[yally04]

I'm going to be heading to France for a while and want to have a wifi network. The ADSL is all set up on my girlfriend's computer but the ADSL modem connects to the USB port, so I don't think you can use it with a regular WiFi router. So I'm looking at getting an ADSL modem with an integrated 54G wifi router to save space. The only thing I've found though is this from netgear:

http://www.netgear.com/products/prod...23&view=hm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...D8HK1?v=glance

But there aren't many details, like security settings, # of channels (I've heard that in France there are only 4 for wifi), etc.

So then, my questions:

1) Has anyone out there used a setup like this? Alternatively, could I just buy any ADSL modem and connect it directly to the ADSL line, then add a router? Or is there specialized modem hardware for each provider?

2) Are there any wifi routers, or otherwise, that will accept a USB modem connection?

3) Can you use an integrated ADSL modem/wifi router with a DSL connection in the US? That is, is there a way to use one of these things only as a router, not a modem, once I get back to the states?

Thanks.

[aaanorton]

Originally posted by yally04:
1) Has anyone out there used a setup like this? Alternatively, could I just buy any ADSL modem and connect it directly to the ADSL line, then add a router? Or is there specialized modem hardware for each provider?

You can add a wired or wireless router to any ethernet based ADSL modem. The problem is that not all modems work with all ISPs. Modems are ISP specific, but routers are generic.

2) Are there any wifi routers, or otherwise, that will accept a USB modem connection?

Not that I know of. USB broadband modems are the antichrist. Avoid them at all cost.

3) Can you use an integrated ADSL modem/wifi router with a DSL connection in the US? That is, is there a way to use one of these things only as a router, not a modem, once I get back to the states?

Depends... See answer to #1.

Sounds to me like you could be a perfect candidate for an Airport Express. One of those could be connected to any ethernet ADSL modem.

[yally04]

Problem though is that my girlfriend's modem is USB. So I have work with that, or get a new modem. So one integrated with Wifi would be simpler. I guess we could just return it if it doesn't work. In any case, it seems strange that modems would be proprietary, since it's all the same technology (isn't it?), like regular phone modems.