[Nathan Adams]

I'm looking to ditch my 56k connection for a 512/128 Broadband plan (unlimited traffic). I'm looking most specifically at TPG ( http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl.html ) as it's pretty damn cheap.

Now. We have a network of 2 Macs running Panther, and a PC running XP Pro (plus possibly a laptop running NT, at a guess - it's a business laptop). At the moment the 56k connection runs into my Mac, and is shared over ethernet with Panther's Internet Sharing.

Are their any recommendations for a cheap modem that will supply the whole network directly (so I don't have to use Internet Sharing. The others get sick of having to make sure my Mac is awake to use the net)? And any tips on how to setup the network for this to all work? (I don't want to break the network filesharing and rendezvous).

Here's a list of modems the company supports :
http://www.tpg.com.au/products_servi...sl_faq.html#11

Thanks in advance

[ghporter]

You probably need a cable/DSL router, in addition to a DSL modem. Here in the States, the ISP provides/discounts their preferred modem, which (as far as I've seen) has only ONE ethernet port. I got a Linksys 4-port router, which handles the authentication for my DSL (PPPoE is pretty standard here) as well as sharing everything.

As I understand it, in Australia and the UK, ISPs seem to like hanging the cost of the modem on the customer, which leaves the customer wondering what to buy, and whether he's being gouged. Sorry about that. There have been a lot of posts here about what modem is best for British Telecom DSL, and several about Australian ISPs as well. If the search function doesn't help you out (which is understandable), don't worry. You'll get three or four hits pretty quickly with plenty of advice on what to get.

You DO NOT have to worry about platforms. Ethernet networking is very well standardized, and all the computers you listed are well behaved and play well together. I have two PC desktops wired to the router, plus a wireless access point connecting an iBook and a PC laptop wirelessly. No sweat, no fuss, and not too much work to set up. If you need help with settings, we're here for you.