dsl and router newbie question

[freem]

i was told by the dsl provider that if i didnt use a router supplied by them or the same model that my connection might not work. is this true? and if it isnt where can i get one for less than the $275 they want me to pay.

[Mntsnow]

What Router do they want you to get? All you have to do is get one that supports the same protocols that they use.

[RataToo]

just go buy a nice lynksis dsl/cable router and give it a shot....keep the reciept just in case, but the only thing i can see being a problem is the mac address. Maybe thats what they were trying to explain to you. Most likely your internet service is sent to your nic cards mac address, if you get a roughter, it will have a new mac address and when you try to access the internet nuthing will happen. Also a lot of broadband dealers dont like people splitting up their connections...so heres what i do. I buy a router and hook it up. Once everything is in order i call the provider and (as friendly as can be) tell them that I have just purchased a new puter and the dude at the store told me that I would have to give my broadband provider sumthin called a mac address for my new NIC CARD..(always pretend you know little about what you are talking about, makes the tech guy/girl feel like a hero)..then when they ask me for the mac adress from my new nic card, i give them the mac address of the router...and BAM! connections split and no one is the wiser.

[Wiruz]

What i did when i needed to split my DSL - i live in denmark so i don't know if this work.

We got a DSL modem, and 2 computers, couldn't afford a router, so we plugged in an extra NIC in one of the computers, and used i as a gateway in windows 2K. I don't think my ISP tracks MAC adresses though, but it worked fine when we just switched cables on the modem, so only one of us could be connected at a time

The gateway option might be cheaper than a router - don't know if it will work for u.

~Wiruz

[socalgal]

This belongs in Networking http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif