Re: Cable modem

["Dina-natha Das" <linux_user@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> My local cable-wallah now has cable internet.  However, I do not have
> any experience with it and never seen this thing work.

You don't need much experience. If you are getting 64kbps connection I don't
know if it is worth it, it's kind of misuse of technology or rather waste of
technology. On the west I haven't seen cable modem below 265kbps, they are
great.

> Is this cable modem a stand-alone unit like a router or is it
> something which plugs into the computer?

It plugs into your network card (if you don't have one you'll have to get
it). Some providers (in the USA) lock their cable modems to MAC address of
your network card so you can use it only with one computer (but of course
it's not very difficult to find workaround this). Nice thing is that Linksys
switches allow you to program their uplink port to MAC address of your
choice and then you can network whole office on one cable connection or you
can use the computer connected to your cable modem as a router by adding
another network card. If you'd like to become your own ISP and if you have
modem attached to the same computer which is connected to cable you can
provide dial in Internet access to your friends and make some money on side
like that and pay your cable Internet connection monthly bills :))

>If it plugs in:
> Is it external or internal?

It is external. Maybe one day someone will start making internal ones for
laptops :)

>  And does it work under Linux?

Yes, why not. There are many how-tos avilable to get your cable or DSL
connection going.

Dnd.