Checking internet connection without a winbox

[Dotan Cohen]

On 25/09/06, Chong Yu Meng <chongym at cymulacrum.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Dotan,
>
> I know I'm coming into this thread rather late, and I may have missed
> some of the earlier posts, but here are my 2 cents:
>
> Some cable/xDSL modems do not possess a GUI or means by which you can
> interact with it. I have a pretty old Motorola cable modem that is like
> that. It just grabs an IP address from the ISP and I can't control it in
> any way, except to unplug the power and re-plug it back.
>
> Instead of wrestling with the IP address and the modem, you may want to
> consider another alternative: look around for a combination router/modem
> that will handle the connection details for you and provide a GUI which
> you can use to configure your network. There are quite a few models from
> NetGear, Linksys and D-Link. Of course, you would probably need to do a
> little homework before buying by asking subscribers to the same service
> what models they purchased or what they are successfully using.

I'd like to get by without buying hardware. I live on a student grant,
and in any case, the equiptment is very expensive (and not widely
available for purchase, with the exeption of a router) in Israel.

> Besides avoiding the hassles of configuration, there are 2 other reasons
> why I think this approach is better:
>
> 1. With cable/xDSL connections, you will want to keep the connection
> "always on", if you are not subscribed to a plan that limits you by time
> or bandwidth. Using a computer as a router will tend to heat up the room
> and introduce noise (if you have noisy fans). If it is always on, and if
> you are in a small room, it can get quite uncomfortable very quickly.

I've only one computer. So I've no real need for a router, if I can
connect to the 'net without one.

> 2. Some devices provide features for wireless networking. Until I
> actually installed it, I did not realize how useful it would be -- not
> having to lay cables all over the place, the freedom to move about as I
> wished, etc.

The machine is a desktop one, so I've no need for wireless. This is
good to keep in mind, though.

> I am currently using a rather old NetGear MR814 which provides a GUI and
> 802.11b access, and which connects to my also-old Motorola cable modem.
>
> Well, anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Oh, and welcome back !;)

Thank you. Always good to be home!


Dotan Cohen