Question for Internet Guru's??

[jmnjrpa]

Same here. Been on computers since about '85 and even changed out the crystal on my true blue 286 but I think sometimes I tend to forget what I knew. Dropped a bike at 110 mph in '74 and it seems to give me memory issues. Can't for the life of me see how come I can't access except at work.

[cywelchjr]

"Except for the fact that some ISP's link your account to a specific MAC address. That's why almost all routers allow cloning of the computer that your administering them from, so that when you set it up, your ISP thinks it's your computer hooked up rather than the router. "

No, this is why your router has a MAC address so that your ISP only sees it as the registered device.

That way you can have 256 computers or other network devices behind the router, for the cost of having one.

It has clone ability also so that you can clone your buddies MAC address, if your at his house and he doesn't have a router, and you want to access the internet.

In some cases (that I have personally experienced) if you setup an individual computer initially, then decide that you want to put a router/firewall in place, it won't let you. This is what the common ability of a router to clone a mac address was created for. While you can type a mac address into the router manually, their default is to clone the one your connected to the router with, this is specifically for ISP's such as cable co's who often require a setup and registration of the computer that will be hooked up. By cloning the mac address you don't have to go through this with your router if you have already done it with your computer, providing the clone the mac address of the computer you registered. They didn't put that capability in there to let you clone someone else's mac address, they put it in there so you could put your router in-line with your computer without your ISP knowing that you did it.

[cywelchjr]

Are you saying that your isp charges per device connected ???? I pay for a broadband connection and 10 gigs a month and it doesnt matter how many devices I have. Never heard of an isp charging per device , not even on our business connection.

Yep, it's common here. And while it's less common now than it used to be, when I first hooked up to broadband back when @home was used by most cable co's, they didn't allow multiple computers without charging for each one, and they registered the mac address of each computer. To put a router in the line, you HAD to clone the mac address of the registered computer or it would not give you access. This is much less common with DSL (almost unheard of actually), but still somewhat common with cable (not as bad as it used to be, but if you change mac addresses hooked to the cable modem you have to reset the modem to get it to work again).

[cywelchjr]

Young-uns are so much fun!

They ALL tried to charge per device in the OLD days.

At least here in Canada, and I assume the US. They tried to make people think that owning a router was illegal.

Needless to say, they gave that up pretty quick, and now most ISPs here issue suvscribers with a modem/router all in one.

You have to remember I have been going over-the-modem since before the Internet was open to the public!

That being said, I have at least one relative that has been on the 'internet' since 1972.

Must be nice. Even those who provide a router now such as with DSL will refuse to troubleshoot unless you take the router out of the line. That can be difficult if the router IS the DSL modem. I've given up with even bothering to call about problems most of the time anymore, I can usually find and fix the problem faster than they can, and I don't have to expose my computer to being pwned instantly by following their instructions.

Should have heard them start getting panicky when I told them that they would be liable for damage to my computer if I followed their instructions and took out the router, turned off the OS firewall and turned off all AV and anti spyware software, as I pointed them to several studies showing that an unprotected windows computer (the only thing they support) would be infected in about 20-40 seconds after being hooked to the internet. They instantly kicked me up to the next level who did the same, and these guys actually knew what they were doing, and we got it fixed quickly.

Which was better than the 2 weeks it's took @home to figure out that they had issued me an IP address they didn't own (and wasn't issued anywhere so was unroutable) and issue me one that actually worked. They guy couldn't figure out why he could ping me from the machine on their network directly, but not from the internet connected machine. Of course I pointed him to ARIN to show that contrary to what he thought, they didn't have every IP address that started with 65 in the world, there was at least at that time a very LARGE block that had not been issued to anybody at all, and that was where the address they gave me resided.

[JWSanders]

Which was better than the 2 weeks it's took @home to figure out that they had issued me an IP address they didn't own (and wasn't issued anywhere so was unroutable) and issue me one that actually worked.

Now that's funny! Not funny ha ha, but....

[Crazcnuk]

"In some cases (that I have personally experienced) if you setup an individual computer initially, then decide that you want to put a router/firewall in place, it won't let you. This is what the common ability of a router to clone a mac address was created for"

Exactly. In teh early days, we would sign up for internet, and set up our machine. Later we would get another machine and want to hook it up too, but they wanted us to pay for another account.

The fix was to install a router, clone the address of the 'licenced' machine, and then hook up whatever we wanted behind the router.

The ISPs tried to discourage this for, for obvious reasons.

Even a cheap router is designed (by industry std) to handle up to 256 devices. They wouldn't do it well, but 5 or 6 devices or more is not an issue.

"as I pointed them to several studies showing that an unprotected windows computer (the only thing they support) would be infected in about 20-40 seconds after being hooked to the internet."

Must be studies paid for by Apple. I have machines hooked up for up to 1/2hr or more, routinely , and have yet to catch a virus.

"Macs are virtually virus free!"

"Yes, because there are no Macs doing anything, anywhere in the world, important enough to bother with"

[Elevener]

[QUOTE=TopCatGr58;236306]Hey folks,

I've been contacted by a new member with 9 posts that he's not been able to access XS11.com lately, the last week. I then got an email today from DGXser...guru, etc., that he also has not been able to access the site. The first one uses Comcast.net out of Olympia, Wa., the other Cinci.RR.com ISP I assume out of the Cincinatti area, so it doesn't appear to be a regional internet thing???

I helped the Comcast fellow to revert back to IE7 due to the buggyness of IE8, Cleared/deleted his browser files, cookies, passwords, etc. Had him check his Browser Internet Security settings...to Med-High, verified that XS11.com wasn't amongst the Restricted sites, WAS amongst the sites permitted by the popup blocker. All of this was to no avail! His internet service works, he can go to Google and such, types in the URL for XS11.com, or types in the URL directly into the browser, it shows the progress bar for 15-30 seconds, then times out with unable to display web page!?!?

I've verified that his IP addy was NOT in the range of the IP's that are BANNED by the site, same for his email addy/ISP. I'm at a loss as to what else to tell him besides possibly calling/contacting his ISP to make sure that there isn't something wrong on their end!?

Any other suggestions???????
T.C.[/QUOTE

I havent been able to get here the last few days. Comcast here also. Gotta love proxys otherwise I wouldnt be here now.

[Rettic]

This?!

I was unable to connect for a few days, and just thought the site was down. Was messaging another user and they said it was up and running, so I went through the normal tracert and ping tests, found that I was not reaching the site. So, what I did was realize it was the DNS servers not getting update that I was using through Time Warner Cable.

Solution: http://www.opendns.com/

They have directions on there to fix your DNS for what ever you are using. I just switched it on my router so that every computer in the house would handle it. Give it a try if it is sluggish or intermittently being down.

I am tellin you guys, this is the way to do it. I have not had an issue since I changed my DNS. Seems like a strange answer. Try it out.

[jmnjrpa]

I tried the Open DNS even though it was off the wall to me. Absolutely no change. My brother is an IT manager and does websites. He agrees with me in that it has to originate from the ISP/host.

[mro]

Most likely there is a “host” of problems across the net as well as on individual machines that do interfere with or slow access. There is no single “solution”.

They didn't put that capability in there to let you clone someone else's mac address, they put it in there so you could put your router in-line with your computer without your ISP knowing that you did it.

I would be surprised if an ISP could not detect a router from a home user. Analytical software they use should let them know. I would also not be surprised if broadban ISPs would screw with your access if you are using a router. Probably part of there business plan as they do want to charge as much as they can. ISPs are pissed off with the fed’s regulations that are supposed to keep them from limiting down loads.

mro

[Crazcnuk]

My access to the site has been working, but has been very slow the last few days.

It takes up to 30 secs to open a page here, lately.

Occassionaly the browser times out trying to open a page here.

However, this has been happening with other sites as well. My WoW has been hit and miss. One time I log in and it's fine, the next time laggy as all heck.