Comcast Self-install/Router Recommendation

I had moved into my new apartment in 3 months ago & didn't need to install Comcast software to do a new connection. When I started the browser, it was an automatic send to the "self-install" site where some prompts were done. ahem, there was a huge bug at the self-install/provisioning site where one just kept looping back to the main menu.

My solution was to call Comcast tech & they told me about the bug & setup my connection from their (comcast's) end. Another problem cropped up due to my router's cache (netgear fr114p) which kept finding the self-provisioning site & not too many other sites; solution was to unplug the router, wait 10 secs (counted to 15) & replug the router.

If the website has been fixed, then it would just prompt you for info as in account number (listed on the bill), etc.

Do a google search for network stumbler (freeware), running it on a wireless system will list the WAP's that are in range.

Also airsnare, which will list attempts to access your WAP.

Sadly, I have no experience when it comes to 6 girls sharing an apartment.

I also have no experience with the current self-install procedures, but it's been discussed here before, so I'm sure someone knows.

Probably yes, but since this is an apartment, the potential exists for other apartment dwellers in the building to be using wireless, as well, so it's possible that the air will be dense with wireless signals. Keep in mind that while you have 11 channels to choose from, they partially overlap their adjacent channels, so you'll want to choose a channel as far away as possible from other channels currently in use. You may want to revisit this topic periodically, especially if the wireless user experience degrades, since networks can come and go as tenants move in/out.

For example, you may have put the wireless router downstairs on the main floor and someone upstairs needs to access it. The signal might travel at an angle through a wall, through the ceiling/floor, and possibly through another wall before making it to the PC. Meanwhile, a tenant next door might have installed a router upstairs immediately on the other side of the apartment wall, using the same channel, so his/her signal will be much stronger upstairs than yours. Turn your router off and 'listen' for other networks on one of the PC's, then move away from those networks by selecting the appropriate channel. Cordless phone and microwaves can also interfere, BTW.

I wouldn't accept anything less than WPA or WPA2. This is a college town, after all, so the likelihood of kids monitoring open networks seems high. WEP is too easily cracked, so I'd use WPA/WPA2 with a shared passphrase (Pre-Shared Key).

My $0.02. :)

Motorola makes a decent DOCSIS (cable) modem that includes a WiFi access point. Friend of mine uses this and it works fine, and has a decent configurable firewall function. It was purchased retail somewhere. (Best Buy?)

As for wireless security, AFAIK it doesn't support WPA, but it does support WEP. You can make WEP a little more secure by tweaking certain parameters like MAC restrictions and SSID broadcast, depends on how far you want to take this. I personally keep having weird problems getting WPA to work on XP boxes, and if anyone is using older OS's it could also be an issue to get WPA working, so keep that in mind.

No problems here with XP and WPA on a Linksys WRT54G. Easy setup, and the only problem I see is that if I hibernate the laptop a lot of times, it may not reconnect and require a reboot. Maybe once a week.

I just stumbled across this thread, so I'm a little late to the discussion. Hope it worked ok for you.

The link provides good information about the Comcast installer. It is a somewhat easy to use system for getting online. If you're worried about the Comcast support agent and IE branding, just create a system restore point prior to running the installer. You can then "go back" to the point before registering. In some cases, you may need to change some of the security settings to "prompt" from "disable," specifically, Unsigned ActiveX controls, and Initialize and Script ActiveX controls not marked as safe. Make sure you reset these after installing (not sure if system restore will reset them).

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1126453649.237748.16780 @g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I did that this past Friday, 9/2/05. Comcast arrived as scheduled, extended existing coax to where I needed it, and dropped off the self-install kit. Once I connected my daughter's laptop to the modem (RCA DCM425C), and launched her browser, I was presented with a Comcast welcome screen, and instructed to "Click here" to install the Comcast software and configure my account. Instead, I called Comcast and configured my account over the phone, and was online in about 15 minutes. Once I had the Comcast HSI working fine, I installed a wireless router.

The other five roomies that ordered SBC dsl had the phone line installed on 9/2/05, but are still waiting for dsl. The earliest ETA is 9/15/05. They have been using the Comcast HSI in the meantime.