[ILUG] Followup 1: Naive ADSL/WiFi questions (long (sorry!))?

[Michael Watterson]

paul at clubi.ie wrote:
> On Thu, 16 Aug 2007, Timothy Murphy wrote:
>
>> I never found an ethernet card that did _not_ work with Linux
>> (unlike WiFi)
>
> Wifi support is much better these days. Still have to be check out 
> what you're buying, but.
>
> Just buy Intel, hey presto.
>
>> Incidentally, don't all computers nowadays have ethernet built-in?
>
> Many yes. And laptops all have wireless.
No, just most.
>
>> I'm not an expert at this, but don't you have to put a "splitter" on 
>> the phone line somewhere, to split computer and phone(s)?
>
> No you don't have to, if you don't intend to use voice. Otherwise, if 
> you forget the splitter, then you'll hear the screech of DSL (you can 
> only hear the very bottom of the DSL band) when you put handset to ear 
> ;).
Modems and faxes and such without a DSL filter upset the DSL signal
>
>> I don't imagine the distances you are talking about would matter, in 
>> any case.
>
> Flat-ribbon telephone cable, that's the common kind for indoor, 
> telephone extension cable: Yes it matters..
>
> Use twisted-pair (Cat-3 or up) if you want to run more than a few 
> metres and want to avoid problems. Definitely use twisted-pair for 
> multi-metre runs.
>
yes.
>> I assume all ethernet cables are equivalent.
>
> No they are not. ;)
4 main  kinds. Google/Wikipedia CAT5 wiring.  Normal   device  to 
Switch/Hub  cables  all use  the kind  I described earlier that  has one 
pair split either side of a central pair and a pair each side. Straight 
through cables must be wired like that or longer runs won't work.
>
>> Incidentally, some older ADSL modems use PPPoE,
>> which inolves painful work under Linux.
>
> PPPoE:
>
> a) Is supported fine on Unix systems, and has been for ages (nothing
>    painful about it really)
> b) Is how Eircom deliver their wholesale DSL
PPPoE is hidden by the ADSL modem/NAT/Router. Unless you are doing your 
own OpenWRT based Router SW you don't need to worry about it. Even then, 
it's standard on OpenWRT


-- 
Mike