Switching to cable

[FLATHEAD]

I am getting Cable modem for this computer in the next week or so, I saw what happened to the 12footer when he switched, it seemed he had to start over again , 1 post, new name , new profile,, spinner switched and seemed to have no problems, Is there anything that I should know and do before I make the switch, I am thinking I should be able to just switch it and really not have to save anything, just log back on here and all will be the same????

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

Flahthead, when I changed mine, all I did was went to my profile and changed my email address to my new one.<br /><br />They require a new password for ever change in email address.<br /><br />They sent me a new password.<br /><br />Then when I came back to iboats, it ask me to sign in, which I did using the new password, then after that, I went back to my profile and changed my password back again.<br /><br />Worked slicker than a frog's hair for me.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Switching to cable

Thaks spinner that is what I thought. Did you install the modem yourself? I am going to run the cable myself, just a matter of splitting it, Did you install the modem in your PC yourself??? Or is it just a plug in??

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

When I got mine, the cable company sent a man out and run a dedicated line for the computer.<br /><br />He also installed the card I needed in my puter and the modem.<br /><br />Hooked eveything up for me and set up my 6 email addys also.

 

[GodsBeast]

Re: Switching to cable

Flahthead, your going to love cable! Zoom Zoom.<br />Now if I just knew what to do with it. <br /><br />GodsBeast

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

Yea, I know you have seen that commercial on TV where that guy does all that surfing and then comes in there where is wife is looking all wore out.<br />She ask him whats wrong and he says he just surfed the whole www.<br /><br />That is what you will feel like after getting your cable.<br /><br />It's that much faster.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Switching to cable

Thanks guys , Yeah this dial up is like a dinosaur.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

Go here head and test your system now and then test it again after you get the cable to see what difference there is.<br /> http://us.mcafee.com/root/genericUR...genericLeftNav=/en-us/wrapper/catalog_nav.asp <br /><br />I just now checked mine and it was bouncing over there around the 1500 or 1.5MBPS range.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Switching to cable

Flathead,<br /> The modem is just a little box that you plug into your pc. Be warned, If you are an eBayer you will win alot more actions and you will never be able to go back to dial up.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

Oh yea, forgot about the speed for snipe bidding. <br /><br />Not that I do it.

 

[The Marine Doctor]

Re: Switching to cable

Gotta love Canada <br /><br /> 2.763 Mbps <br />(353.61 KBps) <---Slow today..usually up around 600KBps.<br /><br />TMD

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Switching to cable

Flathead. If you buy your own modem you need to call your cable provider and give the modems MAC address (This is on a sticker on the back) Without them configuring to your modem the cable will not work on your pc. When you hook up the modem and the cable company enables it you need to have 4 solid green lights on the modem for it to work properly. After that you need to find out from the cable company your customer number and you personal ID number in order to load their ISP software. If you are changing from a service such as AOL or MSN that has its own browser you may want to copy all your favorites to internet explorer before you cancel that service.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Switching to cable

What they install in your computer is a standard network interface card (NIC). They go for as low as $5 some times. Then they hook up your computer to their cable modem as a normal network connection. Really is pretty simple but it isn't as safe as dial-up.<br /><br />You now will have your computer connected to the net 24/7 with an Internet address (IP) within a specified range. Hackers are regularly trying to find new systems within the ranges used by cable modems. They will find your system and be able to do all kinds of nasty things to it if you don't prtect yourself.<br /><br />Buy a Linksys or D-Link cable router. Should be under $50 and will provide 99% protection against being hacked as well as allow more than one computer to use the cable modem at a time. It really is a required purchase if you going cable (or DSL).<br /><br />Other than that, Cable is great. Oh, an I seem to get either 500 KBS or 1500KBS. I expect 500.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

TW, does not a firewall protect you also though?

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Switching to cable

SBN- that would be the purpose for having a router. that, plus the ability to use 1 outgoing IP with multiple 'puters on the inside of the wall. its a hardware firewall. you might already be using a software firewall package

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

Yes I am ebb.<br />Also understood that you had to have each computer that is hooked to router programed into the cable system like they do the first one and that they will charge you extra for that.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Switching to cable

Lots of good info thanks all

 

[Xcusme]

Re: Switching to cable

A router will do NAT tranlation that will allow you to connect up to 254 computers on your side of the router. The ISP will only see you using one IP address. Of course all the users on your side of the router will share the bandwidth. This is usually not a problem since most folks don't have that many computers connected to their routers. Using a good software firewall program is also a good idea. Since most routers can and will block uninvited intruders INTO you're computer, a software based firewall will watch for what goes OUT of you're computer. One of the most important things to do is to configure your Operating System to use only the ports needed. Microsoft, by default , opens up ports into you're computer that most people never use , but are entry points for bad guys. The Internet is a hostile place and closing the 'open ports' is an important step.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Switching to cable

THere is a reason to use both a hardware and a software firewall. If you only do one, use the hardware one.<br /><br />I have a Linksys router and it does the NAT described above. If someone tries to ping my computer, they don't get a response and they don't know it's on.<br /><br />The software (Zonealarm and the like) prevent software from "phoning home". Some software that you intentionally load up includes the ability to make a connection with their server (even through a hardware firewall). I find Zonealarm frustrating as it takes a lot of time to get configured properly and tends to block too many web sites. <br /><br />My solution is to run something like Adaware that scans your system (memory, reg file and disks) looking for know spyware and letting you delete it.<br /><br />If you want more info on spyware etc., go to www.grc.com and read. This guy is a guru of security.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Switching to cable

So what we are saying then is that I can hook up 2 computers to 1 router and can use both of them with just the one cable contract?<br />Don't I have to configure the other one to their cable modem also, or can I just get online through it?<br /><br />The reason I ask is that sometimes I want to go online with my laptop which has the card already onboard but can only go online with the dial up.<br /><br />So if I had a router, then I could go from router to laptop and be able to get online through that?