I currently have the "home networking package" from my ISP earthlink. With the plan, they add an extra $10 a month plus shipped the wirelesss router and they include phone support(via India of course!). I was wondering if there is any need for me to have such a plan if already have a router and just want to share the connection wireless through your home.
I asked the customer service guy at earthlink on the phone about cancelling the home networking package. He said that I would no longer be able to share my connection, but not being a tech guy he couldn't explain why. I don't know if that's just a BS answer they give to keep your extra money or if he's telling the truth.
Maybe there is a way of only allowing one IP per connection? I just don't know much about the mechanics of internet protocols. If I have just a basic DSL plan, will the wireless router still work allowing me to use multiple computers to connect?
Do you have "High speed internet access"? If so, you do not need anything extra from your ISP. For instance, if you have Earthlink's cable access, all you need to do is purchase a wireless router or a standalone access point to connect to your current router as well as a couple of ethernet cables. Despite them telling you that you will no longer be able to share a connection is BS. That is one of the purposes of a router. One end of an ethernet cable will connect to the cable/DSL modem provided by Earthlink while the other end will connect to the WAN/Internet port of your personal Wireless router/Access Point. If you're using the typical home wireless router, it will contain four LAN ports and one WAN port Why is that? That configuration will allow you to network four individual computers and provide internet access to each of them without you incurring additional fees from your ISP. The ISP provide each detected PC with an IP address and you are charged accordingly. However, the router will provide each connected PC with a private IP address and your ISP will not know it. The same goes for wireless routers and connected wireless devices. Having said that, cancel the bogus home networking package offered by your ISP and buy yourself a wireless router. Forgive me for any typos, etcetera. I'm trying to answer your post and watch classic boxing at the same time. Anyway, take care.
You don't need the extra service. However, I can tell you didn't look at the Earthlink web site. There are lots of other connectivity options that come with the service. They offer wireless, power line, and hard wired CAT5.
However, I'm a bit suspicious of their expertise as they claim: "Wireless Home Networking uses low frequency radio waves to transmit data between computers and other electronic devices." Ummmm... 2.4GHz is not low frequency.
What got my attention is that there *MIGHT* be a limit to the number of individual routeable IP's that Earthlink might be delivering via such a service. I doubt that they'll deliver more than one because IP's are precious and becoming scarce. There would also be a limit to the number of PC's that could be connected. I found none mentioned on their web pile or with Google. That's unfortunate, because it eliminates one of the most useful features of having multiple IP's, the isolated "sand-box" network. You use one IP address for your own machine. You use another IP address for a completely seperate wireless router, for your "neighborhood WLAN", neighbors cooperative billing extension, or shared FON system. The only share the DSL modem and Earthlink account. Everything else is seperate.
Oh, I just answered my own question. They'll "give" you $140 rebate on a WRT54G and other stuff, which cannot route multiple WAN IP addresses, so you only get 1 IP address. Bummer. The other stuff is not free. See:
The promotional rate is $8/month for a year, with no indication of what it will increase to after the promotional period. Nice deceptive pricing, but typical Earthlink. So, basically you get up to $140 worth of hardware, for $80. That's not too horrible a deal if you cancel after a year. Unfortunately, it appears you have order all the equipment at the time of initial subscription, so you probably can't get them to give you some "free" hardware.
Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.