Connecting multiple Macs to MediaOne Internet service
Mike Nowak
Michigan). We have a Blue G3 and two Mac laptops, an Ethernet hub, and a
printer on Ethernet.
First, I would like to put our Blue G3 on the Internet using a cable modem.
The "techs" at Media One tell me that the cable modem plugs directly into
the Ethernet port, implying that I can't use a hub and therefore an Ethernet
printer. Does this make sense? It sounds like they use DHCP and they use the
hardware Ethernet address of the computer and some address of the modem to
produce a 24-bit address that unique identifies me as an authorized user of
the service.
I don't want to just have it installed and then try the hub. Has anyone else
tried to use a hub? I would think that the hub is relatively passive device
and the modem would have no idea that it is there.
Now, if this works, I would like to use Surf Doubler to turn the Blue G3
into a DHCP server for the laptops. The Vicomsoft people say it works with
cable modems. Has anyone tried it with the Media One service?
If anyone is using a hub with Media One in my area, I would really like to
talk to you.
Thanks.
--
Mike Nowak Instant Messenger: mykkro
The University of Michigan mno...@umich.edu
Health Media Research Lab http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mnowak/
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Sarr J. Blumson
Mike Nowak <mno...@umich.edu> wrote:
>
>I don't want to just have it installed and then try the hub. Has anyone else
>tried to use a hub? I would think that the hub is relatively passive device
>and the modem would have no idea that it is there.
>
>Now, if this works, I would like to use Surf Doubler to turn the Blue G3
>into a DHCP server for the laptops. The Vicomsoft people say it works with
>cable modems. Has anyone tried it with the Media One service?
The problem isn't the hub, it's getting an IP address for more than one
machine at a time; I'm not sure how carefully M-1 checks but trying to do it
_would_ violate your contract with them.
The usual solution to this problem is to attach one box to Media One, and then
connect the other machines through that box (which needs two Ethernet ports)
using "IP Masquerading" or "Network Address Translation" (this may not
actually be legal either, but it's more ambiguous and they can't detect that
you're doing it). There's stuff for Linux and Windows that will do this, but
I don't know about Macs.
--
--------
Sarr Blumson sa...@umich.edu
voice: +1 734 764 0253 home: +1 734 665 9591
ITD, University of Michigan http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sarr/
Jeff
"Mike Nowak" <mno...@umich.edu> wrote:
> Media One offers two-way cable service in my neighborhood (Ann Arbor,
> Michigan). We have a Blue G3 and two Mac laptops, an Ethernet hub, and a
> printer on Ethernet.
>
> First, I would like to put our Blue G3 on the Internet using a cable modem.
> The "techs" at Media One tell me that the cable modem plugs directly into
> the Ethernet port, implying that I can't use a hub and therefore an Ethernet
> printer. Does this make sense? It sounds like they use DHCP and they use the
> hardware Ethernet address of the computer and some address of the modem to
> produce a 24-bit address that unique identifies me as an authorized user of
> the service.
>
Hook it to a (ehm) Windows95 (or NT) computer that runs a proxy/firewall
program. Linux works too, but the cheapest and least amount of work is
in the $90 cheap-o proxy servers for Windows95 (search shareware.com
for the latest offerings).
It fills all the handsprings you need to do to be a MediaOne client; namely
they like to see a "client" type machine on the network (Win95). After that,
they can't tell what you're doing. However, read the fine print on your
customer agreement, some cable companies really get their panties in
a bunch if you do this, since they assume you're running a little ISP
out of your house (which is entirely possible).
> I don't want to just have it installed and then try the hub. Has anyone else
> tried to use a hub? I would think that the hub is relatively passive device
> and the modem would have no idea that it is there.
It won't work. You need an IP address for each of your machines.
MediaOne is going to route ONE IP for you.
The way the proxy works is that your requests are routed through the (Win95)
server. You usually use a neutral network addressing scheme (10.1.1.x or 192.x.x.x)
on your internal network. The proxy machine picks these things up, figures out that
they are to be routed out and sends them via the single IP address, so graciously
given to you by MediaOne.
>
> Now, if this works, I would like to use Surf Doubler to turn the Blue G3
> into a DHCP server for the laptops. The Vicomsoft people say it works with
> cable modems. Has anyone tried it with the Media One service?
>
> If anyone is using a hub with Media One in my area, I would really like to
> talk to you.
>
You'll need the hub to connect everyone on your internal ("this side" of the cable
modem) network.
matthew n. sharp
<mno...@umich.edu> wrote:
>Media One offers two-way cable service in my neighborhood (Ann Arbor,
>Michigan). We have a Blue G3 and two Mac laptops, an Ethernet hub, and a
>printer on Ethernet.
>
>First, I would like to put our Blue G3 on the Internet using a cable modem.
>The "techs" at Media One tell me that the cable modem plugs directly into
>the Ethernet port, implying that I can't use a hub and therefore an Ethernet
>printer. Does this make sense? It sounds like they use DHCP and they use the
>hardware Ethernet address of the computer and some address of the modem to
>produce a 24-bit address that unique identifies me as an authorized user of
>the service.
>
>I don't want to just have it installed and then try the hub. Has anyone else
>tried to use a hub? I would think that the hub is relatively passive device
>and the modem would have no idea that it is there.
>
>Now, if this works, I would like to use Surf Doubler to turn the Blue G3
>into a DHCP server for the laptops. The Vicomsoft people say it works with
>cable modems. Has anyone tried it with the Media One service?
Here is a workable solution:
1. Obtain an additional PCI Ethernet 10/100 card for the Blue G3.
2. Set up the cable modem to be attached to one Ethernet port,
and a Cat-5 cable to the hub using other Ethernet port.
(AppleTalk should be set to use one Ethernet port, and TCP/IP
should be set to use the other, with the settings given to you
by Media One)
3. Attach the 2 Powerbooks via Cat-5 to the Ethernet port.
4. Specify that AppleTalk be used over Ethernet on the Powerbooks.
5. Obtain and install Vicomsoft Internet Gateway on the Blue G3
6. Set up TCP/IP to obtain their addresses from the Blue G3 (DHCP
through Internet Gateway). RT(f)M for Internet Gateway for
proper details of setup.
7. Start surfing.
I'm not sure what the current price is on Internet Gateway is, but
you can no doubt find it at http://www.vicomsoft.com/vig/vig.main.html.
I believe that there is a trial version available for download there, as well.
This requires no additional machine to be used as a router,
but with the purchase of software and the Ethernet card,
may still be more than you wish to spend on the solution.
Hope this helps...
_
matthew n. sharp
mns[at]mnslab.com http://www.mnslab.com
Cathy Gramze
"matthew n. sharp" wrote:
Here is a workable solution:
>
> 1. Obtain an additional PCI Ethernet 10/100 card for the Blue G3.
> 2. Set up the cable modem to be attached to one Ethernet port,
> and a Cat-5 cable to the hub using other Ethernet port.
> (AppleTalk should be set to use one Ethernet port, and TCP/IP
> should be set to use the other, with the settings given to you
> by Media One)
> 3. Attach the 2 Powerbooks via Cat-5 to the Ethernet port.
> 4. Specify that AppleTalk be used over Ethernet on the Powerbooks.
> 5. Obtain and install Vicomsoft Internet Gateway on the Blue G3
> 6. Set up TCP/IP to obtain their addresses from the Blue G3 (DHCP
> through Internet Gateway). RT(f)M for Internet Gateway for
> proper details of setup.
> 7. Start surfing.
>
This guy knows what he's talking about. This should work. I run a home network of
1 PC and 1 Mac sharing our MediaOne cablemodem. I've been told by a MediaOne
reseller that it was illegal under my TOS to run a home network. I went and read
the TOS posted by MediaOne on the website, and it's legal.
cathyy