Ok, so I finally got my iBook (running Panther) on Thursday, but thus far have been unable to get it online. See, I use AOL UK (yeah, I know they're not that great with their Mac support. ¬_¬;; Don't say it...) as my ISP, with which I get a very reliable DSL connection (at least with my Windows XP machine, which I am writing from right now). Unfortunately, this is done through a USB modem (the dreaded Alcatel SpeedTouch USB, or "Squashed Frog" as some folks call them - please bear in mind that Ethernet modems are not readily available to UK DSL subscribers). Before I switched to my Mac, I was informed that I should be able to use that to make a PPPoE connection to AOL UK's service, which also bypasses using AOL's software (though I've never been too bothered by the app, TBH). However, this has turned into an absolute nightmare, and I've tried every workaround I've been able to find or have been given, to no avail.
I was hoping to get my new Mac online on the day I got it, but so far all it's given me in that regard are headaches (although everything else has gone wonderfully). So, I have a couple of questions;
1: Is there any way to make a PPPoE connection to the AOL UK DSL service with the SpeedTouch USB modem I'm using? I know it's possible to do so successfully with other ISPs, but I am stuck with AOL, and am unable to switch.
I have the drivers installed, and the modem starts up and trains the line just fine. However, when I try to connect, among the info I'm asked to provide is a telephone number for the ISP - but this is a DSL connection, and therefore doesn't have a number. I even tried a workaround I heard about, which involved writing either a 0 or a space in the boxes for the numbers, but it didn't make a difference. Either way, every time, I've gotten the same result - an error telling me something like "Could not make a connection with the PPP server", or similar. (Furthermore, why is this? I don't see why it shouldn't work.) Is there some information I've forgotten to write into the internet connection dialogs, perhaps? I've never had to make a PPP/PPPoE connection before, so this all might be due to error on my part (though I've read and followed more walkthroughs and howtos than I can count, by now)...
2: I heard someplace else that in some cases with problematic Alcatel SpeedTouch USB modems/modem drivers, something called 'Subsystem BSD' needs to be installed for them to work correctly. Could my problem be linked to that? And if it is, how do I install it (as far as I know, it's supposedly in the Extras folder on one of the Panther install discs, or so I'm told)?
3: If the above is not possible, then please could someone walk me through hooking the two machines together with an Ethernet cable, and sharing the connection? I cannot keep moving the computers (they're both laptops) around to use the XP machine whenever I want to connect to the internet... :/
Thanks for taking the time to read through all that, though before I finish up, I must ask that you please don't make any suggestions like "Get another ISP/modem/get a router/etc.", as I am unable to do so, and have absolutely no choice but to make this work with the equipment I have...
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