"Matthew D. O'Conner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >I recently bought an Asante router (3004LC) to use primarily as a >firewall and also as a convenient way to synch my laptop (Wallstreet >300) to the iMac (333Mhz - 512Mb - OS 8.6). > >I recently had installed an AT&T cable modem and thought that a >firewall would be a good move. > >Alas, the router has been a disaster from day one. > >When I hook it up according to the Asante directions (kind of thin >although they do cover Macs), it does not work. > >When I called Asante's tech line, a message told me that if I >followed the instructions and also turned off the cable modem for >three minutes, that the modem would reset with the router's TCP/IP >numbers. Sounded good - didn't work. Asante's message also said >that they cannot help users unless the user first calls the user's >service provider to ascertain the provider's "WAN." No explanation >given as to what a WAN is (that's important - see below)
WAN and LAN are networking terms that are relevant when you have a router. WAN (Wide Area Network) refers to the network on the cable modem side of the router and LAN (Local Area Network) refers to the network on the computer side of the router. A router basically defines a LAN and connects it to a WAN. I'm not sure what the phrase "ascertain the provider's WAN" means. That seems rather vague. >In fact, this unplug, replug process REALLY didn't work. After that >endeavor, the cable modem didn't work, either. (Even after several >unplugs for over thirty minutes to allow for 're-sets'). What do you mean the cable modem didn't work? Do you mean it didn't power up? Do you mean you couldn't access it through the router? Do you mean you couldn't access it all? What? "Didn't work" is not very specfic. >So I called Asante. Great service: "It can't be our fault as we have >NEVER heard of this before. It must be an AT&T problem. There must >be an outage in your area. When that gets fixed, call us back and we >can help." > >My comment in return: ""can't" be your problem? even when the modem >worked perfectly 1 second before I followed your 3 minute unplug >advice. Hmmmm.... what's the statistical likelihood of that?" > >Asante comment: "it can't be our fault." Turning off a cable modem to reset it shouldn't cause the modem to stop working but, if it did, then I'd have to agree with Asante's tech support on that point. Especially after you disconnnected the router. >My thought: why do so many people use the word "can't"? That's not >only wrong, it makes the speaker seem kind of dumb.....grrrrr. Yeah, poor choice of wording on their part. It's kind of like saying something "didn't work." ;) >So I called AT&T, asked if there was a local problem, asked what >AT&T's WAN is, and asked about why my cable modem didn't work after I >had turned it off and then on again while attached to the router. > >AT&T comment: "You're networking computers? (I try to yell in a >"NO!" but was talked over by tech person). We cannot help you. We >never help people who use cable modems for networks. And by the way, >there is no service problem in your area, and finally, (after asking >her boss), we have no idea what a WAN is and have never heard that >term." (in other words, "go away and don't bug me.") > >My comment: "I'm not networking, there is only one computer in my office." > >AT&T comment: "You must be networking. Anyway, we don't help people >with routers. You must call the router people." > >My comment: "there is no router in this system. I put it in my >truck 35 minutes ago. There is no router. There is no network." > >AT&T comment: "We don't help people with routers. You must call the >router people." > >My thought: I may as well have called and practiced speaking German >about Germany's recent election. I don't know why AT&T went ballistic at the mention of a network/router, except that ISPs hate debugging LAN/router problems (which is somewhat understandable given they don't have any control over that h/w). Their proper response should have been to ask you to disconnect the router and then proceeded to get the cable modem working. The fact that they didn't do that might suggest that it's time to find a new service provider. >My action: rip hair out of head. Can't get on-line and waiting for >an important email attachment. Unsolicited tip #1253: Don't start fiddling with your network while waiting for an important email attachment. >So I wait a few hours, then call AT&T back, hoping to get a more >with-it person and this time do not mention that there has ever been >a router in my office. This guy actually tries to help, runs some >tests, then suggests waiting a several hours and if it doesn't come >back on-line, then scheduling a service call. Not what I wanted to >hear but at least helpful. > >I wait six hours, then try again. Doesn't work. Unplug power to >modem, wait ten seconds, it works. Hm... sure sounds like a problem with the modem not resetting properly... but whatever... >Now I'm scared to even try the router again after losing a whole day >the last time. Further, AT&T apparently does not know what thier WAN >is (nor do I), and Asante will not help me unless I have that. Well again, asking them what their WAN is strikes me as rather vague question. I'd ask Asante exactly what it is they need to know (e.g., IP address, DNS address, etc) so you can ask AT&T (more) specific questions. >I plan to return the router to MacConnection but I still like the >IDEA of a firewall and a method to synch the PowerBook w/o unplugging >the cable modem. Also, I may someday actually network the other mac >in the office to the iMac but that's last on the priority list. Routers aren't rocket science, but if you have an ISP that's going to go ballistic at the mere mention of a router and a router company that insists you ask vague questions of your provider then it might be time to punt and find another ISP and/or another router company. :/ Hope this helps, -Jeff [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- "You can't brew a premium lager with a kool-aid mentality." --Harold Green in _The_Red_Green_Show_ -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 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