Verifying The Readiness Of Your Dsl Or Cable Modem Internet Account; Are Login Protocols Used; What Is Your Configuration Information - NETGEAR MR814 Reference Manual

Reference Manual for the Model MR814 Wireless Router
Verifying the Readiness of Your DSL or Cable Modem
Internet Account
For access to the Internet, you need to contract with an Internet service provider (ISP) for a
single-user Internet access account using a cable modem or DSL modem. This modem must be a
separate physical box (not a card) and must provide an Ethernet port intended for connection to a
Network Interface Card (NIC) in a computer. Your router does not support a USB-connected
broadband modem.
For a single-user Internet account, your ISP supplies TCP/IP configuration information for one
PC. With a typical account, much of the configuration information is dynamically assigned when
your PC is first booted up while connected to the ISP, and you will not need to know that dynamic
information.
In order to share the Internet connection among several computers, your router takes the place of
the single PC. You need to configure the router with the TCP/IP information that the single PC
would normally use. When the router is connected to the broadband modem, the router appears to
be a single PC to the ISP. The router then allows multiple computers on the local network to
masquerade as the single PC to access the Internet through the broadband modem.

Are Login Protocols Used?

Some ISPs require a special login protocol, in which you must enter a login name and password in
order to access the Internet. If you normally log in to your Internet account by running a program
such as WinPOET or EnterNet, then your account uses PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE).
When you configure your router, you will need to enter your login name and password in the
router's configuration menus. After your network and router are configured, the router will
perform the login task when needed, and you will no longer need to run the login program from
your PC. It is not necessary to uninstall the login program.

What is Your Configuration Information?

More and more, ISPs are dynamically assigning configuration information. However, if your ISP
does not dynamically assign configuration information but instead used fixed configurations, your
ISP should have given you the following basic information for your account:
Preparing Your Network 3-9