Re: Alcatel DSL USB

From: Hayley Wesson (h.o.t.w.i.r.e.7.5_at_y.a.h.o.o.c.o.m)
Date: 03/22/04 

Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 15:00:42 GMT

"james <at> hal-pc.org" <"james wrote:

> Ricardo Oliveira wrote:
>> Hi there!
>>
>> I'm just starting with FreeBSD and I have a major problem: I cannot
>> install/configure my Alcatel SpeedTouch USB modem. I've been reading
>> some articles/pages about this but i'm just getting more confused.
>> Can anyone help me install/configure my system so that i can use my
>> dsl line? A step-by-step explanation would be very nice because, as
>> said before, i'm just starting FreeBSD.
>>
>> Thanks for your time!
>> Ricardo Oliveira
>
> Speaking as the DSL coordinator for a fairly large ISP, i can tell you
> that the best thing you can do with the "singray" is to throw it away.
> You're lucky to get it working in Windows, much less any other OS.
> Get one of the following:
> Alcatel 1000 (may need to be reprovisioned and needs a line 2 to line
> 1 adaptor but works great)
> Alcatel SpeedTouch Home (built in NAT)
> Efficient Networks SpeedStream 5660 (built in NAT)
> 5360 (plain bridge)
> 5260 (plain bridge, but some may be upgraded with a flash to a 5660)
>
> Moral of the story: Stay away from ANY network device that connects
> via USB.
>

I'll mostly agree with this one. I have one that I keep for a last
recourse backup under WinXP, and it can be a _royal_ pita to get running,
though it does seem to be adequate once you do. As far as I can tell with
FreeBSD and the thing, PPPoE isn't going to be possible anytime in the near
future with it since nobody likes the things enough to write up a driver
that will do it.

What made it even more fun for me to get set up the first time under XP was
an email conversation I had with the Alcatel tech support where I later
found out they had flat out lied to me about some of its capabilities.
(they said it wouldn't do something when it would, _easily_, which I found
a bit odd..) :P 

-- 
Hayley
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