[Dave_T]

I have 2 questions.....

1. I have an iBook 700 running 10.2 connected to the internet through a Snow Base Station which is connected to DSL. I also have a Beige G3 connected to a hub which connects to the ABS. I found the internet speed considerably slower on the iBook than my G3.

I think the problem is in the fact that when I originally got DSL they asked for the ethernet card address of my G3 (the only computer I had...no iBook and no ABS) and they said if I ever change cards I should let them know.

Do I need to give them the ethernet address of the Basestation now and if I do will all machines have access to the same speed??? (on speed tests on the internet the G3 appears to have a 256 connection and the iBook 128)

2. I turned off the Airport on the iBook and created new "location" in the network prefs and configured it to use ethernet by checking the box (and unchecking the others) and dragging it so it was first in line. Set it to use TCP/IP and to configure using DHCP. I plugged in the DSL connection..the IP address,subnet, and DNS fields are then filled by my ISP. I fired up IE and kept getting a "can't connect to server error". Any idea why I can't connect???


I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

Dave

[SPiNdustrious]

1. Your G3 is getting better speeds because it isn't connected to the Internet wirelessly. While it is plugged into the ABS, it is bypassing the wireless portion of your network altogether. As for things being slow, you might want to tinker with your ABS settings, make sure you have 3-4 "bars" of Airport signal on your iBook, and make sure that the iBook isn't just "slow" because it lacks RAM or is otherwise deficient on the hardware end.

Your ISP asked you for your MAC/ethernet address because they may periodically scan their clients to see which machine is connected. If they were authenticating based on MAC address, your connection would zero out, not slow down. Just to avoid headaches in the future, send them the MAC address of your ABS.

2. I don't entirely understand your question, but I'll give you a checklist.
-You can have multiple network ports enabled at once under OS X. Make wired ethernet the first, then Airport. This way, when you're plugged in, your Airport will be ready and waiting, though not in use (this does take battery power if you're not plugged in electrically.) When you unplug and OSX can no longer maintain a wired connection (duh!), your Airport will pretty seamlessly kick into gear.
-Although your wired hub is bypassing the wireless component of your ABS, it still regards the ABS as a router. Your ABS should be configured to your ISP's specs. Since your ABS is hiding your local network from your ISP by using Network Address Translation - NAT - you need to set your machines' TCP/IP settings so that they are in synch with the type of private local network you have configured your ABS to maintain.
-You don't mention whether you're using a separate DSL modem or if the ABS handles this for you. In either case, you can't plug the raw DSL line into your computer: you need a DSL modem in between.

You'll want to configure your ABS to run NAT and act as a DHCP server. This will make configuring the G3 and the iBook pretty simple.

Post more details if you want a more specific response.

Good luck,

Peter

[SPiNdustrious]

Oh one thing about locations in OS X...they are much more comprehensive than those in OS 9.

Let's say I have both wired and wireless networks at home and at work. I can manage all of that with only two locations, "Home" and "Work."

You can have wired, wireless and dialup settings specified for each location. Since OSX handles network ports for you, you just configure once and never really have to worry about monkeying with network settings on a daily basis.

In short, only use multiple locations if you use your machine with more than one instance of a specific network port. If you use DHCP everywhere, you can just have one location and you're set.

In short: just be aware that OSX really has your back in this case and won;t disappoint.

Peter

[Dave_T]

SPiNdustrious...

I plugged the DSL modem into the iBook and the DHCP settings were provided automatically by my ISP. Still no connection.

I will try again later tonight.

Thanks for your help so far...
Dave

[ghporter]

I've heard of cable services noting the address of the network card connected to the modem, but not DSL. Who is your provider? Do you log into your service on the G4 with a user name and password (ala PPPoE)? I'm starting to get an idea or three, but I want more information before I go shooting my mouth off...