This is the deal. I called and set it up today with this cable company (that I can't stand). Anyway, it isn't working. It is an Ambit USB cable modem. The support tech that I called and talked to about it said that XP won't recognize this modem as a modem because of some flaw in XP that has to do with it being USB. He said that I have to get a NIC. The funny thing is that he was able to somehow tell that it is connected or whatever. Then he tells me that it could be my signal strength. Then he told me that if I can get it to work that it will be "very unstable". Hopefully someone out there can understand my frustration with this company. They're the ones that have been telling me for 2 years that it would be all set up in my town within a couple months or whatever. Why they would even use some shit ass generic modem that isn't compatible with XP is beyond me. Anyone have any ideas on anything I can do to get it to work? It's installed right and everything. But something is amuck. I plan to get the NIC's anyway so I can share this with my dad's computer, but I kind of want to get it online tonight if possible w/out the cards. That was going to be my original post actually, asking if I should get a router. I know nothing about this stuff so ALL help is greatly appreciated. One thing I saw in Device Manager has settings for NumRxBuffers (which is set to 1) and NumTxBuffers (which is set to 32)??? I'm clueless.

Your best bet is to get a nic because the cable company won't give you the drivers you need to set it up using usb. With a nic, XP will see it as simply a network, and not worry about it's settings, and the nic should connect to the network using DHCP.

I agree 100% with Ace you need a NIC, XP will set this for you, you then use cat5 cable to plug the USB modem in to the NIC.

The NIC will use DHCP to connect to the ISP and download an address etc.

I would reccomend a 3COM NIC.

as the above said

ive set up many cable modems

alot esier through nic than usb

Connect to the internet using dial-up (if possible. if not go to a system where you CAN do this). Make sure the cable modem is connected & go to Windows Update- the drivers are there.

usb seems one major hassle...

nic is the way to go then go and get some NAT networking going...!

go with the nic... a few dollars... and if you are only going to share this with your dads computer i suggest not getting a router, just use your computer as the server machine, and let xp set up your internet connection sharing. connect your dads computer directly to yours with a crossover cable. this should work fine... hope you get the cable working! you will love broadband...

Thanks for all the help. I got the NIC. For now I just borrowed a D-Link 530-TX from a friend. The only brand they have at any local outlets is Linksys. If those aren't that good I'll just order a 3-Com or something. I haven't set up the sharing yet cause he didn't get his card yet. And you're right, I LOVE this shit. Here's a pic of my speed:

Is that pretty good? It's supposed to be 1.5 M something or other.

Here's another one if it will work.

Good stuff dude, and glad it works. Welcome to the world of broadband.

woot woot.... mind if i ask how much you are paying?

Sid said a while back that he thought it was a little steep. It's 49.95 a month. Plus 3.95 to rent the modem. The one I got yesterday that I hooked up originally was junk. I left out in the original post that the tech support guy told me yesterday that my signal was too low. So he set it up for a cable guy to come here today and turn it up. But it wasn't that. It was the junk modem. The service guy that came here today said that he's only seen one other house that was getting as good of a connection as I am getting here. But he wasn't talking speed (I don't think), I think he meant signal strength. But then again, I am totally new to all this stuff. May dialup rot in the depths............

514.4 for me. Cable ifrom australia. It is a releif that I can get uncapped d/loads, but 256 up

not very impressive upload speed though
dl speed is good

yeah, i know, but in australia, to get uncapped uploads is to give your children away. Something like 200/month

oh, sorry, i was referring to ntruax upload

200/month is pretty dear to say the least though...

I only pay 88/mo. Yes it is still expensive, but that is due to the low population on braodband and the low population in general. i get uncapped d/l but 256 up. Ohh well, thats how it goes here. BTW, prices quoted ar in $AU

its not a modem its an adapter or terminator there is another name to but carnt rember but def not modem



the unit is conected to there computer system and so that they can diag the unit when thingz go wrong and crap like that

Bob,
You may be thinking its a bridge running PPPoE or PPPoA (or maybe not :wink: ) Essentialy an ethernet router in which case the tech is most likely using SNMP or something similar to view (and perhap control) your end

Talk about bringing up a dead topic