Questions regarding phone and internet at the same time

Drift

Hi all,

Sorry for the "noob" type questions but my area in the sticks got enabled for broadband just this week so I'm signing up as soon as possible. Its all wires around here so I think its just BT or eircom. My question is about what the story is with using the line as a phone line when the router is connected to it.

a.) If the router is in operation is it still possible to make calls while using the net and is it possible to recieve calls while using the net?

b.) I have a fax machine line aswell (a mechanical fax machine, no connection to my computer at all) ....... could it still be used to make and receive faxes if the router was on that line?

Thanks in advance.

jor el

Drift wrote:

a.) If the router is in operation is it still possible to make calls while using the net and is it possible to recieve calls while using the net?

b.) I have a fax machine line aswell (a mechanical fax machine, no connection to my computer at all) ....... could it still be used to make and receive faxes if the router was on that line?

Yes and yes. We were all noobs at some point so don't worry about the simple questions. Broadband won't effect normal phone calls or faxes. However, some digital wireless DECT phones have been known to cause problems with the broadband signal. This is rare enough and can easily be fixed by getting a different phone.

One thing to not though, just because you're on an enabled exchange now, doesn't mean you can get broadband. Check the eircom line checker to see if your number passes. If it fails it could just be that the test hasn't been done yet. Leave it a few weeks and heck again, or ring eircom and try to get them to do a test.

Drift

Checked the line checker yesterday and its good to go (at last :rolleyes: )

Thanks for the answers jor_el. Just what I wanted to know

One further question if I may. I've a network set up at home, nothing fancy, 4 or 5 pcs connected using a 10 base T ethernet hub, can I connect the hub to the ethernet port on the new router ..... thereby allowing all the computers access to the net - or am I stuck with connecting a single computer to the router. I know you can buy bigger routers but I don't see the point if I can connect my network hub to the free one I get?

jor el

Again, yes. Simply connect the DSL router to the switch and then it should serve out DHCP addresses to all the PCs in the local net.

If you have manually assigned addresses that's fine too, as long as they're in the same subnet range as the router. I believe eircom use 192.168.0.x for their router and BT tend to use 192.168.1.x. It's easy enough to change anyway and if all the PCs are set up for DHCP addresses there's no need to worry.

Drift

I actually have all my computers assigned addresses in the 192.168.100.xxx range, but I could change them if necessary. Although I would prefer to change the router.

aidanodr

I believe eircom use 192.168.0.x for their router and BT tend to use 192.168.1.x.

Hi Drift,

Eircom Routers [ Netopia ?? ] are usually set to the 192.168.1.x range. The router by default is usually at 192.168.1.254.

To access the routers admin page from your PC's [ Once your hub is connected to one of the Netopia / Router Ports ], Launch your browser and put 192.168.1.254 into the address bar and enter.

All the above by the way - as long as Eircom havent changed to the range192.168.0.x recently. And that your PC is setup similar to the following:

The simplest way is to set your PC's Network Cards TCP/IP settings in Windows anyway, to auto for IP Address and DNS. To access such things right click on My Network Places Icon on desktop, Properties OR Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network Connections. I think the Netopia's DHCP Server [ This hands out IP address'es from a preset range ] is enabled by default. To check - go into the Netopia admin as described above, then Expert Mode, Yes, then Configure option on left, Advanced and you should see DHCP server, click it. The IP Range its handing out is listed here, along with enable/disable blah, blah!

Hope this helps,
Cheers
Aidan O Driscoll
Netactive solutions Ltd

Drift

Thanks very much Aidan,

The way I've things set up at home though I would like if possible to maintain the current IP address I have assigned to each computer. They are all unique and like I said in the range of 192.168.100.xxx ......... Is there any way I can keep these addresses and still use the router?

bushy...

Drift wrote:

I actually have all my computers assigned addresses in the 192.168.100.xxx range, but I could change them if necessary. Although I would prefer to change the router.

First find out how to reset the router to defaults , then just log in to it and change it to suit your range eg give it
192.168.100.254 instead of 192.168.1.254
and away you go


Have a look around it and set the DHCP server to hand out a small range of IPs well away from the rest for lads calling around with laptops or whatever.

Best of both worlds then , you're not relying on the router for addresses , and if you get a new bit of gear/someone calls around you can just plug it in.

Drift

That sounds like the perfect bushy solution bushy

Thanks a mill

Foxwood

Drift wrote:

Thanks very much Aidan,

The way I've things set up at home though I would like if possible to maintain the current IP address I have assigned to each computer. They are all unique and like I said in the range of 192.168.100.xxx ......... Is there any way I can keep these addresses and still use the router?

You'll need to set one of the PCs to use the same address range as the router so that you can log into it and change it. The simplest thing is to change one PC to get an address automatically, it will get an address from the router, you log into the router and change it's LAN address to the subnet you're already using, restart it, and everything should then be on 192.168.100.x.

Though you'll still have to manually change the settings on all your other machines to tell them the address of the new Gateway if you want them to access the Internet.

Drift

Thanks for the directions foxwood. Thats exactly what I'll do when it comes. I ordered 2MB from BT this morning (2 and half hellish hours on the phone) so I'll let you all know how it goes for me when it arrives.

vibe666

BT can be buggers when things aren't going right, but it's still the best service going when everything works the way it's supposed to.

BTW, as far as I remember with regard to your using the phone at the same time as the internet, the DSL signal on the line occupies a frequency band higher than that used by a conventional phone.

when the modem/router turns up, you'll find one or more microfilters in the box which will split the signal and allow both to work at the same time without interfering with each other.