[X4U] wireless network

[Peter Krug]

On Sep 15, 2004, at 5:58 AM, Allan Hise wrote:

>
> When they do the install, I would be leery about letting them install 
> any
> software. I'll admit my inexperience with cable setups (I'm using DSL),
> but I don't think you should need any additional software to make it 
> work.
> I would get it working with a wired ethernet connection to your G4, and
> once that works, insert the wireless element.

This is absolutely correct.  When the cable folks came out to install 
my parents' cable modem, they said a) the system requires the software 
install on all computers and b) that any wireless connection will cost 
extra.  I told my parents to a) only tell the installer guy about my 
dad's laptop and hide the airport base station.  After he had gone, my 
mom's iBook worked completely fine set to DHCP Ethernet and the base 
station worked fine routing packets for both computers once it was set 
up.

Also, when I got my DSL, I did not install any of the Earthlink 
software - DHCP Ethernet worked just fine.  Caveat: I have heard that 
some cable/DSL providers link the modem to a specific computer based on 
the mac address.  I haven't ever actually seen this, but theoretically 
you could have the technician set up a computer then "oops, I need to 
set up another computer - here's it's mac address" (and you read it off 
the bottom of the base station to the tech support guy on the phone).

Summary - definitely try everything without the ISP's software first.

Peter

A little computer haiku:
I can't remember
the last time I restarted
I love OS X

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