Dynamic IP Newbie Fun

I know, I know, "Grrrr....Newbies!" But every one of us willing to make the effort to learn something new takes something away from the OS monopoly. Anyway, enough of my defensiveness...

I have loaded up DSL from my newly burned Live CD and it is all well and good, but unless I can learn how to connect to the net it will never be my main operating system. Unfortunately, I can't find much information on where to start, particularly because I have a dynamic IP address. Our broadband is provided, strangely enough, by waitrose, a supermarket here in the UK, and it comes through a Voyager 105 ADSL USB modem.

So here's the question: Should I take Waitrose.com's statement that their service is only compatible with Windows and Mac at face value, or should I be trying to find sneaky ways to connect through Linux? And if it is possible to get connected, then where can I find a HOW TO that can get me educated about, er, how to?

Thanks for any help, Tt

By Ttrent at 2005-02-16 14:16 | Ttrent's blog | login or register to post comments

Hi. My advice is to make r

Hi.

My advice is to make requests for help in the forums instead of the blogs.

As for waitrose, the easy solution is to ask the waitrose people how to hook up a home router to your ADSL modem. Something like a Linksys or a D-Link, for example.

Once you have a typical home router installed, it is very easy to connect just about any Internet capable device without problems. So not only will your ISP work with a non-Windows or Mac computer, it will also work with a Linux computer or even a game system like an XBOX or PS2, or a TIVO if you have such a device.

As for your specific question, my advice is to search Google for the terms KNOPPIX and Voyager 105

and see if you can get any help. The DSL livecd is based on the KNOPPIX 3.4 livecd, so help for KNOPPIX could also apply here.

Good Luck.

By cbagger01 at Wed, 2005-02-16 18:01 | login or register to post comments

Yes

I agree with cbagger01. A router may be the easiest. I have the SBC Yahoo DSL service and I can connect my linux PC directly to the modem. SBC gives you a bunch of software you can install on your PC to login and such (SBC Browser) but I skipped all of that and just had my account information in the firmware of the modem so anything that connects to the modem is online. I think DSL has a ppoe setup tool. Have you tried that?

Anyway, this is better to be in the forums than here.

Good luck

By clivesay at Wed, 2005-02-16 18:39 | login or register to post comments

damnsmall & waitrose.com ISP

It's highly unlikely that waitrose.com won't work with linux. (their faq says they don't provide tech support for non windows/mac users). Previous poster is right, tell them you're using windows but trying to set up their modem with a router.

Many USB modems don't work with Linux. Given a choice, go with ethernet instead. And it looks like yours won't work with DSL, at least not without the gnu utils and development environment. (if you're installing to HD and want to keep the usb modem you're better off with a fuller distro, although switching distros is no guarantee either. Personally, I'd buy a router & and a dsl modem with ethernet interface instead of USB. If that won't work with your provider, switch providers.)

See http://www.lack-of.org.uk/viewarticle.php?article=114

By prayforwind at Mon, 2005-02-21 04:25 | login or register to post comments

I got my router from...

...Ebuyer, and it cost me £39, however I notice they have another one now going for much less, £27 when I wrote this. (Their product code 48449) The one I bought was an Origo 4-port ASR-8400 and if you can still find one, I know there is a great suport network of users out there if you google for it.

I popped round next door to help iron out a few problems with thir adsl modem setup and I was very surprised at the concept of connecting 'a la "dial up"'. It's to be expected I suppose. Progress, in order to be palatable to the masses, must be in vaguely recognisable chunks :-)

By pcjanitor at Wed, 2005-03-16 22:26 | login or register to post comments

DSL Talk