Re: AOL old Silver service using IP router



On 20 Jan 2006 15:15:51 -0800, ian wrote:

> Hi;
>
> Reading the lists, I see there are several folks using routers to
> replace the BT Voyager USB modem, but are these on the £17.99/moi
> (SIlver) service?
>
> I tried a D-Link 904 some time ago and gave up as I could not get it to
> go on this service.
> I guess if I can get this to go, I will not need the AOL install to get
> out to the internet.
>
> I was talked out of persuing IP instead of USB by AOL service as they
> said I needed the £24.99 Gold or better service.
>
> Anyone got the cheaper AOL service running on an IP router?
>
> Regards
> Ian

Ian,

I'm on AOL Silver and I'm using a router.

You need to set the router's MTU to 1400. Or you can change the MTU on your
PC. Aol says this about the MTU setting-

<quote>
What is an MTU setting and how can I change it?


MTU (Maximum Transfer Unit) defines the largest data packet size you can
transmit in one go across a network. Any messages larger than the MTU are
divided into smaller packets before being sent. The industry standard
follows the principle that in order to transmit the largest amount in one
go, an MTU should be set to a high value, such as 1500.

However, the AOL network runs at an MTU of 1400. Many routers have inbuilt
auto-configurations where the hardware identifies that the AOL traffic has
an MTU of 1400 and dynamically adjusts. If the router hardware does not
have this facility, the MTU setting can manually be changed on the PC.

This manual adjustment can be achieved by using DrTCP, a software utility
which is basically a shortcut to editing your registry and is available
online at the following Web site: http://www.broadbandreports.com/drtcp.
</quote>

I have a D-Link DSL-504 router and had to fiddle around with HyperTerminal
in order to set the MTU. Perhaps you have to do the same on the 904? As a
matter of interest, other routers - Netgear 834 series, for example - let
the user set the MTU via the web interface.

A final point - I suggest that you set up another screenname that you use
exclusively with the router. You can then use your main screenname when/if
you need to (prolly for account maintenance). IIRC the password for the
router's screenname should be no more than 8 alphanumeric characters.
--
Steve
.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: AOL problem - Im confused!
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