From owner-freebsd-stable Thu Oct 18 21:45: 7 2001 Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from topperwein.dyndns.org (acs-24-154-28-168.zoominternet.net [24.154.28.168]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id EC90B37B403 for ; Thu, 18 Oct 2001 21:45:03 -0700 (PDT) Received: from topperwein.dyndns.org (topperwein.dyndns.org [192.168.168.10]) by topperwein.dyndns.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id f9J4j4s01022 for ; Fri, 19 Oct 2001 00:45:04 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from behanna@zbzoom.net) Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 00:44:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Chris BeHanna Reply-To: Chris BeHanna To: FreeBSD-Stable Subject: Re: cable modem choices In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20011019003600.N645-100000@topperwein.dyndns.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Wed, 17 Oct 2001, Dennis Mathiasen wrote: > I haven't been able to locate information on how these things > actually work. Apparently the ISP just uses DHCP, but what about > any authentication? My ISP expects a certain MAC address. > Are the modems themselves all functionally the same? Most > manufacturers don't say that they work with UNIX. Is the situation > the same as with phone modems v. "win modems"? No, not usually. You have RG-6 coming in from the pole to the cable modem, and CAT-5 coming out from the cable modem to your NIC. The cable modem doesn't care what OS is on the other end of the patch cable. > I'd appreciate any suggestions which one to buy. Thanks. As Doug Barton mentioned, you're better off leasing one from the cable company. The cable modem sitting beside me, for example, is $1000 (so I was told). The lease rate is just built-in to my monthly access charge ($59.95 for 1500K down/500K up). Hook up with dyndns.org and you're good to go. Oh, to minimize bonehead issues with the installer, you might want to boot Winblows for when (s)he shows up, just to placate the cable company, and then boot back into FreeBSD later. Otherwise, just convince them that you know what you're doing, and promise to support yourself. You'll need something like this in /etc/rc.conf: ifconfig_dc0="DHCP" (Replace "dc0" with the appropriate device for your NIC, e.g., "xl0" for 3Com 3C905, "fxp0" for Intel Etherexpress, etc.) Now you'll get an address at boot-time. I'm not sure, but if your box is already up when the installer comes, ifconfig dc0 down ifconfig dc0 up (or the equivalent for your NIC) might also do the trick so that you don't have to reboot. I don't actually know, never having tried it. -- Chris BeHanna Software Engineer (Remove "bogus" before responding.) behanna@bogus.zbzoom.net I was raised by a pack of wild corn dogs. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message