What u need to know about DSL and PPPOE
Bugswipe
http://compnetworking.about.com/library/weekly/aa080501a.htm
and is useful for people that are buying the RM60, RM88 and RM111
Streamyx service.
PPPoE stands for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. PPPoE has
become a favorite technology of broadband Internet service providers,
who use it to save time and money. DSL and cable modem subscribers, on
the other hand, have reason to be less enthusiastic about PPPoE.
PPPoE Technology
Many home networkers do not even know if their connection to the
Internet uses PPPoE. If one's cable or DSL setup requires "logging in"
to the Internet, most likely this setup involves PPPoE. Many large
ISPs today, like Earthlink, Pacific Bell and Verizon, require
customers to connect through PPPoE to their broadband service.
Through PPPoE, a home computer obtains an IP address (similar to DHCP)
and the ISP gets an easy way to track that IP address to a specific
username and password.
PPPoE is based on an older network protocol called Point-to-Point
Protocol (PPP), designed for use with slower serial lines rather than
the Ethernet links used by today's broadband modems. The technical
specification for PPPoE, Request for Comments (RFC) 2516, describes
the details behind a complete implementation of PPPoE. Unfortunately,
some ISPs' implementation of PPPoE doesn't conform fully to this
specification.
PPPoE utilizes the technique of tunneling. In networking, tunneling
involves the embedding of messages in one format within the packets of
another format. PPPoE functions similarly to virtual private
networking (VPN) tunneling protocols like PPTP (Point-to-Point
Tunneling Protocol) that are also derived from PPP, although PPPoE
operates at a lower level (the data link or layer two of the OSI
model).
Other network protocols related to PPPoE include PPPoA (Point-to-Point
Protocol over ATM), PPPoFR (Point-to-Point Protocol over Frame Relay),
and many other variations on these (PPPoEoA, PPPoEoE, and so on).
Benefits and Drawbacks of PPPoE
PPPoE mainly benefits the service provider. With this technology, ISPs
can manage IP addresses and track users in much the same way they
manage their traditional dial-up service. Each customer receives one
IP address and network usage can easily be tracked to individual user
accounts.
Service providers face no real drawbacks when implementing PPPoE.
Technically speaking, broadband can support true "always on"
connections that do not require a customer to log in each time. ISPs
forego "always on" with PPPoE, but this feature has not yet proven to
be a key selling point of broadband.
PPPoE also theoretically benefits the home customer through ease of
use. Internet users accustomed to traditional dial-up will already be
familiar with the PPPoE connection model. Customers might be more
comfortable entering their password each time they want to connect and
having the ability to disconnect than they would with "always on." In
that sense, PPPoE offers better security and control for the home user
than alternatives.
From the customer's point of view, however, PPPoE presents the
following drawbacks:
* PPPoE consumes more bandwidth than alternatives due to tunneling
overhead. The overhead incurred with PPPoE depends on the application;
claims of degredation in performance range from neglible to
approximately 20% with an average often cited as between 5% and 10%.
* PPPoE encourages service providers to continue in the practice of
dynamic address assignment. Customers will be limited in their ability
to run Web, FTP, or other servers at home, as these require static
addresses for best results.
* PPPoE and Microsoft Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in
Windows 98 Second Edition are largely incompatible with each other.
PPPoE and Connection Sharing
Perhaps the single most important drawback of PPPoE for the home
networker is the difficulty of sharing PPPoE-based Internet
connections.
One important technical detail in PPPoE involves the Maximum
Transmission Unit (MTU) for packets. PPPoE supports a maximum MTU of
1492 bytes. Ethernet, however, typically supports a maximum of 1500
bytes, and many operating systems such as Windows set their default
MTU to the larger value. 1500-byte packets sent over a PPPoE
connection typically get lost. For the customer, this means their
applications won't work and often their connection to the Internet
will get dropped.
Sometimes one can adjust their Windows settings to fix the MTU problem
[1], and it might be possible to get ICS working with PPPoE with some
additional effort [2]. Alternatively, several third-party "proxy"
technologies have been developed that solve this and other technical
problems with PPPoE. Many network professionals recommend replacing
the connection software that service providers include with their
broadband modems with one of these, if necessary:
* RASPPPOE
* WinPoET and MacPoET
* EnterNet
Finally, most types of broadband routers now support PPPoE. Many
network professionals recommend purchasing a broadband router to solve
Internet connection sharing as well as security concerns pertaining to
broadband access.
Conclusion
PPPoE is a technology that, ideally, a home networker would not need
to know much about. However, a little knowledge of PPPoE goes a long
way in avoiding some common pitfalls in home networking with
broadband. If your service provider uses PPPoE, take extra care in
setting up Internet connection sharing. Install one of the recommended
software proxy packages for PPPoE, or consider purchasing a broadband
router with PPPoE support -- just be aware that some models,
particularly older models, do not support it.
Highly technical folks, those looking for maximum performance or to
set up servers at home, may wish to avoid a PPPoE-based service.
However, PPPoE services continue to grow in popularity and don't
appear to be "going away" anytime soon.
Nil Einne
that's what they are using for their home user packages.....
Nil Einne
about using wireless modems for use with Streamyx and others things
they can use their 56k modems............
Bugswipe
FYI, I'm using Streamyx with a dedicated IP address.
Also, I've managed to connect a Wireless hub to the ADSL modem. It
works fine for one wireless modem. Havent got another one to test on
another PC. Have to wait for me to get another one.