Re: Connecting a user to AOL (anything I should know?!)

On 14 Feb, 18:35, "SteveH" <steve.houghREM...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Dr Zoidberg wrote:
<jameshanle...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6540bbed-55de-4182-9038-403f86300d01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I know somebody who cannot get internet access.. AOL is their (I
presume broadband) ISP

I have heard stories of AOL users having special software..

So I suspect that it may not be as simple as connect(with NAT router
or via Windows with USB modem) and done, like with any other
broadband ISP.

Is it as simple as that? Or do they -force- the user to use their
software to connect?

No , you can use an ADSL router to connect to AOL (using PPoE) , then
the PC doesn't need any software at all.
That's how I've got the two PCs set up at my Dad's

Googling will tell you all you need to know

I'm trying to do this for a punter at the moment. I've done it before, no
problems, but this one is driving me mad.
They have sent her a (preconfigured I presume) router. I connect it to the
line and no DSL/Internet lights, I try another DSL router, again no DSL
internet lights, so I'm no presuming the DSL hasn't been enabled on the
line. Do you think I can get either AOL or BT to confirm this? Can I f**k!
And to make it worse this woman has an IT IQ of about -10 and would be
better off with a calculator and she has an IMac, which I know nowt about.
Grrrr!

SteveH-

dude, what do you think techies did when this *** first came out and
all they knew was dialup..

You have 2 relevant techies here that can diagnose the problem, as
long as you are technical enough to understand them - and you are.

The ISP technical support
The Router technical support.

Some may only be 9-5, some may be 24/7. Internet is more likely to be
24/7. Router may only be 9-5. Belkin(who have done some reliable NAT
routers recently) may be 24/7 or up to 11pm.

You would find this out by calling either of them.. but I will give
you a headstart anyway..
You call the ISP and ask them for the information to put into your
router (do not ask them to help you put it in. It is not their router.
they don`t know).
Then you call the Router people, and they will help you put it in, and
see if it connects.
If it doesn`t connect, you might want to then call the ISP people, and
try to find out what info is not going in..

You may get thrown back and forth between them.
Which tells you something too..
If the ISP CLAIMS that you are connected
and the Router people CLAIM you are connected..
And you are still not connected.. then
{
It may well be between your router and your web browser / email
client / software. i.e. it could be your computer. Worth trying other
computers.

it could be the cable connecting your computer to your router (cable
may be broken, may be an RJ11 cable instead of the thicker 8pin
contact RJ45.. Belkin may include some thick RJ11 cables!! That is one
reason why it`s worth checking that you get a light on the NAT Router
indicating the CAT5 "cable connection" is ok!)
It could be the Network Card or network connector on MBRD, in your
computer..
If ipconfig displays nothing more than "Windows IP configuration" i.e.
no IPs, then I find that is because the Network adaptor is disabled in
control panel!!
It could be windows is buggered.. I once saw a machine that when you
did ping from it , you got some funny characters back.. But it was
getting an IP.
It could be some DNS issue.. You may be able to get one or a new one
eg from ISP, and enter it manually in windows, or in your router.
}

Or it may be you are entering the details wrongly.. so you could keep
calling ISP- getting the details... calling Router people, entering
them.

I once had a user.. I sat at his place for hours.. got to a point
where each time I tried to connect it wouldn`t work.. The ISP would
not give me his password, it may be that they did not even know it
themselves. I had made a note of the password in a text file on his
computer, from last time. So I knew it was right.
It turned out that he had changed it since last time. And he had not
told me.

Another time I kept doing the process.. calling the ISP, getting the
details. Entering them in. Calling router people, asking them why not
connecting. They did the stuff they know with their router. Resetting
it.. refreshing the screen (incase what router was telling me in its
web interface was not up to date). e.t.c. Still no luck. That was
actually still the case with the password. But the other time it was
I had entered PPPoE instead of PPPoA.

That is a fairly good sample of the problems that can happen with
Broadband, (with DSL rather than Cable).. And the process you go
through.

Just call Router Tech. Call ISP tech. And each side will do all they
can. And chances are it will be fine.

One thing you can ask your Router Tech is what all the lights mean..
So you understand what the situation is , what they are reasoning.. So
you can fix it yourself in the future.

Some ISPs may provide their own dsl modem, and that can provide them
with codes that indicate what detail was entered wrong. But this is
rare..

.