Questions regarding DSL installation

I just received notification that my DSL service is ready and am getting
ready to perform the self-installation (Verizon Online), but have a few
questions about procedures and any cautions I should take.

I primarily use a desktop which currently is using a dialup account. The
dialup is working fine and I don't want to lose access to it if anything
goes wrong with the installation. I also have a new laptop that has not
been configured for any internet access, and was thinking of using that as
the testbed for my DSL installation. My plan was to use the laptop to test
the installation, and if it succeeds then to proceed with the desktop
installation afterwards. Does it matter if I change the location of my DSL
modem after the initial setup? Is this a sound plan?

Also, to add to the wrinkle, I will be adding a wireless router after the
DSL installation checks out (I already have router), and plan on running an
ethernet cable to the desktop and adding a wireless PCMCIA card to the
laptop. Is there anything I should think about in doing this?

Any assistance before I proceed will be greatly appreciated. I'm generally
not inclined to mess with anything that is working (if it ain't broken, why
fix it?), and worry about making things worse rather than better. Thank in
advance for you advice.

Pan

"Pan" wrote in message
...
I just received notification that my DSL service is ready and am getting
ready to perform the self-installation (Verizon Online), but have a few
questions about procedures and any cautions I should take.

I primarily use a desktop which currently is using a dialup account. The
dialup is working fine and I don't want to lose access to it if anything
goes wrong with the installation. I also have a new laptop that has not
been configured for any internet access, and was thinking of using that as
the testbed for my DSL installation. My plan was to use the laptop to
test
the installation, and if it succeeds then to proceed with the desktop
installation afterwards. Does it matter if I change the location of my DSL
modem after the initial setup? Is this a sound plan?

Also, to add to the wrinkle, I will be adding a wireless router after the
DSL installation checks out (I already have router), and plan on running
an
ethernet cable to the desktop and adding a wireless PCMCIA card to the
laptop. Is there anything I should think about in doing this?

Any assistance before I proceed will be greatly appreciated. I'm
generally
not inclined to mess with anything that is working (if it ain't broken,
why
fix it?), and worry about making things worse rather than better. Thank
in
advance for you advice.

Pan

Looks like a dandy idea...the location of your modem changing will not
matter. Personally tho, if you test out the DSL and it works fine, then I
would proceed to just hooking up the router. Forget testing the desktop, it
will just add another (basically useless) step to the process.

-Chris

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 10:10:04 -0400, "Pan" wrote:

I just received notification that my DSL service is ready and am getting
ready to perform the self-installation (Verizon Online), but have a few
questions about procedures and any cautions I should take.

I primarily use a desktop which currently is using a dialup account. The
dialup is working fine and I don't want to lose access to it if anything
goes wrong with the installation. I also have a new laptop that has not
been configured for any internet access, and was thinking of using that as
the testbed for my DSL installation. My plan was to use the laptop to test
the installation, and if it succeeds then to proceed with the desktop
installation afterwards. Does it matter if I change the location of my DSL
modem after the initial setup? Is this a sound plan?

It shouldn't affect your dialup, so long as you don't modify it. You
can leave the dial up config alone. The only mod you might want to
make is to change your default to the DSL. While it doesn't come up
often, you'll like this arrangement. When DSL goes down for
maintenance, or whatever, you can still at least check email via
dialup.

Assuming the phoneline is the same (ie. the same number), you can move
the modem to any jack in the house. Just be sure to put filters on
any line that's *NOT* connected to that modem. There's nothing wrong
with your plan, there's no real reason to, but then there's nothing
wrong with being cautious either.

Also, to add to the wrinkle, I will be adding a wireless router after the
DSL installation checks out (I already have router), and plan on running an
ethernet cable to the desktop and adding a wireless PCMCIA card to the
laptop. Is there anything I should think about in doing this?

Not much really. Assuming this is an ethernet modem, you just need to
plug the ethernet cable from the modem into the WAN port on the
router. Plug your ethernet connection in using a standard (not
crossover) ethernet cable. Use the router's setup (usually an
intranet webpage, accessed via a browser), to set the channel, SSID
(network ID -- it's anything you want to call it), and most important,
the encryption key. Open broadcast is easiest to deal with, and make
sure that your modem is set to radio broadcast -- some default to OFF,
in which case, it's wired ethernet only. Make sure to set the SSID
and encryption key (put it in the same slot as on the router) to match
on the notebook (I presume that's what's going wireless). All this
should be in the Manual. If either the modem or wireless card give
you the option to adjust broadcast strength and interval, turn it to
max strength, and shortest interval. That should give you the most
solid signal (and gives you better odds at a good connection).

Finally, once it's working, if you're getting crappy signal strength,
even up close, try changing the broadcast channel to something other
than 6 (on both router and card). 6 is the default, and if there's a
lot of other people doing the wireless thing nearby, there could be
interference.

Only real gotcha is if Verizon gives you a USB modem. Then you'd need
to get a router that accepts a USB modem connection, and at where I
am, those are hard to find. Easier to try and get verizon to give you
an ethernet modem (or buy one off of ebay).


---------------------------------------------

MCheu

I read somewhere that the modem had to less than a certain distance away
from
something :- powerpoint? wall socket?
I don't remember, I was drunk.

I am no help am I?


"Pan" wrote in message
...
I just received notification that my DSL service is ready and am getting
ready to perform the self-installation (Verizon Online), but have a few
questions about procedures and any cautions I should take.

I primarily use a desktop which currently is using a dialup account. The
dialup is working fine and I don't want to lose access to it if anything
goes wrong with the installation. I also have a new laptop that has not
been configured for any internet access, and was thinking of using that as
the testbed for my DSL installation. My plan was to use the laptop to
test
the installation, and if it succeeds then to proceed with the desktop
installation afterwards. Does it matter if I change the location of my DSL
modem after the initial setup? Is this a sound plan?

Also, to add to the wrinkle, I will be adding a wireless router after the
DSL installation checks out (I already have router), and plan on running
an
ethernet cable to the desktop and adding a wireless PCMCIA card to the
laptop. Is there anything I should think about in doing this?

Any assistance before I proceed will be greatly appreciated. I'm
generally
not inclined to mess with anything that is working (if it ain't broken,
why
fix it?), and worry about making things worse rather than better. Thank
in
advance for you advice.

Pan

2 km from the exchange I think... and that is indirect telephone line
distance.

Also, Like someone else said... do not install the software they give you it
will poop in your computer.

On win9x use this instead... http://www.raspppoe.com/

regards will,
http://www.fileant.com


"half_pint" wrote in message
...
I read somewhere that the modem had to less than a certain distance away
from
something :- powerpoint? wall socket?
I don't remember, I was drunk.

I am no help am I?


"Pan" wrote in message
...
I just received notification that my DSL service is ready and am getting
ready to perform the self-installation (Verizon Online), but have a few
questions about procedures and any cautions I should take.

I primarily use a desktop which currently is using a dialup account.
The
dialup is working fine and I don't want to lose access to it if anything
goes wrong with the installation. I also have a new laptop that has not
been configured for any internet access, and was thinking of using that
as
the testbed for my DSL installation. My plan was to use the laptop to
test
the installation, and if it succeeds then to proceed with the desktop
installation afterwards. Does it matter if I change the location of my
DSL
modem after the initial setup? Is this a sound plan?

Also, to add to the wrinkle, I will be adding a wireless router after
the
DSL installation checks out (I already have router), and plan on running
an
ethernet cable to the desktop and adding a wireless PCMCIA card to the
laptop. Is there anything I should think about in doing this?

Any assistance before I proceed will be greatly appreciated. I'm
generally
not inclined to mess with anything that is working (if it ain't broken,
why
fix it?), and worry about making things worse rather than better. Thank
in
advance for you advice.

Pan