xDSL Related Questions

[Jason]

xDSL Related Questions

My problem concerns two failures to install wired routers: the first, a D-Link 604 and the second, a Linksys BEFSR41. Sympatico Help wouldn't touch either one.. they want to flog their Home Wireless Networking Solution, one may suppose. Bell Can is offering a Linksys-based wireless package.. prices for components well above market In Toronto, as well as a one-time fee of $69.00 and installation $99.00 CDN, all + tax.
My modem is an Alcatel Speed Touch Home. OS is Win XP Pro.
All went well until I connected either router to the Modem.. no connection with Sympatico server .. could not ping. Running Sympatico Ultra HS.
Various sources said: if you're running Zone Alarm.. disable or better, uninstall. Done. Others suggest PPOE conflict.. how to beat that, no one knew.
Currently, using only the XP firewall, which tests out at Gibson Shields Up as adequate. Any advice would be most sincerely appreciated. With thanks in advance

[Sam]

Usually you have to clone your MAC address to make the router work. What happens is that many ISP's only allow the originally connected computer on their network. They do this to stop people from adding more computers to the same connection.
Each Network Card has a unique serial number called a MAC address. It usually looks something like this: 00 DE AD BE EF 00
So these ISP's look for this number on the device connected to their modem. If they don't see it they don't let it work. Your LinkSys router has a MAC address too. But it's not the same as the one on your network card.

The good news is that the LinkSys router allows you to give it any MAC address you like. That way you can take the MAC address off your original computer and enter it in the LinkSys router and hopefully... away you go!

To find out your computers MAC address.....

Go to the computer that works on the Internet and then drop to DOS and type in;
IPCONFIG /ALL (note the space).

Note the number listed for PHYSICAL ADDRESS. It should look like;
00-DE-AD-BE-EF-00 (although the number will be different)

Write that number down and install it in the LinkSys BEFSR41 router. You can usually find the MAC Address Cloning page on the LinkSys router HERE. The password is ADMIN for new routers and the username is irrelevant.

Once you put that number in the router settings select APPLY and then re-boot your computer and see if you have Internet access through the router.
know if this helps

[denny]

Brilliant and yet, so simple. Thank you for your speedy and straightforward reply. I have noted NIC address. Now, back to my trusty Whitby store to pick up the LinkSys and do it! I will let you how how it goes.

[justin]

all part of my futile attempts to hook up the Linksys BEFSR41 router on Sympatico DSL Ultra. I followed your instructions exactly but was unable to even access/ 'call up' the router's settings so as to enter the Mac adddress. The tech-savvy staff at BestByte in Whitby are as puzzled as I am. On my first attempt a week earlier, I was able to get as far as entering a 'name' for the BEFSR41 router.