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What do you have against the USB modems? I was quite happy with my Alcatel frog running under Linux, I got some very nice uptimes with it and the
only
reason they weren't longer was due to the electricity having a key
meter...
I actually prefer the modem terminating on a linux pc rather than through
a
router as you can see network traffic directly on the DSL interface rather than being abstracted by ethernet.
One of my customers has just bought a new BT ADSL line, and was supplied with an Intel Anypoint 3240, which is a) USB, and b) completely incompatible (as far as I can find on the net) with Linux. I don't think that BT supply the Alcatel unit any more.
I've found another RJ45 modem/router which is Linux compatible, sold by Scan (amongst others) for £55 inc VAT. It's the MRI ADSL Router + Ethernet, and looks just the job. I'll be fitting it to a standard Linux firewall next week, so we'll see.
I agree, the USB ones, unless there's a (known, good) driver, are the spawn of the devil. Ethernet is just so much easier to set up...
Cheers, Laurie. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Well answered. To which I'd add that low-cost modems don't offer a lot of flexibility. They may be fine for dynamic IP but with static you usually want more control than they offer. Such as multiple NAT mixed with fixed IP. I'm no kind of an expert, but I lurked on an ADSL list for a while. Some posts reckon cheap routers make services such as MSN Messenger or VPN impossible to use. Since this was a once-off purchase I decided not to be cheap (for once). The Draytek was easy to set up (there's a remote management mode so the tech guy at Zen did much of it for me on an 0870 call) and has since been very boring indeed. I run a couple of servers behind it on fixed routable addresses, plus a network of Linux, Windows and wi-fi Zaurus mostly with dynamic IP. There's nothing to stop you putting your own firewall on it if you don't like what it offers. The only downside is the documentation is unsuited to novices like me, so it'll take me yonks to make full use of it.
-- GT