Installation of modem & broadband router

Installation line filters

Every device connected to the phone line at your location must have a line filter except the DSL

modem. Devices that must be connected via a filter include phones, fax machines, satellite

receivers, alarm systems, and dial-up computer modems. Alternatively, you can use one filter for your

entire location see Home wiring DSL

Connect the DSL modem

Directly (with no filter) to a phone jack using the supplied phone line cable and to your computer with an Ethernet cable (if you are using Ethernet). Plug in the modem power supply. For best performance, use only the phone line provided with the modem. Locate it away from sources of electrical interference and ensure that it has good ventilation for cooling.

Connect modem to phone line and computer

Power up the modem and use the internet

Turn the modem on using the push-button switch located on the back of the modem. The lights on the modem should come on right away and within a few minutes they should turn green if your modem is from NCF, it will be pre-configured and ready to go. Your computer should now be able to browse the internet. See About DSL modem lights Normally DSL modems are left on continuously to ensure your connection is there when you need it. If you

are going to be away from home for an extended period of time it can be turned off.

Broadband router

What Is a Router?

The primary job of a router is to share a single Internet connection with several (as many as 254) computers at the same time. Routers with a built-in hub or switch will also allow computers on your network, or intranet, to share files easily. Routers provide a security element as well: They include a form of firewall security via a NAT (Network Address Translation), which essentially masks your internal IP address from the rest of the world.

How Do Routers Work

Most routers are assigned an IP address by your ISP (Internet Service Provider), and the router then assigns its own internal addresses to each computer on your network. The individual machines on the network make requests to the router, which in turn makes requests to the Internet. When the information returns to the router, it is passed back to the computer that made the original request. Neither Internet servers nor other machines on the network (unless they're "sniffing traffic," as some companies do) are aware of the transaction. This form of firewall is quite secure, but you can add a firewall via a hardware or software solution to make your system even more protected from prying eyes and evildoers.

Setting Up Your Router

If you have recently purchased a router and have concerns that the instruction manual is for PCs, don't panic. Many router manuals show the Windows OS only although the router works across platforms. To spare you the somewhat annoying task of translating the manual into Mac language, we're providing Mac-specific instructions. We recommend that

you print out this article before you begin setting up your router, so you can have a copy in front of you while you are setting up your connection.

Step 1: Connect Your Broadband Modem to the Router

Using a standard Category 5 Ethernet cable, plug in your cable or DSL modem to the port on the router marked WAN, or Internet, as shown above.

Step 2: Connect the Router to Your Computer(s)

Connect another Ethernet cable (it's the red one in the diagram above) from the router's LAN port to each computer, or to your network's Ethernet hub. If we were to connect this one-port router to a network, the red cable would connect to an Ethernet hub (not pictured) using the hub's Uplink port. Then the other Ethernet cables on the hub would connect to each computer in the network

Step 3: Configure the TCP/IP Control Panel

On each of your computers, open your TCP/IP control panel and set it up as shown above. Close the panel and save the changes.

Step4: Configure Your Router via Your Web Browser

NOTE: You need to complete the rest of the steps in this article on only one of your computers. Open your Web browser. It's best to use one of the newer versions of either Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. In the Location (Netscape) or Address (Internet Explorer) window, enter the IP address provided in your router's manual. In most cases, it will be the address shown above.

Step 5: Access Your Router Settings

To access the router settings, enter the name and password assigned in the user's manual. You will be able to change the default name and password once you are in the settings area, which appears after you complete fields in the above window.

Step 6: Configure According to the Type of IP Address You Have

You must configure your router differently depending on the type of IP address you have. When you called your ISP for your cable modem or DSL broadband service, you may have been given a choice of dynamic IP address (a new IP address is assigned to your computer each time you access the Internet) or static IP address (your computer hangs onto the same IP address, which is unchanged from one session to the next). 

Step 7: Keep Your Firmware Current

Eventually, you should update the firmware on your router to enable the latest features and updates. The best way to do this is to download a TFTP (trivial file transfer program) client.

Download fro. Download the firmware update from the Web site of the company that made your router. Open the TFTP client and enter the information as shown above. Enter the address of the router, as in Step 2 when you accessed the control settings page through your Web browser. You must then tell the TFTP client which file to use to update the firmware.

Step 8: Restart Your Computer Restart your computer to make your new router settings take effect. You’re all set! Now, all of the computers in your network should be able to connect to the Internet via your new router setup.JASON COX is responsible for testing and inventory in the Macworld Lab. Assistant Editor BRETT LARSON spends his time ruining Jason's testing and reducing his inventory.