Currently in High Bridge and Clinton, NJ to reach the Internet you have a few dial-up services.  There was a DSL advertisement From NewlTel (doesn't seem to be in business anymore as of 2-'02) in the Democrat in September, '00.   Comcast now provides cable modem service in my area for $43 a month if you have Comcast DIGITAL cable. STANDARD CABLE, sorry.  Need to upgrade to Digital cable first (and the 100 options available)  More if you don't pay the overpriced cable rates they charge.  There was another wireless DLS offered in the area.   Checking on that.

There is a new service, satellite up and downlink.  Again big buck, but you are talking about higher speeds and an nationwide company.  http://www.direcpc.com/ (Direct PC)

Now available in High Bridge, N.J. is Sprint DSL, through Earthlink.net.  Now Earthlink has been around for some time just like Sprint, so they shouldn't have financial problems.   Actually Earthlink bought Mindspring, an Internet Service Provider.
Comcast in High Bridge is now offering a cable modem/dial-up service.    

A friend in South Bound Brook New Jersey just got Verizon DSL.  No problem, he got the modem in a few days and the tech showed up on time and it's running fine.  Another person got Comcast Cable Modem, but she lives in a condo.  Problems, problems, Problems along with another person in a different condo.  The TV cable is spilt some 6 ways with a Condo as only one line goes to the multiple unit.  The line will disconnect for hours at a time.  She had a tech out a few time and the other person has the same problem.  She finally had to have an individual cable line run to her unit.  Comcast now seems to realize that condos have a problems due to the cable splitters.  The other person had a splitter replaced too.  No problems after that.

My son (Mr. "always on") needed a second log-in, so Prolog was charging me $30 ($19.95 plus $10) for two simultaneous logins (not just E-mail accounts).  Cable modems offer more speed but that is shared speed.  As more people go on that "system" you slow down.  Lots of different opinions with that previous statement but a cable modem user should use a Router (as described below) or one of the Internet Security Packages offered by Norton's or other companies to keep others on that network out of your computer!  The way cable modes were setup has changed due to "sharing" problems.  That seems to be settled.

Do you love AOL?  If you keep your AOL e-mail account (one log-in charge I think) you can still get Cable Modem or DSL and use your same computer software to get to AOL. Just change the AOL setting to "use network connection" rather then "Dial-up service".  I do it at school with my teachers. But those AOL users are still paying the full monthly connection fee.  Comcast has made a deal with AOL, you pay a small AOL monthly fee and get Comcast Cable.   You must like AOL to do that as they pay more then just internet cable fees.  Some like the AOL interface.  To surf full screen, minimize AOL and click on Netscape or IE... FEEL THE POWER.  No dial up problems.  I think you may need multiple accounts to be networked and more then one person be on at the same time.  New routers now had options to allow more then one AOL user on at a time.  But that is a piece of hardware you must purchase separately.  You would have to check on that.  I never used AOL.  Remember "instant messenger" can be used on any system.  Plus there is a new program that allows you to talk to others on MSN messenger and ICQ and Instant Messenger, an all in one program.

I called Sprint the last week in Feb, '01.  Four days later I get the "Speed Stream - efficient networks" DSL (Digital Subscriber Link) modem box.  It has a 3 foot network cable to hook to your NIC (Network Interface Card - Walmart or Stapels for $12.).  The NIC is not include in their "package" deal, just the free modem. Sprint's web site states something about a $50 rebate but you have to request the DSL via their web page.  You need to purchase a network card. It can be any brand 10/100mbs (Million Bits per Second transfer).  Since your DSL only supports 512K max., out to the net, any speed will do.  That speed is for the home user, high rates and prices are available if located within a certain foot distance of the phone station.

If you intend to setup two or more computers on your DSL - and - share files and data between those computers, I would get the newer 10/100 network cards.  The cost per card should only be $15.00 - $20, purchasing a $65.00 network card won't make it run any better or faster.   I have had few, if any problems, with NIC cards in 10 years and I have used expensive 3COM brands to no-name brands.  If you intend to get a router in MUST BE PPPoE COMPATIBLE!  All are now compatible or can be software upgraded.  If you intend to share an ink jet printer, be careful.  Most ink jets want to communicate with the computer it is connected to so it can provide information on how much ink is left.  This causes problems when sharing, just a thought.  Canon 3000, 6000 and S450 printers and others have the ability to turn off "bi-directional communications" so you can easily share them.

Sprint DSL uses PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet), basically someone found a way for the DSL modem to talk to the network card like a modem.  You'll get the two computers at the bottom right of your screen just like dialing in. All your software will work as if you are dialing in.  Some software may need to have it changed!  My Eudora has a setting for "dial when checking mail".  If you put the mouse over those computers icons you will see your connection is 10000000bsp (10mbs). That's not the actual speed, just something programmed into the software.  With DSL you keep your regular phone line and data access is added to it at a higher frequency.  I received 4 free filters to add to your existing phone lines to keep you hearing any static from your phones. I can't hear any noise without the filters but still use the filters.  Even a wall mounted filter is in the modem box.  More can be mailed for free via a 800#.  I have a phone splitter plugged into my DSL modem. The main phone line goes to the splitter as well as my desk phone sitting right next to the DSL modem (I have 3 extensions in my house) so you don't need an additional line just for DSL.  If you have an old house and the DSL modem is going way far away from your outside service line, try it first.  My phone line runs just 25 feet from the outside box to the DSL modem. I also replaced that phone wire with NEW wire.  If you are just getting DSL and a phone line is not near your computer it may be best to run a line right from the outside phone box to your DSL modem.  A clean connection is the only way for top DSL speed.  Remember a long network cable right from the DSL modem to your computer would be the best bet if your DSL modem is closest to your outside box.  You can purchase long network cable but it's expensive.  Phone line is cheap, you can use CAT 5 network wire too.  You never need to use or see the DSL modem unless you like seeing the lights blink.   You can run network cable to 300 feet.  You can get 100ft network cable.  Check on line.  Staples or Comp USA will over charge you.  Even E-bay would be a better deal. 

I would purchase any network cables, the Router and network card from Staples or Office Max.  Even Wal-Mart sells them cheap.  Wireless ones are great for two story houses or were you can't run new wires.  The prices have dropped in half in a year.  Network cables seem to be way over-priced at local stores, usually a dollar a foot.  At "computer shows" a 50 foot quality cable is only $20.  On line stores selling network products are great if you need lots of stuff.  Only if you are purchasing a few 20 - 50 foot cords do the prices the local stores charge outweighs using the internet (www.cablesonline.com) or going to a computer show.  Network cards and Routers aren't much cheaper at the shows but below full price.  On-line stores can give better prices.  Many companies are now offering rebates, even Staples, Office Max and Office Depot.  Home Depot now has CAT 5e cable, connector units and short patch cables.  The patch cables are pretty expensive but the CAT 5e cable and connectors are at good prices and they will sell it by the foot.

Just in ( JULY '03).  Sprint offered 1.5mb DSL upgrade for $54 a month.  My 512K was perfect all the time I had it.  Went for the upgrade and STILL waiting for the $54 a month price to be a reality.  Currently getting a $49.99 Sprint charge and a $10.00 Earthlink charge.  Three calls to Sprint and 3 different answers.  Wait for the "billing cycle" to catch up with the specials/promo or   NO YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSE TO GET IT DISCOUNTED.  That was only for NEW customers (then it should be $64 a month).  NO, you are a new 1.5mb upgrade customer, the discount is coming.  Almost into my 3rd billing. Contacting Sprint (false advertising on their web site) and Earthlink (why did you change my $5 a month charge to $10 a month?  More on that later.  Again PERFECT DSL connection.  200K up and it tests 1.5 down.

Currently (April '01) Sprint is offering DSL (according to the sales people, haven't gotten a bill yet) $39.99 to those customers that have their "package deal" for $28.  This "package deal" includes all the fun services (caller ID, Caller block, call forwarding) and 100 min. of long distance calling.  NOW - I am trying to find out if the Local Direct Dialing (under 50 miles) and Long Distance in their 100 minute plan.  If you pick up this package, it's the above price PLUS $4.95 per month for Earthlink as you ISP (Internet Service Provider).  Mind you I have been with Prolog (a P.A. internet service provider offering a dial up in Clinton and Hampton, New Jersey) since 1993 or 1994, this is before anyone heard of the word ISP.  My previous employer, Seton Hall University, had Internet access since Netscape 1.1 that used to fit on a floppy.  So I know Prolog is great, I could stay on line for 10 hours and not get disconnected.  AOL, what a joke that system is. I hear my teacher and friends talk about busy signals for hours, disconnects after a half hour or so, slow downloads.  That is not what the internet should be like, but that is my personal opinion is with thirteen years of networking and 6 years of dial-up access experience .

SETUP:
I called Sprint and they had the DSL connected to my already "on" modem in two weeks from the initial call. It was like watching a heating pot those last 6 days ... come on you DLS green light... stay lite ! ! !  The network card was already installed so I got out their WinPoET software CD.   This software makes your network card think it is a modem.  This software is used for two reasons.

One: SPRINT DSL requires you to login with a user name (you can choose it when ordering) and password (you can call and change it).  Not sure but the "login" only takes a second or two.  I didn't have their WinPoET software for long.  This provides Sprint/Earthlink with security as only one person with that name/password can be on logged to their system.  Not sure yet as to the number of E-mail addresses you get free.

TWO: with that name/password the ISP can tell what you are doing as far as amount of data you upload/download, time you are on (my son's NT workstation never is off) and other things.  No ISP wants you to be a "service" or a drag on their system.  You can E-mail attachments, just not become a "sharing service".  So the 99.5 percent of us will have no problems.  Yes, you can share your $45 a month connection and 2 or 3 or 5 people can be on at the same time.    Between those computers, on your personal "network", the ISP can't tell what you are doing,  but if you download 4 gigs of MP3's a day... I bet you will get an E-mail from Earthlink highly suggesting you get a business account or move on.

WinPoET is a very easy to install software... all automatic... hence that's why lots of ISP's use it.  A big fold out paper comes with the DSL modem as instructions.  It took me 10 minutes to go from waiting, to connected.  YOU MAY NEED A WINDOW's install CD.  This is stated in the manual but the WinPoET CD had the BIN (extra install files) for every version of Windows on their CD.  I never need mine except to add the network card.  Their CD did everything.  You have to reboot 3 or 4 times.  If you have Netscape you will have a "profile" added.  If you like this "profile" stuff you can keep it and even add profiles for each user so they have their own bookmarks and stuff.  If not you can deleted the added profile but save a copy of you "bookmarks" just in case you mess things up.  If one computer is all you need you are set.  DSL is not as fast as a cable modem but I get 433k. speed. I have a T1 line at my school and my DSL is no slacker. Way much better then the 49K from my modem.  You may want to use this initial single software set-up to make sure everything works before you setup your Router. You can delete the WinPoET software once you know the DSL works.

FIRST:
Read the Router book and find the E-mail address of your E-mail provider (mail.prolog.net, mail.earthlink.net, etc.) with your old system.  You will need that information to change in your E-mail settings if you keep your old E-mail account.  May ISP's have a cheap monthly/yearly fee to keep your old E-mail until you have everyone moved to your new account.  Your modem can stay in place and will even work if you don't have to remove due to lack of computer slots for the network card. Externals can stay too.  You can still use the modem to fax or login to your old ISP until you disconnect your old ISP service.  If possible, or after the unit is setup, you may want to change your old phone cable to CAT5 cable now available from Home Depot.  If you are good at basic wiring, this might be a good deal.  The sales people will show you how.  You only need the 2 pair or 3 pair wire.  The network wiring is 4 pairs (8 wires) and rather cheap per foot.  Their box of 500 feet is $50.  There is real expensive stuff but only for business when wiring is put in heat ducts. The cover is the only difference, not speed ability.  If you intend to put DSL on the second floor and the phone wiring is some 30 years old, it might be a good idea.  It also depends on were those wires run.  It would be almost impossible to re-run it behind the walls again.    Maybe out the outside wall and in a window.  Again, take the main DSL line from the box to your DSL modem with as short as a wire and no splits.  Try it and go to www.dlsreports.com/stest   They have a test program.  If you get 400kbs down and 115kbs up, that is pretty good and you may not get any better. Try the test during the busy time (5 - 7pm) and then around midnight.  Wireless Router are under $130.00 in 2003.  Wireless cards are more expensive but second floor setups and sitting outside with a laptop may be worth it.

LETS DO NETWORKING!
A Router shares a network connect by giving any computer (set up right) an automatic "internal IP address".  The internet is run by IP addresses.  Just like a phone number (that we are running out of) everyone on the NET at that time has their own IP address. This IP address is usually only when you are on and are shared by the next person when you log-off.  And yes we are running out of IP addresses too, but a fix is coming.  So a call to a server in England has your IP address attached to it.  The computer you asked information from sends it back via the IP. Each country and ISP has their own IP addresses.  Once your ISP gets a request to return information, they give it back to you.  Hey, it's worked that way since the 1960 when there were just 6 or so computers connected.  What used to be a U.S. copper phone wire system is now fiber connections and what used to be 10mbs routers are now it the terabytes (trillions of bits per second) all costing less and less to produce.  An 8 port hub (to connect 8 computers together) in 1993 cost over $2000, now can be bought at Staples for $40.  A switch (a fancy hub) cost twice as much then a hub back in 1993 is now less than $300 for 24 computers.

The difference between a hub/switch and 10mbs and 10/100mbs connections. The 10mbs connection has been a standard since 1985 or earlier, that's when I got into networks.  Any network cable can handle 10mbs called CAT 3 to Cat 5.  The 10/100 connections/cables offer 10X throughput from the newer cards and hub/switches with a cabled called CAT 5 or CAT 5e.  Many old network cables can still handle the 100mbs speed but if you add wire, go with the new CAT 5e.  They cost only a dime more per foot.   A hub will divide your 10mbs output by number of ports on the hub,  so a 8 port hub will provide a computer's network card a max of  1.13mbs per hub connection, still twice as fast as home DSL/Cable Modems.  A switch will allow the full speed to go to "one" connection or divided by only those computers requesting information that instant.  These 100mbs connections doesn't matter that much with DSL or Cable Modem but in any large network system, it provides a noticeable speed difference.  If you are going to copy large amounts of files from one computer in your house to another, go with a switch.  You can share you MPEG music directory so anyone in your home use the file.  Switches are becoming so cheap, they are only a few dollars more.  They are starting to use to advertising that their brand provides 10X better speed than brand X.  With homeowner Cable Modems/DSL with a top speed of 512K will still provide full speed from a 10mbs hub with a port limited to 1.13mbs.  So for home use, this year, it don't matter if you buy a 10mbs or the 10/100 brand unless you are working between two or more home computers.  Brands include, but not limited to: Linksys, Netgear, 3COM and more.  

For the real exotic users there are wireless routers: one wireless Router, then each PC needs a special same brand "wireless network card".   These are the more expensive, but wiring charges for multiple floors could run into hundreds.  Prices have dropped by almost half in a year.  This would be great for laptops!  Just remember, the wireless items are only 10mbs. 

Phone net devices: these use the other two wires of a normal phone line to transmit data though out a home.  These are more expensive then my $150. 10/100 router but I installed the extra network wire to my son's room  myself.  Again, check the speed of the connections, most likely just 10mbs are plenty for normal playing.

A router works like a hub (there are models with the different speed abilities too) but can give each computer connected to that router an internal IP address. The router then takes your computer's requests, adds your internal IP address and then adds your ISP's IP address.  So when you get the request back, you ISP knows the IP address given to your house, back to the router that knows your computer.  Hey, it all works with little knowledge of the end user (you!).  I may be hard to understand but the kits and help lines should solve everyone's problems or ask the kid down the street.

SETTING UP THE ROUTER:
The book that came with the router (Linksys brand) is pretty good and there is a CD with a video showing you how to even plug everything in.  RTFM and watch the video if needed.  You really only have to change 3 thing on the router and add something to the network card.   The network connectors look like a phone plug but are much bigger and vise versa.  I have seen phone plugs plugged into network (RJ45) jacks so read the manual.  If you installed WinPoET, disable it for all testing by right clicking the task bar icon and clicking "disabled".  I did not delete mine until everything was fine.
The network cable that the DSL modem came with is plugged into the back of it (only one place to go).  The other end goes to the WAN of the Router .  With your network card installed you need a network wire (CAT 5 or 5e) to go from one of the other network connection in the back of the Router to the network card.  If needed you can get LONG network wires to 100 feet.  The small clips on the ends work just like a phone connector, locking it in place.  Use the book and CD if you have problems.  The computer network card is now connected to the Router and your Router to the DSL.  You follow the book and use a browser to find the setup page of the Router (192.16.1.1).  The only change from the book is with Sprint N.W. New Jersey DSL, you need to click on PPPoE check mark on the setup page. Where it really changes is adding your full log-in name.   If your login was jroberts you need to put into the Router's log-in name jroberts@earthlink.net and then the password.  Everything was fine after that.  Without the extra @earthlink.net you would get an error message "LCP negotiation failed".  I had a similar problem with someone's E-mail going through our school's network without the full log-in name of the user.  I also clicked on "auto-login" and "keep alive" on the same page.

Go to the STATUS page on the Router, you should now have an IP and DNS numbers. (you may not need this if you use "automatically find an IP address")  Find and correctly write down the DNS numbers, should be two.  Add those DNS (dynamic name server) to your NETWORK CARD:  Start - settings - control panel - network - arrow down to locate TCP/IP with the "name" of the network card (not modem) and highlight it - click properties - DSN services - type in one number (207.217.77.82) click add, then the other.  These numbers are servers that take your www.earthlink.net and finds the real computer number 207.15.134.45 that the computer needs.  Without these your browser will not find anything.

That should do it.  The biggest problem was the log-in name on the Router requiring the whole address.  Three day and everything is cool.  My Router is always on as is my DSL modem.  My old modem is 4 or 5 years old and was always on (but not connected) so I doubt if the DSL modem will wear out.  I have a small UPS connected to my system and it keeps my computer, Router and DSL modem protected from those small electrical blips, lighting strikes and whatever.  Not sure if my IP is static or dynamic (changes with use)

Mike Butkus