DSL on ME

psykotrol · 02-19-2007, 08:54 PM

My nephews recently got DSL from AT&T, but they cant figure out how to set it up properly. They tried to contact AT&T for help but said that the OS was too old and they werent "allowed" to help with it. Sounds fishy to me but we cant get help from them. So much for technical support. Anyway, I was wondering if somebody could give me step by step instructions how to set up DSL on ME. Thanks for any help -Artie

**OldGrayGary** · 02-19-2007, 10:55 PM

Hi psykotrol

Here is a quote from a webpage for AT&T DSL Service:
________________
The following are the minimum PC system requirements for the satisfactory operation of your DSL service:

Intel or equivalent Pentium Pro, II, III, or IV at 133MHz or faster
Windows 95/98/ME/XP or Windows NT 4.0/2000 (TCP/IP and Ethernet support must be enabled)
RAM -
Windows 95/98/XP - 32 MB
Windows NT - 32 MB
Hard drive with 100 megabytes available
Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or built-in Ethernet port supporting 10 Base-T
CD ROM
Microsoft® TCP/IP stack
__________________
That quote comes from their site:
http://dsl.bus.att.com/gs/pc.html
__________________

More info on how to self-install their service (I'm assuming that the nephews didn't have any "professional installation", since then everything would already be working fine) --- http://dsl.bus.att.com/faqs/sif.html
__________________

The above information only applies if AT&T is the vendor. Other vendors have different requirements. There are even different versions of support from within the AT&T family of services -- witness this webpage, which lists Win2000 as the oldest Windows version supported (but this seems to only directly refer to using the specialized Yahoo! browser) --- http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=7304 ---

The support personnel may have been referring to limitations in their support policies, rather than actual technical limitations of their DSL service itself. It might also be that the higher 'system requirements' only apply if you are using their specialized browser & accompanying software (usually antivirus, firewall, and antispyware tools). Often to use their DSL service with an older version of Windows, you need a fairly strong knowledge of both Windows and of their service -- not something a casual computer user generally is accomplished at.

Your nephews' best source for installation questions is the vendor: if the first answers they get aren't helping, they should escalate to the next level of support (ask for the supervisor, or next-up-level support).

Best of luck
. . . Gary

psykotrol · 02-19-2007, 11:35 PM

I think I worded that wrong. their comp has all the specs that are required, however they cant get it to get a webpage on IE. Im thinking its more OS/settings related than hardware, like when I had to do an ipconfig to access my comcast service. I live an hour and a half away from them so I cant be hands on. Is there any settings they need to check? like network connections and whatnot. they said they have all the hardware connected properly according to the instructions.

**OldGrayGary** · 02-20-2007, 12:31 AM

Hi again

Are they fairly expert at the setup for routers and firewalls, if any are involved? As you might expect, the network adapters, too, have to be configured correctly - TCP/IP bound to the adapter, DHCP enabled, etc. And as far as the hardware setup - the placement of the filters on every single phone in the house (or office) is critical.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

psykotrol · 02-20-2007, 01:01 AM

there are no firewalls or routers. since I havent used this comp in.. 4 years I dont know where all the settings are in ME. as for the filters ill have to ask tomorrow, but i did tell them that they had to do that. as for the adapter, im pretty sure they have a network card, cuz they said that all the cords that came with it are connected properly, so that must mean they have it, right? or would speed be a concern (10/100/1000)? if ME came with a network adapter it would probably be pretty old im guessing, so probably not even 10? where would the dhcp setting be in ME? under accessories maybe? could you possibly give me a complete list of all the settings and in what directory theyre in, that are required for the connection to work?

**OldGrayGary** · 02-20-2007, 01:00 PM

Hi again

AT&T provides a configuration guide for each operating system, from Windows 95 through XP, and Mac OSX. They are in the Adobe .PDF format, so your nephews will need to have a version of the free Adobe Reader installed. Here's the link to the AT&T "Configuration Guides" --- http://dsl.bus.att.com/gs/pcg.html

Apparently, the "Premium' service comes with a router -- the Zyxel 643R --- the configuration guide for that, too, is available from the above link.

The Windows-Me Network configuration is done mostly through the Network applet in Control Panel, as is likely mentioned in the "Configuration Guide".

It may take a few phone calls to get the right answers from the right support folks on the AT&T side --- some of the software truly isn't compatible with anything earlier than Windows 2000.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[With a Windows Me machine, it might be a good idea for them to use a router, since that would provide a built-in hardware firewall. This way, they could go with a less-resource-hungry software firewall in the PC. The combination would be about as good as possible for a Win9x system. Windows Me can't provide the same level of online security the later Windows versions can - and Windows Me has the same trouble with system resources that all Win9x based versions have - which means they don't run continuously for long periods of time very well (they tend to need to be rebooted a few times a week, since some "resource heaps" aren't returned for use after a poorly written app is closed)].

**Done_Fishin** · 02-20-2007, 02:19 PM

Hi
I've been using WinMe and a 1MB ADSL line for sometime now ..
Fisrt thing is that you should have been given a modem which interfaces from your PC to teh ISp .. mine is a usb interface but there are others that connect to the RJ45 on a NIC (Network Interface Card also known as a LAN card).
I have used a couple of these usb modems and have found that diferent people use different methods to connect. My current modem uses a dial up setting (after installing the drivers) and it dials 000000 to gain access and log on to my account with my ISP. Another modem I used didn't require a dial up networking setting but seemed to do everything automatically but since it was a modem supplied via a different ISP to mine I had to put my account name in full (name@ISP.com) when asked for account details.

There is also the fact that there are 2 types of modem connection.. one is DSL over POTS ( old telephone system) and also ADSL over ISDN .. they have different protocols and require the correct modem depending upon the type of line you have (POTS or ISDN).

Once you have the correct modem you'll have to check that the modem synchronizes with the ISP .. There will be an indicator , either on your monitor taskbar or on the modem that tells you that your modem has recognised and synchronised with the DSL line . In my case with my DSL over POTS I also had to make sure that the correct protocols are used plus configure the modem for the line being used .. Some providers (ISP's) have this done automatically, whilst others expect this to be set up manually. Just because the light comes up to say that you're connected doesn't mean that you're ready to connect. The information about setting up the modem should be available on your ISP (AOL in your case)

psykotrol · 02-20-2007, 09:56 PM

Ok what am I supposed to do? I read that pdf doc and did everything they said, but I dont know what to do about the whole DHCP thing. How do I configure that?

**OldGrayGary** · 02-20-2007, 11:54 PM

Hi again

It's all in the .pdf Configuration Guide for Windows Me. Slow down, and pay attention to the details. In steps 4 & 5 in that guide, they show screenshots of the Network applet in Control Panel. When the TCP/IP for the network adapter is selected, you then select "Properties" - and for a DSL line that requires a STATIC address, you type in that information. For a DSL line that requires a DYNAMIC address, you select "Obtain IP address automatically" (which is DHCP). But your nephews have to know what sort they ordered.

Keep at it, you'll get there
. . . Gary

psykotrol · 02-21-2007, 04:36 AM

I told them to do everything thats in there, and when we check the ip its all 0's. Its dynamic so it [b]should[b/] pick it up automatically, but it doesnt. I suppose its just a matter of them listening to me (which theyre usually good at). I told them to put in their username for the host and all the other DNS configuration crap. however were going to call the Geek Squad if we cant figure it out, cheaper than a new OS anyway.

**OldGrayGary** · 02-21-2007, 11:12 AM

Hi again

Hope it turns out OK. As far as fees, they should try to resolve whatever they can by themselves first, since they've worked quite a bit so far. The AT&T professional install is around $175 full-price (but there are lots of promos and other special deals during sign-ups that greatly reduce the fee), and Best Buy setup can be well over $70 - especially if they have to make the house call & the service time goes for more than an hour.

I'd look at the setup for the AT&T DSL "modem" device & see if it looks right: did it turn out to be the Zyxel DSL router? If there's a router involved, the instructions will likely show how to set it up as the default DHCP provider. The router/DSL device will also be setup as the Default Gateway.

DSL can be a little trickier than cable to setup.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

02-19-2007, 08:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
psykotrol Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5 OS: ME	DSL on ME My nephews recently got DSL from AT&T, but they cant figure out how to set it up properly. They tried to contact AT&T for help but said that the OS was too old and they werent "allowed" to help with it. Sounds fishy to me but we cant get help from them. So much for technical support. Anyway, I was wondering if somebody could give me step by step instructions how to set up DSL on ME. Thanks for any help -Artie

02-19-2007, 10:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Hi psykotrol Here is a quote from a webpage for AT&T DSL Service: ________________ The following are the minimum PC system requirements for the satisfactory operation of your DSL service: Intel or equivalent Pentium Pro, II, III, or IV at 133MHz or faster Windows 95/98/ME/XP or Windows NT 4.0/2000 (TCP/IP and Ethernet support must be enabled) RAM - Windows 95/98/XP - 32 MB Windows NT - 32 MB Hard drive with 100 megabytes available Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or built-in Ethernet port supporting 10 Base-T CD ROM Microsoft® TCP/IP stack __________________ That quote comes from their site: http://dsl.bus.att.com/gs/pc.html __________________ More info on how to self-install their service (I'm assuming that the nephews didn't have any "professional installation", since then everything would already be working fine) --- http://dsl.bus.att.com/faqs/sif.html __________________ The above information only applies if AT&T is the vendor. Other vendors have different requirements. There are even different versions of support from within the AT&T family of services -- witness this webpage, which lists Win2000 as the oldest Windows version supported (but this seems to only directly refer to using the specialized Yahoo! browser) --- http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=7304 --- The support personnel may have been referring to limitations in their support policies, rather than actual technical limitations of their DSL service itself. It might also be that the higher 'system requirements' only apply if you are using their specialized browser & accompanying software (usually antivirus, firewall, and antispyware tools). Often to use their DSL service with an older version of Windows, you need a fairly strong knowledge of both Windows and of their service -- not something a casual computer user generally is accomplished at. Your nephews' best source for installation questions is the vendor: if the first answers they get aren't helping, they should escalate to the next level of support (ask for the supervisor, or next-up-level support). Best of luck . . . Gary __________________

02-20-2007, 12:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Hi again Are they fairly expert at the setup for routers and firewalls, if any are involved? As you might expect, the network adapters, too, have to be configured correctly - TCP/IP bound to the adapter, DHCP enabled, etc. And as far as the hardware setup - the placement of the filters on every single phone in the house (or office) is critical. Best of luck . . . Gary __________________

02-20-2007, 01:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Hi again AT&T provides a configuration guide for each operating system, from Windows 95 through XP, and Mac OSX. They are in the Adobe .PDF format, so your nephews will need to have a version of the free Adobe Reader installed. Here's the link to the AT&T "Configuration Guides" --- http://dsl.bus.att.com/gs/pcg.html Apparently, the "Premium' service comes with a router -- the Zyxel 643R --- the configuration guide for that, too, is available from the above link. The Windows-Me Network configuration is done mostly through the Network applet in Control Panel, as is likely mentioned in the "Configuration Guide". It may take a few phone calls to get the right answers from the right support folks on the AT&T side --- some of the software truly isn't compatible with anything earlier than Windows 2000. Best of luck . . . Gary [With a Windows Me machine, it might be a good idea for them to use a router, since that would provide a built-in hardware firewall. This way, they could go with a less-resource-hungry software firewall in the PC. The combination would be about as good as possible for a Win9x system. Windows Me can't provide the same level of online security the later Windows versions can - and Windows Me has the same trouble with system resources that all Win9x based versions have - which means they don't run continuously for long periods of time very well (they tend to need to be rebooted a few times a week, since some "resource heaps" aren't returned for use after a poorly written app is closed)]. __________________

02-20-2007, 02:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Done_Fishin Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brit living in Greece Posts: 7,521 OS: WinME, WinXP Pro SP3, Win7 Beta, Ubuntu 9.04 & Netbook Remix & CD2USB, Mepis 6.5, Fedora 10 My System	Hi I've been using WinMe and a 1MB ADSL line for sometime now .. Fisrt thing is that you should have been given a modem which interfaces from your PC to teh ISp .. mine is a usb interface but there are others that connect to the RJ45 on a NIC (Network Interface Card also known as a LAN card). I have used a couple of these usb modems and have found that diferent people use different methods to connect. My current modem uses a dial up setting (after installing the drivers) and it dials 000000 to gain access and log on to my account with my ISP. Another modem I used didn't require a dial up networking setting but seemed to do everything automatically but since it was a modem supplied via a different ISP to mine I had to put my account name in full (name@ISP.com) when asked for account details. There is also the fact that there are 2 types of modem connection.. one is DSL over POTS ( old telephone system) and also ADSL over ISDN .. they have different protocols and require the correct modem depending upon the type of line you have (POTS or ISDN). Once you have the correct modem you'll have to check that the modem synchronizes with the ISP .. There will be an indicator , either on your monitor taskbar or on the modem that tells you that your modem has recognised and synchronised with the DSL line . In my case with my DSL over POTS I also had to make sure that the correct protocols are used plus configure the modem for the line being used .. Some providers (ISP's) have this done automatically, whilst others expect this to be set up manually. Just because the light comes up to say that you're connected doesn't mean that you're ready to connect. The information about setting up the modem should be available on your ISP (AOL in your case) __________________ . . I'm not old!! I'm age impaired .. D_F I DON'T PLAY GAMES How to mark your thread as solved HDD DIAG UTILS TSF's Photographer's Corner

02-19-2007, 11:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
psykotrol Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5 OS: ME	I think I worded that wrong. their comp has all the specs that are required, however they cant get it to get a webpage on IE. Im thinking its more OS/settings related than hardware, like when I had to do an ipconfig to access my comcast service. I live an hour and a half away from them so I cant be hands on. Is there any settings they need to check? like network connections and whatnot. they said they have all the hardware connected properly according to the instructions.

02-20-2007, 01:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
psykotrol Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5 OS: ME	there are no firewalls or routers. since I havent used this comp in.. 4 years I dont know where all the settings are in ME. as for the filters ill have to ask tomorrow, but i did tell them that they had to do that. as for the adapter, im pretty sure they have a network card, cuz they said that all the cords that came with it are connected properly, so that must mean they have it, right? or would speed be a concern (10/100/1000)? if ME came with a network adapter it would probably be pretty old im guessing, so probably not even 10? where would the dhcp setting be in ME? under accessories maybe? could you possibly give me a complete list of all the settings and in what directory theyre in, that are required for the connection to work?

02-20-2007, 09:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
psykotrol Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5 OS: ME	Ok what am I supposed to do? I read that pdf doc and did everything they said, but I dont know what to do about the whole DHCP thing. How do I configure that?

02-20-2007, 11:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Hi again It's all in the .pdf Configuration Guide for Windows Me. Slow down, and pay attention to the details. In steps 4 & 5 in that guide, they show screenshots of the Network applet in Control Panel. When the TCP/IP for the network adapter is selected, you then select "Properties" - and for a DSL line that requires a STATIC address, you type in that information. For a DSL line that requires a DYNAMIC address, you select "Obtain IP address automatically" (which is DHCP). But your nephews have to know what sort they ordered. Keep at it, you'll get there . . . Gary __________________

02-21-2007, 04:36 AM	#10 (permalink)
psykotrol Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5 OS: ME	I told them to do everything thats in there, and when we check the ip its all 0's. Its dynamic so it [b]should[b/] pick it up automatically, but it doesnt. I suppose its just a matter of them listening to me (which theyre usually good at). I told them to put in their username for the host and all the other DNS configuration crap. however were going to call the Geek Squad if we cant figure it out, cheaper than a new OS anyway.

02-21-2007, 11:12 AM	#11 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Hi again Hope it turns out OK. As far as fees, they should try to resolve whatever they can by themselves first, since they've worked quite a bit so far. The AT&T professional install is around $175 full-price (but there are lots of promos and other special deals during sign-ups that greatly reduce the fee), and Best Buy setup can be well over $70 - especially if they have to make the house call & the service time goes for more than an hour. I'd look at the setup for the AT&T DSL "modem" device & see if it looks right: did it turn out to be the Zyxel DSL router? If there's a router involved, the instructions will likely show how to set it up as the default DHCP provider. The router/DSL device will also be setup as the Default Gateway. DSL can be a little trickier than cable to setup. Best of luck . . . Gary __________________