[macdevil]

Thanks for all of your useful tips in setting up networks. I am moving into a new house and a deciding on what to use to for my cable modem needs. I am debating on the Motorola SBG 1000 and the Toshiba PCX 5000. I will be using my tibook OS 10.2, and another mac TBD along with an XP machine (for fiance, who is waiting to see the G5 to convert). Also somewhere down the line I will be adding a network printer (still looking, andy suggestions). Both models combine wired and wireless. I am pretty sure the mac desktop I will add will have to use line, doesn't make sense to add cost for beige G3, Rev C or iMac Rev A.
Has anybody had any experience with either of these and any other advice. I live in the Phoenix, AZ area so there are a limited number of available devices supported by the cable service.

Thanks,
Andy
tibook 800 DVI, long list of desktops until I can sell them all to pay for part of a G5

[aaanorton]

Are you sure your ISP does not provide a modem? Most broadband ISPs do, here in the States. A friend of mine in Scottsdale got one from her ISP.

[macdevil]

I can rent a modem from Cox for $15/month, or I can buy my own. I might as well invest in a modem that I need.

[ghporter]

If Cox in Phoenix supports DOCSIS, the default standard for cable modems in the US, then all you have to do is make sure you buy a modem that supports DOCSIS. If they don't, and they don't MAKE you lease their modem, then they must tell you what they do support. So basically, there's no real dilemma, just a cost/benefit decision.

And it really doesn't matter what brand of cable modem you get, just as long as it has an ethernet LAN-side connection.

You will probably want to get a decent "Cable/DSL router," too. This will allow you to share the single IP address Cox gives you without them even knowing it. Neither will most bad guys out to mess with you and your computer, which is a definite plus. If you plan to ease your way into wireless, a wired-only router is a good place to start, since they're not expensive and do the job just fine. If you want to jump into wireless with both feet, get a wireless router. Make sure you get one with at least 4 wired ports, so you can play around with configurations.

You mention network printing. I recommend that you look at routers with print servers. They are available with either parallel (great for laser printers, lousy for ink jets) or USB (which should work fine for ink jets) connections, and adding the print server adds only a little, if any, to the cost of the router.

[macdevil]

Thanks for the information. Both of the modem are on the list the cable company approves. If I decide to get a cable modem that is also a router/wireless router will th ecable company know if I have more than computer online at a time? And if so, should I buy seperate cable modem and router/wireless router instead of an all-in-one device?

Thanks again,
Andy

[ghporter]

No, the router (or router portion of the modem) will hide anything on the LAN side from the WAN side.