To: Street Walker who wrote (2299 ) 9/5/1998 12:31:00 PM From: Colin Cody Read Replies (5) | Respond to of 14778
General questions Cable Modems and Routers: . Several months ago I read SOMEWHERE on S.I. good information about communications equipment. NOW that my cable operator is ready to sell me "two-way" cable modem service, I can't find the posts and URL links! (g) . So here goes:- ANYONE just answer one or two questions, if you can. . The Cable Operator seems to want a 10 Base T network card in each P.C. I guess this is an easy $25 to $50 card that I can just snap in myself?? I have a 486 DOS Win 3.1 machine, a couple 200MHz Win 95 machines, and soon to be a 500MHz+ NT 5.0 machine. . I need to acquire a special "cable modem" for $300, plus I need to "subscribe" for $40 a month in lieu of my dial-up ISP provider. Can these modems also be purchased on the open market? If one has his own cable modem, can it just be connected to the "T.V. cable line" with a splitter and presto, you're on-line? Or is that $40 access fee for something more than just e.mail access, an internet I.D. name, and other value-added services??? In short - is there any reason to try to acquire my own cable modem "box"??? . The $300 cable modem and the $40 monthly access connect ONE P.C. to the internet. I have three or four P.C. in the same location that I'd like to connect (preferrably at the same time). RATHER than pay the cable company nearly DOUBLE the fee, I understand that there is equipment called a ROUTER that lets four P.C.s all communicate over ONE modem. Does this work with Cable Modems? There was a URL posted on S.I. for router equipment available to purchase - that I've lost now. Any information on router selection and purchase??? . Colin