Which modem to buy for Mac OS X?

[LinLin]

Hi,
My old SpeedTouch adsl modem is no longer working on my Mac (OS X 10.4, Tiger). It's time to get something new, and I've been reading that ethernet modems are good.

I bought a Zoom X4 but can't get the router control panel to come up. So I'll likely be returning that unit. Any other suggestions? I've heard that Netgear has very good diagnostics to help with installation, which sounds very helpful. I'm looking for something WITH wires rather than wireless -- helps keep the cost down and keeps the computers tethered to the office.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

LinLin

[Sebby]

When you buy an ethernet modem, you don't need to look for anything specifically for Mac OS as no drivers are required for ethernet-based devices. Therefore, your Zoom X4 should be working fine. I wouldn't return it just yet as there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get to the control panel. How are you going about trying to do this?

[Rik]

Hi LinLin

Welcome to IDNetters, have a karma.

What Sebby said, but I would add that IDNet themselves do use Macs, so will be in a good position to help you if needed.

[LinLin]

Hiya --
Thanks for the warm welcome and quick responses! Very impressive. Am on the verge of changing internet providers, too, and stumbled upon IDNet and this forum. You may tip the decision to IDnet. :-)

What I've done is opened my browser and typed into the URL box http://10.0.0.2. It says "loading" for ages, but ultimately it stops. Then the next time it won't even try.

When I type in http://10.0.0.3, the control panel comes up fine. But I understand this is for the USB connection. And when I try to connect, it tells me it can't find the phone line. But the line is fine -- it's the same line I'm using now with my PC and the old SpeedTouch adsl modem. All that I changed was using the ADSL filter that came with the Zoom x4.

Really baffled.    Willing to try and and all ideas.

LinLin

P.S. What are the karma points? Think I like it. :-)

[Rik]

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the Zoom. Let me see if I can Google out a manual and get back to you...

[Rik]

Right. Haven't found much (yet), but the URL is correct. Do you have a firewall which could be blocking access?

[Rik]

Hi LinLin

Couple more things I've found.

This site:

http://home.visi.com/support/dsl/dhcp/macosx_dhcp.html

has specific Mac setup info.

I've also found a reference to the filter being built into the router, so if it's using a BT plug at the remote end, it could be that the filter supplied was for other sockets in the house, and by using it you're cutting off the ADSL to the router - has to be worth trying without as the ADSL side of a filter is actually unfiltered, if you see what I mean. It's the phone side that has the filter on it.

Karma is our way of saying thanks, or 'that was a good joke', or 'I appreciate you saying that' etc. You can award karma by clicking on the [Give karma] link below a member's name. You won't see the link beneath your own name, of course.

[LinLin]

Hi, Rik,
Wow, thanks for your help. I'll give you some karma if I can figure out how.

Actually I found that visi.com page earlier but still can't get connected.

As for the filter, I think I understand what you're saying but that that's not it. Without using the filter, it's not possible to connect to the wall phone outlet. Why -- the phone cord supplied is a US-style squarish one The filter plugs into the long & skinny jack on the wall, and it has one output that says "modem" with the US-style squarish plug, and the other says "phone" and is UK-style long & skinny.

Sigh...

LinLin

[Rik]

Hi LinLin

The filter idea was a bit of a longshot. It's worth switching with your old filter, though as the new one may be faulty. The squarish plugs are known as RJ11s, btw, and are similar to, but smaller than, the plugs on the ethernet leads, which are RJ45s. You can, though, plug an RJ11 into an RJ45 socket, so it would be worth double checking that you haven't done that (I'm not trying to suggest you have - but it could explain why you couldn't log in to the modem, so it's worth checking the possibilities - even though it seems unlikely as you're getting an error message about the phone line...).

How about the firewall, do you run one, could it block access to that address? It's the only other thing I can think of.

You might find the forum FAQ, of interest, btw:

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=5684.msg99681#msg99681

There's another one on that board dealing with common connection issues, but that's more to do with the ADSL side.

If you're anywhere near me (Milton Keynes), I can lend you an alternative router to try.

I'm off shortly for the evening, but others will do their best to help you. Meantime, I'll move this over to our help board where it will get seen by a bigger audience.

[LinLin]

Thanks, Rik. The responsiveness is really amazing. This feels like the Rolls Royce of service.

I've managed to find a "diagnostics" page, and everything appears to be fine. It passes tests of the ethernet connection, the adsl line, pings, autentication with the server. It even provides an ISP address when I click on "renew DHCP lease" in the network tabs.

When I go to connect, it tries for a long time and then says "no carrier detected -- please check your phone settings..." Again, this is the same line and adsl filter I use to successfully connect to the internet on my PC with the SpeedTouch.

Any ideas?

The only possibility I can think of it that there used to be in the Internet Connection dialog box an option for Ethernet. That has now disappeared. Is it necessary, and how would i go about it, to restore the "ethernet" option in the Internet Connection dialog box?

Thanks in advance --

LinLin

[Simon]

Hi LinLin, and    Sorry, I'm not able to help any further, but hopefully someone will be along later who can. 

Oh, just a thought, I know the error message doesn't really point to this, but is your ISP user name and password correctly logged in the router?

[LinLin]

Yes, the username and password are correct. I've checked them a dozen times and they are fine.

Many thanks for your help and that of others on the forum.

Ever hopeful,

LinLin

[Gary]

Can you drop the inbuilt mac firewall, then try and enter the router address, once you have but your IDNet info into it, the router will connect to idnet, I'm just wondering like Rik if the firewall is blocking it, I think you have to activate your ethernet I found this hope it helps
"Open Systems Preferences > Network set 'Location' to Automatic & 'Show' to Network Status. Choose Built-in Ethernet (which should have a green dot) & then select TCP/IP. Set 'Configure IPv4' to Using DHCP. In PPPoE make sure 'Connect using PPPoE' is unchecked. In AppleTalk, 'Make AppleTalk active' should be unchecked. In Proxies, these should all be unchecked. Finally, Ethernet should have 'configure' set to Automatically. Click the Apply Now button to action your changes" it may be a bit different on your mac but it should give you an idea

[Gary]

I would re activate the mac firewall after you have set your Ethernet port up

[Ted]

Gary, where did all that come from. i thought you were a windows man?
I always thought macs were for when it was raining outside

[Gary]

Gary, where did all that come from. i thought you were a windows man?
I always thought macs were for when it was raining outside

I am a windows man only because of the machine I use has it as are most people and I have not tried Linux yet, I would love a mac in fact I have to replace my PC this year but cash is a issue and Macs are lovely but expensive sadly saying that the PC's I have looked at are about the same price, thing is I use my machine for a  social life while Justina is away and all my friends use msn messenger for web cam chats and i think the mac version of that wont let you use  the web cam feature sadly. I just did a bit of research in the end, just hope it helped

[Ted]

I have to say that if i didn't use Linux, i'd definitely go for a mac. they look fantastic and the people  i know who use them have nothing but good things to say.
Have to try one, one day

[LinLin]

"Open Systems Preferences > Network set 'Location' to Automatic & 'Show' to Network Status. Choose Built-in Ethernet (which should have a green dot) & then select TCP/IP. Set 'Configure IPv4' to Using DHCP. In PPPoE make sure 'Connect using PPPoE' is unchecked. In AppleTalk, 'Make AppleTalk active' should be unchecked. In Proxies, these should all be unchecked. Finally, Ethernet should have 'configure' set to Automatically.

OK -- feeling a bit like a detective here. I found the firewall, and it was already off.

On the setting above, it was all as you describe EXCEPT "connect using PPPoE" wasn't checked. When I checked that, the "ethernet" connection option reappeared in the Internet Connect dialog box. BUT -- it still wouldn't connect. And when i tried to open the control panel for the router (http://10.0.0.3) which had previously worked, it no longer worked. Checking "connect using PPPoe" also removed the DHCP option for configuring IPv4, and the router manual was very clear that the DHCP option is the one I need.

So -- still as confused as ever and really wondering if there isn't a piece of hardware out there that's easier to install?



Linlin

[Ted]

Hi Lin
In Gary's post it said that PPPoe should be unchecked
you need to use PPPoa
Ted

[LinLin]

Right -- I've been at this too many hours.   

It was originally unchecked. I've changed it back to unchecked and it's back to square one. All the diagnostic tests come out fine. It just won't connect.

Again, does anyone have a modem they use with a PowerBook that was _easy_ to install? At this point I'd very happily trade this one in.

Thanks, and will check in again tomorrow,

LinLin

[Lance]

I wonder whether uninstalling the speedtouch drivers might help. Also, you say when you go to connect it takes ages and then says about the phone line. Is that on the router or in the os? If the router is passing the diagnostic tests, including pings, then it must be connected to the net. I don't use a mac, so may be wrong here, but when using a router you don't have to install anything and it should automatically find the internet connection.

[Rik]

At this point, I'd be suspicious of a faulty router. Ideally, LinLin, see if you can borrow another one to try.

[Najarak]

OK -- feeling a bit like a detective here. I found the firewall, and it was already off.

On the setting above, it was all as you describe EXCEPT "connect using PPPoE" wasn't checked. When I checked that, the "ethernet" connection option reappeared in the Internet Connect dialog box. BUT -- it still wouldn't connect. And when i tried to open the control panel for the router (http://10.0.0.3) which had previously worked, it no longer worked. Checking "connect using PPPoe" also removed the DHCP option for configuring IPv4, and the router manual was very clear that the DHCP option is the one I need.

So -- still as confused as ever and really wondering if there isn't a piece of hardware out there that's easier to install?



Linlin

I use Macs and used a Netgear DG834G v 2 for a few years and now use a 2Wire 2700 dual SSID. In the Tiger Network pane of System Prefs ( in Leopard the panel is slightly different ) the settings that you have  are correct, you never use the Internet Connect application, the Network panel in System Prefs does the lot.

Does the TCP/IP pane in Network show an IP address for the router ?.
Presumably you are using Safari to try to connect to the router, have you got Firefox or Camino available to try ?, at one time the Netgear interface was a bit "dodgy" with Safari but worked well with Firefox ( Safari works fine now though).

If possible in your situation I would try a Netgear, they are a doddle to set up, put the routers address in Safari , enter your user name and password from your ISP in the connection wizard and a couple of minutes later you are connected.

[Rik]

Thanks for that, Steve.

[Sebby]

Come to think of it, I've seen this on another Mac with a Zoom X4, and - knowing very little about Macs - I couldn't get to the bottom of it. The page displayed fine on a PC though.

EDIT: Ignore me, it was an X-Modem (the one ADSL Nation sell).