DSL routers - which one?

regi

Hi Guys,

Can anyone recommend any good DSL routers that'll work with the I-Stream enhanced package?

lynchie

AFAIK the SMC Barricade router on Komplett's website should work with ErrCom's DSL.

Anyone want to confirm/correct me on this?

longword

Be careful about what you're buying. Seems to me 80% of the "DSL Routers" being marketed out there don't have a DSL modem in them, so that's extra. The SMC Barricade is a case in point. There are two versions of this device. The one you linked to does not have a DSL modem in it, but there is an alternate model 7401BRA for about 20% more that does. Search for it on dabs.com - expect it to be about 180 euro by the time it hits your doorstep.

If you already have a DSL modem lined up, what you should do instead is scrape the 2" layer of dust off that 486 in the corner, give it another network card or two, and install SmoothWall on it - a distribution of Linux designed for just this task. It can handle connection sharing and firewalling no problem.

[Edit: Barricade info]

SkepticOne

Although, I don't know about Regi's situation, I get the impression out there that people believe that you 'need' a router for 'enhanced' istream.

All 'enhanced' istream is is 1Mb/sec DSL with a fixed IP and therefore you can connect to it using a standard DSL modem connected to an ordinary computer.

Naturally, because of its sheer cost, many of the customers of enhanced will be offices with a number of computers they want to connect over a network and as longword points out, a 486 running router software will handle the load adaquately. Many offices have these lying about. If you have a slightly more powerful computer and are not too woried about reliability, then you could use a computer running Windows and ICS to share the connection. This computer could also be used for general web surfing and office use too.

The reason I'm pointing this out is that I'm aware that, depite the cost, a number of people are planning on getting the service for home use and not all of these will be running home networks. Again, this does not necessarily apply to Regi.

Kev

i have the SMC 7004BR barricade connected to my cable modem and its quite nice, according to the manual it works with dsl aswell.

regi

Hi there,

Thanks for the replies - I've learned a lot

We are planning to use an ol' machine for a router, but I'm hedging my bets. We'd prefer to use FreeBSD as a gateway/firewall machine, and I'm not confident that we'll get a USB/PCI dsl modem to work with it.

We've also sourced a 3Com Office Connect remote 810 ADSL router - we can't find any specs on it tho - does anyone have one of these and know about it? Does it do everything we'll need it to do?

longword

Originally posted by Regi
We are planning to use an ol' machine for a router, but I'm hedging my bets. We'd prefer to use FreeBSD as a gateway/firewall machine, and I'm not confident that we'll get a USB/PCI dsl modem to work with it.

I'm looking into that right this very minute. Your chances of getting a USB/PCI DSL modem working under FreeBSD are MUCH slimmer than under Linux. iptables is more fun too. I'm looking at a Conexant based PCI card (search for AMX-CA83P on dabs.com). I expect it'll be about 80 euro by the time it gets to my doorstep. Linux drivers for the card do exist (http://www.linuxfaq.btinternet.co.uk/#ConnectingADSL) and I've just compiled up their kernel module for 2.4.18 without complaint. I don't know how well it works, but from what little I can see it looks like a runner.

Coyote

from a old post of mine.
I have had it about 2 months now and love it


Ordering a 1mb line
Well my 1mb line is just installed so I’m happy.
But if you thinking of ordering the 1mb from eircom
There is a few things you can do.
First you do not need to pay eircom €900 to install
A router. You can buy your own router
You do not need to pay a Eircom engineer too setup it up

The info you will need from eircom.net is
VPI (Virtual Path Identifier) 8
VCI (Virtual Channel Identifier) 35
Login Name ******
Password *******
Type of Multiplexing LLC
Type of Encapsulation PPPoE
It’s auto DNS/DHCP for your IP (or you can have fixed ip)
some of your setting might be diff so you
You can check the info by ringing the tech ling at
1800 460 260
you need to have adsl installed when ringing them.

That is just about all the info that a Eircom engineer enters a router,

If your buying your own router, then one of the better one’s that will work In Ireland is the ZyXEL 643.
you need a dsl modem that has
PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE, RFC 2516)
G.dmt (ITU G.992.1)
NAT might be usefull if you have a network

When you order DSL a Eircom Ireland engineer will come out and fit a mirofilter on your phone line and check the adsl will work.
then you can plug in your ADSL router and ring the techs just check your settings and that should be it.

some links
if you looking to buy a ZyXEL the reviwe has a few places you can order from the UK
if your looking at reviwes make sure they use PPPoE, G.dmt (ITU G.992.1)

adslguide.org is a UK site and they use PPPoA in the UK but a lot of routers will do both PPPoE and PPPoA
Review of the ZyXEL 643

I hope thats some help too people thinking about ordering

Coyote

regi

Could anyone tell me if this router would work ok?

http://www.solwise.co.uk/modems.htm - the SAR703. It seems to support everything Coyote mentioned above, but I'd just like to be sure before I fork out the readies

longword

Originally posted by Regi
Could anyone tell me if this router would work ok?

http://www.solwise.co.uk/modems.htm - the SAR703. It seems to support everything Coyote mentioned above, but I'd just like to be sure before I fork out the readies

Looks OK, though it doesn't seem to have any firewalling features beyond NAT. To get around that 'protection', someone need only route packets to your private subnet through your router.

hudson806

Originally posted by Regi
Hi there,

Thanks for the replies - I've learned a lot

We are planning to use an ol' machine for a router, but I'm hedging my bets. We'd prefer to use FreeBSD as a gateway/firewall machine, and I'm not confident that we'll get a USB/PCI dsl modem to work with it.

Just buy the cheapest DSL Ethernet bridge that you can find. I wouldn't recommend spending extra on a router, as you will just need to reconfigure it as a bridge anyway (almost all routers can be configured as bridges, but not all bridges can be configured as routers).

We've also sourced a 3Com Office Connect remote 810 ADSL router - we can't find any specs on it tho - does anyone have one of these and know about it? Does it do everything we'll need it to do?

The 3com 810 is the old CAP standard and won't work with pretty much any ADSL service in Europe, AFAIK.

though [the SAR703] doesn't seem to have any firewalling features beyond NAT.

Who cares? Regi plans to use it as a bridge, so none of those features would be any use anyway . Cheapest one would perform exactly the same as the most expensive in this case.

regi

Just to let you know that the Solwise 703 is grand. We got DSL installed at around 2pm, and took about 20 minutes fiddling with the router to get it up and running. Its sweet

rolo2912

1. I got this router (4 port ethernet) on www.microaid.ie (210 Euro incl. VAT) and I was connected on the enhanced DSL within 10 min. So far so good. But, and this is a question to the newsgroup :

1. is anyone else using this router and was able to put the public IP's on it ?

Or can anyone reccomend a different router that is working with static public IPs and is able to route to a webserver connected to it ?

Thank you