Hi, if I buy a new iMac, can I hook it to my Verizon DSL using OS X, or do I have to use 9.x???  Thanks

The short answer is sure.  The slightly more involved bit is that as far as I recall Verizon uses PPP over ethernet (PPPoE) on their home DSL connections.  This may mean that your current Mac and/or other computer has a software PPPoE client.  (Mac PoET for example.)  Presumably there *is* such a client for OS X, but I don’t know that for sure.  The PPPoE client software is a pain in the butt anyway.  The best way to go about this is to get a hardware cable/DSL router.  This will handle the PPPoE connection for you (make sure the one you get has this capability), and you simply connect your new iMac or any other computer to it via standard ethernet.  If you already have a hardware router, you’re all set.  I highly recommend getting one regardless.  They’re only about 50 bucks these days, and they’ll cover the connection for multiple computers for you as well as basic firewall-type functions.  Note that if you’re interested in AirPort, the base station has these functions built in as well.

X has PPPoE built into the sytem.  Just go to the Network Pane and you’ll see that there’s a PPPoE tab, where you can put in the information.  It’s true, though, that Verizon doesn’t have an X version of the software they send you so you can register in the first place.  However, if you haven’t registered already, and need to do it, just boot into 9, do the registering, get the password and username information that Verizon provides you, then when you boot into X, just fill it in on the Network Pane.  I’ve been using Verizon DSL with X since 10.1 came out—not a problem in sight.

By the way, if you have a router, then as Greg says, the password and username can be programmed into the router.  I just wish Verizon didn’t use that incredibly stupid registering software.  You can’t even use a username that you pick yourself!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: yoyo52 on 2002-02-03 12:50 ]</font>

Hey, that’s cool.  Since I don’t use PPoE myself, I didn’t even really notice it when I set it up, and I haven’t been back in there since.  Excellent.  The hardware is still the way to go, though, IMHO, especially if you have more than one computer.  But it’s good to know OS X has that taken care of.

_________________
—Greg

“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.”—Niels Bohr

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: CrazyOne on 2002-02-03 13:43 ]</font>

I’m having issues connecting to Verizon DSL (NYC) using the builtin PPPoE pane in OSX. It fails to authenticate. I can connect in OS 9.1 with no problems. Is there more to the setup name just username and password. Verizon technical support is of little help. They have zero information about manually configuring network settings in OS X or any earlier OS. The installation software is what they rely on to get the job done. The don’t even write the software. It’s outsourced to another company, which coincidentally doesn’t support the software. I feel like there’s a trend here.

There’s discussion of this at http://www.powerpage.org/story.lasso?newsID=9067

I don’t know about Verizon’s DSL service, but around here (Atlanta), BellSouth’s pretty much sucks (at least, it did when I moved here from Minneapolis a year ago).

I decided to go with Telocity (now DirecTV DSL) and I have NOT been disappointed.  Always-on, static IP, multiple computers, Mac-friendly, and they all but ENCOURAGE you to run a web server on your computer.

Once I went through the hassles and hoops set up by BellSouth to discourage you from using another DSL provider, everything has been great.  I have done several fresh installs of OS X on my iBook (long story—basically I am experimenting to find the ideal partitioning scheme), and every time it is a snap to get online… I just plug in the Ethernet cable and that’s it!  No set-up required.  DHCP kicks in automatically and I am online.

In short, I am suggesting that if DirecTV DSL is available in your area, GO FOR IT!  It is much better than the competition, at least around here.  You do not need to have DirecTV satellite TV service, either (although I do).

—room34

(P.S. No I do not work for DirecTV and they did not pay me to say all of this… I just hate BellSouth!)

I’m glad you persevered with Telocity.  In my case, the hurdles put up by Verizon were insurmountable, so I ended up with Verizon.  The service is fine, and I have no complaints about it once I got on.  However, I actually wrote to my congressman about the basic injustice of having companies like Verizon and BellSouth, which control the hardware of the DSL connection, also act as ISPs in competition with other companies that do not own the hardware.  In the long run I’d be surprised if any DSL provider survives besides the major wire-owning companies.

On 2002-03-19 11:37, yoyo52 wrote:
I actually wrote to my congressman about the basic injustice of having companies like Verizon and BellSouth, which control the hardware of the DSL connection, also act as ISPs in competition with other companies that do not own the hardware.  In the long run I’d be surprised if any DSL provider survives besides the major wire-owning companies.

Good point!  Long after the anti-trust breakup of AT&T, we’re still suffering the effects of monopolistic ownership of the network.  Frankly, I’m surprised DirecTV DSL is hanging in there.  I don’t know the laws that well, but it seems like this sort of thing HAS to be illegal.

As long as we’re on the topic of alternate DSL providers, I have talked to a few people who’ve had luck with Earthlink, but my experiences with them have been awful, including a mind-blowingly clueless phone sales rep who claimed that Earthlink doesn’t offer static IPs for DSL customers because dynamic IPs “reach farther” (his exact words!) than static IPs!  At that point, I just had to hang up the phone.

_________________
Scott (room34)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: room34 on 2002-03-19 13:29 ]</font>

On 2002-03-19 13:28, room34 wrote:
[  At that point, I just had to hang up the phone.

_________________
Scott (room34)

I hear what you’re saying!  My experiences with trying to get first Telocity and the Verizon as my ISPs left me with phone burns on my hands  

On 2002-03-19 22:59, yoyo52 wrote:
I hear what you’re saying!  My experiences with trying to get first Telocity and the Verizon as my ISPs left me with phone burns on my hands  

I’ve only actually had to talk to Telocity on the phone once or twice and I was always surprised at their competence.  Unfortunately, BellSouth’s phone reps are so BLINDINGLY CLUELESS that even a good experience with Telocity was not enough to offset my frustration.  I could get into the whole story of the 2 months of hassles I had trying to get my home phone service set up when I moved to Atlanta, but I will spare you.