aol and modem supportForum: Other Help Topics Topic: aol and modem support started by: evil_jimbobly Posted by evil_jimbobly on Dec. 22 2004,14:18
Hi there,I have recently installed dsl on my partners laptop because her copy of win98 died. Originally I just wanted to fix the windows problem with the help of dsl, but it seems that she is would be quite happy to keep dsl installed as she only really uses the laptop for web browsing, and she has experience of firefox. However their are 2 major problems which I have never really understood how to solve in linux (im a complete newbie) Firstly her isp is AOL broadband, and i am led to believe that it is not possible to connect in a conventional way to aol. Secondly the modem in use is a usb BT voyager type. Any help with these problems would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance p.s are there any distros which support aol/usb modems out of the box? Posted by mpie on Dec. 22 2004,14:25
not possible under linux as far as I'm aware she will probably be better served switching ISP's. The modem should be configurable but you wont get access if you do AOL do not allow itBTW welcome to the forums, if anyone knows a hack that does work please feel free to correct this post Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Dec. 22 2004,16:49
If the net connection comes via a cat5 cable and goes into a router, it should work okay.If she doesn't have a router, I would recommend the excellent (especially for the price) < Netgear MR814 >. This time of year, you should be able to catch it on sale at Fry's or Compusa for less than $20. It was $9.99 last week, with a $10 mail in rebate. You can't beat free. -J.P. Posted by cbagger01 on Dec. 22 2004,18:06
If you are using a broadband connection, it should work fine.You don't need the AOL software in order to do ordinary web browsing on the Internet. If you need access to AOL-specific content, you may be able to log into the AOL web site by visiting aol.com However, if you need to use the AOL instant messaging service, you can install one of the Instant Messenger programs from the myDSL repository like GAIM. Just make sure to read the *.info file for that extension as it will include some installation instructions. Posted by evil_jimbobly on Dec. 22 2004,20:43
hi againthanks for all of your replies. However I do not think i have made myself clear enough. the laptop connects to the internet directly through a USB modem (bt voyager) I think it is a conexant type. As far as I am aware these modems require a driver of some sorts. With regards to AOL, i was given the impression that this isp is different because you do not sign on in a conventional way (proprietary browser). thanks again Posted by Jason on Jan. 10 2005,13:56
Hi,I to suffer the same fate as you. But, all is not lost! My research has led me to some software (freeware) PengAOL. Plus there is a website that claims to have the driver(s) needed for the voyager 105 usb modem. Jason Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 10 2005,14:51
"AOL is a software ISP pretending to be a hardware ISP"So AOL broadband software can be avoided? I know that the SBC/Yahoo software doesn't need to be installed (though there was of course no hint about that from SBC), but I assumed AOL was too stubborn to allow access through anything but their proprietary software. Posted by AwPhuch on Jan. 10 2005,15:10
Yessir! This is exactly the case! Brian AwPhuch Posted by robzulah on Jan. 10 2005,22:05
I havent quite got DSL installed yet, but I'm trying my damndest with the help of all you guys. But I have been wondering, is it possible to connect to AOL Dial-Up through DSL? I dont care about the software or anything, thats just a waste of space. All I need is to be able to surf the web.
Posted by cbagger01 on Jan. 12 2005,03:56
Using AOL dial-up in Linux is a lot harder.I seem to remember somebody saying that there was an old Linux program that allowed you to use AOL, but I forget the name. Try searching the forums for AOL. Hopefully something will come up. Posted by robzulah on Jan. 14 2005,08:26
Finally got DSL installed and running! Yay! I looked into PengAOL, downloaded it on the PC and put it onto the DSL computer via floppy disk. I followed the instructions on a tutorial about installing it, but I got some errors. Does anyone know for sure wether or not Peng is compatible with DSL or not?
Posted by lukehounsome on Jan. 25 2005,14:28
Hi guys, I see you suggest getting a router for internet sharing. I did this as my flatmate has AOL (ADSL) and I figured I could share the connection. I got the router set up so that he can access AOL on his XP box but I can't seem to get Internet access on my Fedora Core 2 installation. I've tried setting the gateway to the IP of the router but still nothing. Anyone had this problem. Cheers |