3Com OfficeConnect 3C855 Frequently Asked Questions

3C855 OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway
General FAQs
How do I connect my Cable/DSL line to this device?
The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway does not have an internal Cable or
DSL modem and will therefore not connect directly to your Cable or DSL line.
It is designed to connect to the Ethernet output from your Cable or DSL
modem. An Ethernet cable is supplied with the product for this purpose.
Why do I want to use your Cable/DSL Gateway instead of just using the
product supplied by my service provider?
The modem that your service provider has supplied is designed to provide
Internet access for one PC.
The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway allows multiple computers to share
this connection simultaneously, with major associated cost savings, and
increase the security of your network by the addition of the firewall included in
the OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway.
My Service Provider only allows one computer to access the broadband
connection. They know the address of the computer. Can I get around
this?
The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway has the ability to clone the MAC
address of the "allowed" PC. All communications from the computers behind
the Gateway will appear to originate from this MAC address.
As you have a separate Internet Firewall Family, does that mean the
Cable/DSL Gateway has no security protection?
The OfficeConnect Internet Firewalls do offer the highest security for a
network including Stateful Packet Inspection (the latest firewall technology).
However, the Cable/DSL Gateway uses Network Address Translation and
Denial of Service Prevention to provide excellent security to the network. (See
table below for full description)