SBC/Yahoo DSL, Hubs, and Mac OS X?

John wishes to get to the core of this issue: "I recently had to move to SBC/Yahoo DSL due to the demise of DirecTV internet. This provider uses PPoE and dictates that users access the service through EnterNet Classic. The only configuration they support is a direct ethernet connection between the DSL modem and the Mac's built-in ethernet port. In order to access files on other home computers (not sharing Internet access however) and a printer, I would need to connect an ethernet hub between the modem and the Mac. Yet SBC does not support this configuration, which I believe wold be a very common setup. Does anyone know if there is a way to set up this layout and successfully connect via PPoE?"

Comments

No problems here...

[JonBob]

I've got a similar setup (SBC DSL, bot the Yahoo version). No problems for me getting things set up on OS X without EnterNet; I even got official instructions from SBC on setting it up. (They were SBC Ameritech here at the time, so the rules may have changed).

Currently I have the DSL modem hooked up to my AirPort base station, and then have my B/W G3 hooked up to that and also use the connection for my TiBook. You need to have Connect Using PPPoE checked in the Network preference pane, and use the appropriate settings (you can probably guess them using the EnterNet setup instructions). Then use Apple's Internet Connect app to make the connection.

Very easy to do...

[dr00g911]

Any D-Link or Linksys router will support PPPoE and get you online just fine.

From their Enternet bias, it's safe to assume that they support OS 9 only as well, as there's not (and there's no need for) Enternet under OS X -- which has built-in PPPoE drivers. This is a good thing. Enternet is one of the crashiest hackjobs that I've every installed back with Bellsouth DSL until I got my router functioning.

If they try to do something idiotic like locking the device to a particular MAC address, I know for certain that the $35 D-Link DI-604 does MAC address spoofing on the Internet side as well.

Not even that much, IIRC

[devphil]

I also am forced to use SBC CrapperNet (please, Speakeasy, please), and have a simple Linksys home router sitting between my box and the modem.

The trick is to use the direct connection for your initial signup (this sets the PPPoE username/password on their end), then drop the router in place and tell it about the PPPoE settings. I don't believe I had to do the MAC cloning bit.

Then throw out the CrapperNet stuff and simply point your computer to the router, just like a standard net connection.

Totally false

[Duck_Taffy]

I have SBC/Yahoo DSL, and they've been supporting Mac OS X's built-in PPPoE software for about a year now. As soon as they posted instructions online, I kissed EnterNet goodbye, and never looked back.

All you have to do is go into System Preferences, click on Network, make sure Built-In Ethernet is selected, then click on the PPPoE tab. Check the box next to "Connect using PPPoE", enter your user name and password in the appropriate boxes, and hit Apply Now. I also do a few extras - I check the remember password box, I check "Show PPPoE status in menu bar", so that it's really easy to connect, and I don't have to use the Internet Connect app, and I click on PPPoE Options and make sure that "Send PPP echo packets" is the only box that's checked. It's essential to the connection that that box is checked, but the other options are yours to play with.

What I did to set up file, printer, and connection saring was install a $29 Allied Telesyn 10/100 NIC in a PCI slot in my tower, and just plugged that into a spare Cisco hub I have. AirPort is also perfectly acceptable as an option.

not hard to do

[fermion]

The solution, for the sake of argument, is as follows

First, if memory serves, the SBC software is OS9 only. I would not try to configure the OSX PPOE services, as the SBC tech support is horrible, and if you try to do the OSX thing, they are unlikely to be able to help. If you want to try to use the OSX setup instead of the router, feel free to try.

Second, you will need a PPOE capable router/firewall with a configurable MAC. The linksys is a good unit. There are others.

So, go ahead and boot into OS9. Go into configuration manager and create a set/configuration to hold the SBC setup. This will allow to quickly switch to the SBC setup later on for troubleshooting, but will also save you current configuration, if any.

Now start the installation. At some point, you will have to call tech support. Do not mention that you are doing anything different. Just follow their lead and do as they say. Some of it is silly, but they will get you up and running. Note all setting such as email, password, etc. You will need them later.

After you are up and running, disconnect the cable between the modem and computer from the modem and plug it into the router. Reboot the computer into OSX. Go into System preferences, click on network (be sure to choose the proper network interface in the drop down menu), then TCP/IP. Choose Using DHCP from the drop down menu, click apply now, and close.

Load a web browser on the computer and connect to the router. If it is a linksys, the address should be 192.168.1.1. All further instructions assume a Linksys. This will bring up the configuration menu. On the setup page type in your full SBC email address, the domain is probably sbcglobal.net, the username(full email again) and your password. Select PPOE from the drop down menu, and select either 'connect on demand' or 'keep alive'. The former might attract less attention. Click apply.

Go to the status page and type in a password for the router. This should be a strong password. Click apply.

Go to the DHCP tab, turn on the server, and click apply. Open the DHCP client table and note the MAC for your machine.

Now click the advance menu, and then the Mac Addr. clone tab. Type the Mac Address into the fields and click apply,

Plug a cable from the WAN connector on the router to the modem. At this point you should be good to go. The router will automatically connect to they network when needed. If it doesn't, first check all the lights on the router and modem. The modem will light if it senses a good network, the router will light if it senses the modem and computer(s). Next go to the configuration page and look at the status tab. This will tell you if the router is connected, and allow you to connect manually if there is a problem. If the direct connection is good, and you type in all the user and password information correctly, it should work like a charm.

This is, of course, in no way a reccomendation. It is just one of the many possible ways that one could connect an OSX machine to the SBC network.