I'm too scared to attempt soemthing
different after being with them for so long. Well John! I will read
your link if as you say you know for a fact that aol and networking
can work well. Thats waht I am after really...people who know what
these broadbands work like once they are set up...as for trying to
pretend I understand how to set one up is another matter entirely
lol!!
Do you live in Lincolnshire John???? Lol!

> As I said before, AOL can be networked if you have the right kit. Do not
go
> for the DLink DSL-504 as someone mentioned above : it does not have a
> setting to change the MTU (necessary for AOL) and will render large parts
of
> the internet unusable.
>


FYI.... You obviously have early FW.

DSL-504T
Release Notes for FW v1.00B02T02UK


1.Both MTU & MRU can be set depending on ISP Requirement
2.Login username and password extended to 64 characters
3.Option to set DNS server on device, with options
4.Fix for setting port forwarding rule name, can now use alpha numeric
5.Router time can now be set
6.Fix for system log error, 'connection name not set'

> Thanks y'both. Maybe I am just lazy and enjoy ease of use which is why
> I want to stay with AOL. Or maybe I'm too scared to attempt soemthing
> different after being with them for so long. Well John! I will read
> your link if as you say you know for a fact that aol and networking
> can work well. Thats waht I am after really...people who know what
> these broadbands work like once they are set up...as for trying to
> pretend I understand how to set one up is another matter entirely
> lol!!
> Do you live in Lincolnshire John???? Lol!

A few thoughts on some of the above messages...

As I said before, AOL can be networked if you have the right kit. Do not go
for the DLink DSL-504 as someone mentioned above : it does not have a
setting to change the MTU (necessary for AOL) and will render large parts of
the internet unusable.

You mentioned NTLworld. I am using their cablemodem broadband service and
could not be happier. The connection has been flawless for the last year or
so that I have had it, bar a few days when I had issues with signal stregth
(this was sorted by a free on-site engineer, after a so-so experience with
customer services). You mentioned their email service, which is a problem.
However, I host my own domain and use my own email server. This is not
always possible for some users since they do not want to shell out the few
extra pounds for a working email service that should be included in their
package by NTL, understandably. There are free email providers you can use.
I see their email service as the only major downside. Their customer service
is temperamental, people have had mixed experiences. Hopefully if you don't
have problems, you shouldn't need to contact them!

In all honesty, despite its downsides, if you are happy with AOL (as you
seem to be) then you might as well stick with them since it can be
networked. Just make sure you get a compatible router!! Either get the
Thompson ones that AOL recommend, or do some searching and get one which
allows you to edit the MTU.

Best of luck


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Then get one of the routers AOL provide.
AOL customer services will not help you unless you are using a router
off of their list.
If you are thinking of changing ISPs, I would suggest you try and get a
router with an ethernet WAN port and a separate modem, so that if you
ever swap to cable, you can continue using your router.
AOL may not allow this of course.
George

PS: i hate aol because of the software and their non-compliance to
industry standards.

"sue" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Thanks y'both. Maybe I am just lazy and enjoy ease of use which is why
> I want to stay with AOL. Or maybe I'm too scared to attempt soemthing
> different after being with them for so long. Well John! I will read
> your link if as you say you know for a fact that aol and networking
> can work well. Thats waht I am after really...people who know what
> these broadbands work like once they are set up...as for trying to
> pretend I understand how to set one up is another matter entirely
> lol!!
> Do you live in Lincolnshire John???? Lol!

> FYI.... You obviously have early FW.
>
> DSL-504T
> Release Notes for FW v1.00B02T02UK
>
>
> 1.Both MTU & MRU can be set depending on ISP Requirement
> 2.Login username and password extended to 64 characters
> 3.Option to set DNS server on device, with options
> 4.Fix for setting port forwarding rule name, can now use alpha numeric
> 5.Router time can now be set
> 6.Fix for system log error, 'connection name not set'


Thanks for that, this has obviously been a new release. D-Link's support
site was terrible AFAIK (I don't personally own one of these but did a
client install a long time ago)

But... another FYI if the OP chooses to buy this router, it doesn't mean
that it will automatically have the new firmware installed - it may have to
be upgraded manually.


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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