Did I speak too soon? Advice, please. Firewalls - Don't quite grasp the concept of 3rd party software solutions and modems/routers with firewalls built in?

SO... despite Broadband, I've been disconnecting via Internet connect,
but iMac is left to sleep (hate the start-up, login delay),

on returning to mac and trying to reconnect, I either get a loop revealed in the menu bar when Internet Connect repeatedly advises <<Disconnecting...Disconnecting...Disconnecting...>>
but it never does and I have to switch off at the wall
OR
I click Internet Connect icon in Menu Bar, screen greys out, multi language warning to restart...
Is this a "Kernel Panic", what causes and why should it appear only after USB Broadband install...MMMM....Those Bl***y router guys might have been right, after all

By the by, I've previously had all sorts of Macs, last a Blue/white G3, is there a restart button on the imac ? or keyboard combination? Do I recollect Griffin making a USB device that doubled as a power on/off - I DO hate guddling around at the back of the dome to power up!!!
Imac 512 G4 800MHz OS10.3.3

Brendan

Don't really understand your firewall problems. Mainly because I've never had a prob with one.

Difficulties with Internet Connect going "Disconnect... disconnect" ad naseum can be solved without rebooting. Check this thread:http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=23209

Finally, it's quite rare for modems or their drivers to bring down your system by themselves. Mac OS X is usually on the ball, and prevents this from happening. However, I did have similar problem with a printer where the USB cable was busted and shorting out, and with a wireless mouse whose batteries conked out. Check your connections, and make sure your modem is really on external power.

I may be way out to lunch here, but after you get the new router hooked up and all that, will your ISP let you have enough IP addresses to allow that many computers on-line at once?

I can see everyone in your office with little flags on top of their cubes to signify whether they're on-line and trading times and forgetting to take down the flag when they're done and so on.

I ask because my ISP only allows 2 IP addresses per connection - I haven't tried to get more but I know they used to only allow one and a second computer would get an error when trying to connect.

Take care, Margaret

The nature of this type of router (most have DHCP servers) is to provide IP addresses for any computer hooked up to it. As far as your ISP is concerned, there is only 1 IP addresses accessing the internet through their connection, and that is everything coming from your router. However, behind the router, you can have as many computer as the router can provide IP addresses for, all sharing the same internet connection. You should note that more computers behind the router means a slower internet connection, since bandwidth is shared.

oh.

Margaret

very helpful discussion... so Wanadoo broadband is compatible with OS 10.3.

I think I'll sign up but I wonder - BrendanK - have you managed to resolve your Firewall issues? Have you experienced any other issues with Modems/connections?

Broadband question
 

Hi, My brother's been pestering me to get BT broadband. Anyway, just got a quick question - you can get combined broadband modems/routers right?

I've seen ADSL routers about, is this what I think it is? an all-in-one jobbie?

Got my iMac and our XP PC connected with a crossover Ethernet cable at the moment, and we both use dial-up (one at a time).

I was under the impression I could just have the modem/router plugged into my existing phone socket, a patch cable to the router for the iMac, and a short crossover cable added to the end of the existing inter-room crossover cable (to un-cross it) to the router. Apart from filters I was under the impression that that was all there is to it.

Rob.

Robarmo -
You're right. That IS all you need to worry about. If your current network is ok then you'll share the new broadband connection across it with your router.

A word of caution, though: all the talk of firewalls is cos your machines will be permanently online (and therefore are at risk of port scanning).

Thanks BigDave,

It was just the talk about buying a router and plugging your ISP-supplied modem into it. It just made me question whether I was right about the all-in-one devices being available. I think they're called "gateways" although that may just apply to the ones with an intergrated wireless basestation.

As for Firewalls, I currenty have the software Firewalls active in Panther and XP - however, I assume the hardware one in the router will make these redundant? Can I leave them all on or will that just cause problems?

Thanks.

Rob.

Robarmo -
Just to clarify.... when I signed up for broadband I was sent a rinky little USB modem to hook up. Trouble is, finding a router that'll accept a USB modem connection is tricky. Just have a look on Ebay.

So I mothballed the USB modem and bought a modem/router (Netgear do a well pretty one) for around £50 on Ebay. One end plugs into the phoneline, all your ethernet cables plugs fit into the back of it. That's your gateway - aka modem/router.

As for the firewalls, I worry about my PCs more than my Macs. I run Zonealarm (basic install is free) on em, and even with the XP firewalls turned on it still blocks a LOT of rubbish. Let's face it, if it's got "Micro$oft" on it it's got huge gaping security holes!

Hope this helps,
BD

Thanks.

It might not be correct anymore, but a few months back I was looking at signing up to BT Yahoo! Broadband. They had an offer on - you got so much off for signing up online and you had the option of supplying your own modem, which saved you more. (This doesn't apply to their new basic package as far as I know - they only support the supplied USB modem).

That was the option I was planning to take.

I was looking at some Netgear stuff on Amazon last night actually.

Zonealarm, I've heard of that - think they use it in Uni. I'll look into that, thanks.

I know what you mean about the MS Firewall, the free spyware scanner offered by Earthlink found 3 pieces of adware on our XP box. I only ever go on the thing to download critical updates and virus definitions!

Anyway thanks for all your help.

Rob