AOL Highspeed DSL and home network sharing...

A client of mine needs to have the following setup at their house...

1.) AOL Highspeed DSL (yuck)
2.) Internet connection sharing using 1 primary computer (the computer the USB Modem is attached to), and another computer on the other side of the wall.
3.) File-sharing on both systems.

One computer runs Windows 2000 Server, the other uses Windows XP. There is no DSL router, no network firewall, only a simple ethernet hub. I have the use of 3 NICs.

What I am pulling my hair out with is the AOL Highspeed DSL. It is through Pacbell, but works differently than what I am used to. I have never used AOL, so I am not familiar with it, but what striked me as weird is the fact that in order for a computer to connect to the Internet, they need to logon to AOL. Once they log off their account, ALL INTERNET CONNECTIONS ARE GONE!!

This means they need the AOL software running and logged in. If they want to use Yahoo Messenger, or Realplayer or Morpheus, they need to be logged in.

Has anyone out there set up a network similar to this?

Here is what has occurred so far....

While I can get both computers to communicate with each other, I cannot get Internet connection sharing to work, even if the gateway computer (XP.. their choice) is logged onto AOL. A DSL router will not work with this setup because the AOL USB Modem must be connected to a computer.

try setting up a proxy server on the dsl machine and then use that, im sure that will work. If u need directions or help then post back.

Beelzebub said:

A client of mine needs to have the following setup at their house...

A DSL router will not work with this setup because the AOL USB Modem must be connected to a computer.

Click to expand...

Do you know how AOL is telling wether the modem is hooked to a computer? A typical method is to query the MAC address of the computer. Routers can get around this by spoofing the MAC. I don't know that this will work with AOL, but it seems worth a shot.

nihili

Seems the only way the system knows it has internet access is if the main computer runs the AOL program and logs in. It is not like my DSL account where it is on all the time. It seems to act more like a dial-up modem with DSL speed than your typical DSL service.

When connected to the internet on the main computer (i.e. logged into the AOL program), the other computer cannot share the connection, yet can clearly communicate and share files and printers.

How would I set up a proxy server on this system? Do I need software, or does windows 2k server or XP have it built in?

Also, how would I query the MAC address? Normally I install windows systems with easy to configure connections, but this AOL DSL thing is something I have never encountered and seems to block me everytime I try something.

Beelzebub said:

Seems the only way the system knows it has internet access is if the main computer runs the AOL program and logs in. It is not like my DSL account where it is on all the time. It seems to act more like a dial-up modem with DSL speed than your typical DSL service.

When connected to the internet on the main computer (i.e. logged into the AOL program), the other computer cannot share the connection, yet can clearly communicate and share files and printers.

How would I set up a proxy server on this system? Do I need software, or does windows 2k server or XP have it built in?

Also, how would I query the MAC address? Normally I install windows systems with easy to configure connections, but this AOL DSL thing is something I have never encountered and seems to block me everytime I try something.

Click to expand...

AOL uses a propriatary form of pppoe. You have to use their client to connect. You have to do the share on the pppoe adapter rather then the physical connection. AOL sells propietary routers that work with thi client. You must be lucky to have a forum of direct connect dsl as most of the ones I know use pppoe connections.

Last time I checked AOL-DSL was capped at UP TO 640kbps

Its always amazed me that someone would go the AOL-DSL route rather than just getting the DSL service direct from the CLEC

Silversinksam said:

Last time I checked AOL-DSL was capped at UP TO 640kbps

Its always amazed me that someone would go the AOL-DSL route rather than just getting the DSL service direct from the CLEC

Click to expand...

You would be surprised by the number of people I talk to who use AOL and MSN on top of their DSL. They sceam bloody murder if you ask them to remove it. I even get calls where they think that we messed up because the cant log in to AOL after connecting to dsl.

You can share the AOL DSL using a free prog called AnalogX Proxy. Of course, with the way AOL does their stuff the comp with DSL has to be logged on for the other to have access.
I am one of the unfortunates with AOL DSL. Have a 4 rig net at home and internet access for all via that little proggie.

No way in hell I would use AOL for anything, but clueless internet user types love AOL. I have been doing some research and it seems sharing AOL DSL on windows XP and 2K is next to impossible for the way my client wants it done. Hopefully I can persuade them to switch to normal DSL.

Places I have looked for answers to the AOL DSL question are planetdsl.net. They have some FAQ and stuff on how to share it with Win98 and such, but it states there is no solution for XP / 2K.