| - | Australian Broadband FAQ |
| Maintained by Simon Wright. Further credits can be found in Section 9. | |
| Outline | |
| 1 | General information |
| 1.1 | What is broadband? |
| 1.2 | What would I use broadband for? |
| 1.3 | Why is broadband so damn expensive? |
| 1.4 | What is an AUP (acceptable use policy)? |
| 1.5 | How many megabytes does one usually consume in an hour? |
| 2 | Technologies |
| 2.1 | Cable |
| 2.1.1 | What is cable internet? |
| 2.1.2 | What is CDLP? |
| 2.1.3 | What is DOCSIS? |
| 2.2 | DSL |
| 2.2.1 | What is DSL? |
| 2.2.2 | What is PPPoE? |
| 2.2.3 | What is PPPoA? |
| 2.3 | Satellite |
| 2.3.1 | What is satellite internet? |
| 2.3.2 | What is two-way satellite? |
| 2.4 | Wireless |
| 2.4.1 | What is wireless internet? |
| 3 | Computer Setup |
| 3.1 | Setup: Optimising |
| 3.1.1 | What can I do to optimise my broadband connection? |
| 3.2 | Setup: Security |
| 3.2.1 | Why should I care about security? |
| 3.2.2 | Macintosh Security Software |
| 3.2.2.1 | Intego NetBarrier |
| 3.2.2.2 | Norton Personal Firewall for Mac |
| 3.2.2.3 | Mac OS X: built-in firewall |
| 3.2.3 | Windows Security Software |
| 3.2.3.1 | Introduction |
| 3.2.3.2 | ZoneAlarm |
| 3.2.3.3 | Norton Personal Firewall |
| 3.2.3.4 | Tiny Personal Firewall |
| 3.2.3.5 | BlackICE Defender |
| 3.3 | Setup: Networking |
| 3.3.1 | How do I share my connection with multiple computers? |
| 3.3.2 | Smoothwall |
| 3.3.3 | Am I allowed to connect my modem to a home network? |
| 3.3.4 | How do I configure an Airport wireless network for broadband? |
| 3.3.5 | Sharing setup guides for Bigpond Broadband |
| 3.3.6 | Sharing setup guides for Optusnet Cable |
| 3.3.7 | Newbies' Guide to Gateways |
| 3.4 | Setup: Linux / BSD |
| 3.4.1 | BigPond Broadband Cable setup guides |
| 3.4.2 | Optusnet Cable setup guides |
| 3.4.3 | ADSL setup guides |
| 4 | Gaming |
| 4.1 | What is a 'ping'? |
| 4.2 | What is 'lag'? |
| 4.3 | What does 'LPB' mean, and why are people calling me one? |
| 4.4 | Why do overseas game servers have such high pings? |
| 5 | BigPond Broadband |
| 5.1 | BPB General |
| 5.1.1 | What plans are on offer, and how do they differ? |
| 5.1.2 | Is BPB ADSL so much better than BPB Cable that it justifies an extra $15 a month? |
| 5.1.3 | What is a sub-account, and what do I get with it? |
| 5.1.4 | What is the transparent proxy, and how does it affect me? |
| 5.1.5 | What's this USB adapter thing, and what does it do? |
| 5.1.6 | Can I still use BPB if I don't use a supported operating system? |
| 5.1.7 | Can I send faxes using my Cable or ADSL modem? |
| 5.1.8 | How can I access my BigPond email mailbox using a different ISP? |
| 5.1.9 | How can I access my BigPond email mailbox with a web browser / at an internet cafe? |
| 5.2 | BPB Troubleshooting |
| 5.2.1 | I've got a router/firewall, why can't I check my email? |
| 5.2.2 | I can only download at around 55-60k/sec, not 512kbps. Why is that? |
| 5.2.3 | Can I uncap my modem? |
| 5.2.3.1 | Are you sure? I downloaded a ''bandwidth cap remover'' program... |
| 5.2.4 | I'm not satisfied with the service. Who do I complain to? |
| 5.2.5 | How do I get Frontpage Extensions to work? |
| 5.2.6 | A network tool says I'm receiving heaps of ARP packets. Will I be billed for that traffic? |
| 5.3 | BPB Cable |
| 5.3.1 | Are there alternative login clients available? |
| 5.3.2 | Do any hardware routers include a built-in BPB Cable login client? |
| 5.3.3 | People keep referring to my 'heartbeat'. What is that? |
| 5.3.4 | Why does my connection drop out after 5 minutes? |
| 5.3.5 | What are the different cable modems that Telstra have supplied? |
| 5.3.6 | Why do the RD and TD lights on my modem flash, even when my computer is off? |
| 5.3.7 | Which cable router am I on, and where are the routers located? |
| 5.3.8 | My house is wired for Foxtel. How much should BPB installation cost? |
| 5.3.9 | I want a longer cable to go between the cable modem and the wall. |
| 5.3.10 | I own a cable modem supplied by Optus. Can I use it on BPB? |
| 5.4 | BPB ADSL |
| 5.4.1 | The software supplied is awful! Are there alternatives? |
| 5.4.2 | Do any hardware routers include a built-in BPB ADSL login client? |
| 5.4.3 | Does BigPond Broadband ADSL have a heartbeat like BPB Cable? |
| 5.5 | BPB free web hosting |
| 5.5.1 | How do I use the free web hosting provided with my BPB account? |
| 5.5.2 | How can I change its location? |
| 5.5.3 | What CGI features are available? |
| 6 | Optusnet Cable |
| 6.1 | ONC General |
| 6.1.1 | What are the different cable modems that Optus have supplied? |
| 6.1.2 | What hardware routers are best for use with Optusnet Cable? |
| 6.1.3 | Does Optusnet Cable have a heartbeat, like BPB Cable? |
| 6.1.4 | Is there any way around the upstream bandwidth cap? |
| 6.1.5 | I own a cable modem supplied by Telstra. Can I use it on Optusnet? |
| 6.1.6 | Do I get a discount if have a compatable modem when I sign up? |
| 6.1.7 | Can I run a server on Optusnet Cable? |
| 6.1.8 | How much can I download each day? |
| 6.1.9 | Can I send faxes through Optusnet Cable? |
| 6.1.10 | If my neighbour connects to Optusnet Cable, will that affect me? |
| 6.1.11 | How big is my Optusnet Cable email mailbox? |
| 6.1.12 | Can I access my email from a web browser? |
| 6.2 | ONC Troubleshooting |
| 6.2.1 | I'm currently experiencing a problem. What do I do first? |
| 6.2.2 | Someone's trying to hack into my PC. How do I force an IP change? |
| 6.2.3 | How do I stop my proxy settings from reverting to Optusnet's default? |
| 7 | The community |
| 7.1 | Whirlpool |
| 7.2 | Broadband Forums |
| 7.3 | The Cableguy |
| 7.4 | Advanced ADSL Troubleshooting |
| 7.5 | LinuxAtHome.net |
| 7.6 | Newsgroups |
| 8 | Other sources of info |
| 8.1 | FAQs on Whirlpool.net.au |
| 8.2 | FAQs on Ozcableguy.com |
| 9 | Credits |
| 9.1 | Maintainer |
| 9.2 | Contributors |
| Contents | |
| 1 | General information |
| 1.1 | What is broadband? |
 | Traditionally, the term "broadband" is used to define communications that send several different channels at once down a wire (just like how many lanes on a highway allow more cars to travel on it at the same time), or use a wider range of frequencies to transmit a single data stream. "Wideband" is a synonym of broadband. Its antonym is either "narrowband" or "baseband", depending who you ask. Over time, along with the other aspects of the internet, this definition has evolved into a much more complex characterization. It would seem that everybody has a slightly different definition to what was originally a quite simple term. In everyday use, broadband just means "high bandwidth", and is applied to such technologies as cable internet, DSL, satellite and wireless. Of course, many people will tell you that the internet definition of broadband has a strict limit. Jupiter Communications claims that bandwidth should be at least 256kbps, the FCC in America regards broadband as 200kbps or more in at least one direction. Even Microsoft have their own definition: at least 300kbps. |
| 1.2 | What would I use broadband for? |
| A simple answer to this would be: Anything you already do with your 56k connection, only much faster. However, you can also do things that simply aren't feasible with a regular dialup connection. For example, you could download a file, browse the web, and check email at the same time - all happening much quicker than using a dial up connection. Game players can enjoy dramatically lower "pings", which translates into faster and more enjoyable online gaming. Broadband is a constant connection to the internet. There's no need to dial-up, and no engaged signals or dropouts. There are no hourly charges, and in many cases no bandwidth charges either! Because cable and ADSL internet doesn't take over a phone line, it means you don't have to pay for a second phone line. |
| 1.3 | Why is broadband so damn expensive? |
| Australian users have to absorb the cost of building cross-pacific pipelines like the Southern Cross Cable (http://www.southerncrosscables.com/), which is in itself over 30 thousand kilometres of multi-core fibre optic cable. Even after the pipeline is built, Australian companies have to pay American networks for the ability to "plug in" to the internet. Dial-up internet can be more costly than you think. You could be paying anywhere between 20 cents to one dollar per day in phone calls (that's between $6 and $30 per month), not to mention the cost of line rental for a second phone line, something that most regular internet users need when using dial-up. |
| 1.4 | What is an AUP (acceptable use policy)? |
| An Acceptable Use Policy defines what behavior is and is not permitted when using the service. It is part of the contract you agree to when you sign up for many broadband internet services. Of particular noteworthiness, it is usually the place that your ISP specifies the download restrictions for the service. |
| 1.5 | How many megabytes does one usually consume in an hour? |
| Well, how long is a piece of string? Naturally, it's very hard to equate volume usage and time. As an extremely rough guide, some users have observed these figures for the following Net activities: Internet Relay Chat: 1 meg per hour General web surfing: 10 to 30 megs per hour Games (like Quake): 20 to 60 megs per hour Remember, these are very rough, and based on past observation only. The following figures are rough translations of kilobits per second into megabytes per hour: Streaming media (64 kbps): 30 megs per hour Streaming media (128 kbps): 60 megs per hour Streaming media (256 kbps): 120 megs per hour Downloads will of course consume about the same number of megabytes as the file being downloaded, perhaps 5-10% more. The absolute fastest you can consume bandwidth on a broadband plan with a 512kbps cap -- under normal circumstances -- is about 220 megs per hour. |
| 2 | Technologies |
| 2.1 | Cable |
| 2.1.1 | What is cable internet? |
| Cable internet uses the high-capacity pay television infrastructures to deliver fast, two-way internet access to areas covered by the rollout. BigPond Cable uses the same cable as Foxtel pay television. OptusNet Cable uses the same cable as Optus pay television. |
| 2.1.2 | What is CDLP? |
| Motorola's CDLP technology was chosen by Telstra to run their Big Pond Cable service back in 1997, before the DOCSIS standard existed. It is no longer in use. Telstra ran its current DOCSIS network side-by-side with the older CDLP system for some time. CDLP does not allow for load balancing in the same way DOCSIS does for its routers. In recent times, poor management has caused the CDLP routers to be unbalanced, resulting in failures and poor performance in some areas. |
| 2.1.3 | What is DOCSIS? |
| DOCSIS stands for "Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification". It is an attempt to standardise cable modem technology. In theory, any DOCSIS cable modem should be able to connect to any DOCSIS-enabled cable ISP. In practice, that has not yet been possible in Australia. |
| 2.2 | DSL |
| 2.2.1 | What is DSL? |
| DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Loop. It is a name that encompasses a group of technologies, the most common being ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. DSL technologies make use of your existing telephone line. It splits the signal into two, one for voice communications and the other for the high speed data connection. The data line uses a range of frequencies not used in normal voice communications. |
| 2.2.2 | What is PPPoE? |
| Point to Point Protocol Over Ethernet. PPPoE is a common authentication and connection handling protocol for DSL connections. When you sign up with a DSL ISP, they supply you with a computer program which allows you to "log in" to their network. This software is usually a re-branding of existing PPPoE software, most commonly "Enternet". Newer operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows XP have built-in support for PPPoE. |
| 2.2.3 | What is PPPoA? |
| Point to Point Protocol Over ATM. PPPoA is very similar to PPPoE, although they are not compatible with each other. A few ISPs in Australia use PPPoA now. |
| 2.3 | Satellite |
| 2.3.1 | What is satellite internet? |
| Telstra currently uses a system copied from America called DirecPC. You can read more about this technology here: http://www.direcpc.com/ In Australia we use a regular phone line modem for the return path, which restricts deployment to remote areas where telephone lines are poor or non-existent. Downstream rates aren't particularly impressive for broadband, maxxing out at around 512kbps (around 10 times that of a 56k modem). Upstream data rates are no faster than what would be possible with a modem on its own. Sattelite is only of benefit for downloading and multimedia streams -- it does comparitavely little to aid web browsing, and does absolutely nothing to help online gaming. |
| 2.3.2 | What is two-way satellite? |
| Two-way satellite interfaces do not require a phone line for upstream connectivity. Multiple companies offer this service now including, of course, Telstra. Two-way satellite is currently being used across South Australia to conduct real-time video conferencing, voice and data to multiple sites. The Distance Education Network service has been in development for 12 months and is now commercial. |
| 2.4 | Wireless |
| 2.4.1 | What is wireless internet? |
| Wireless Internet access is -- as its name implies -- access to the internet without wires. Instead of using a phone line or HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial) cable to hook onto the internet, one of the many popular wireless technologies are used. The wireless ethernet technology, known as IEEE 802.11 is traditionally used in wireless networking devices like Apple's Airport and the Lucent/Orinoco WaveLAN series. These devices use non-directional antennas, and offer a range of about 50 to 150 meters. But some very crafty people have retrofitted the technology to work over very long ranges, using directional antennas. Wireless is generally slower than a physical network, but in the absence of any physical network, or where a physical network would be difficult or expensive to install, wireless becomes an attractive option. Directional antennas offer extraordinary range, but require line-of-site between the two points, which can be a problem in very hilly areas. The distance can be up to 5 or more kilometers, depending on the type of antenna and the strength of the signal. Without mass deployment on a similar scale to mobile phone networks, wireless can not compete with traditional wired internet access technologies, but for small towns and neighbourhoods, it can be a lucrative idea. |
| 3 | Computer Setup |
| 3.1 | Setup: Optimising |
| 3.1.1 | What can I do to optimise my broadband connection? |
| Cableguy has summarised this for BigPond Broadband users. You can read it here: http://www.ozcableguy.com/Downloads.html |
| 3.2 | Setup: Security |
| 3.2.1 | Why should I care about security? |
| Your computer is on the internet. Others on the internet, anywhere in the world can try to access your machine. This is no different to being with any ISP, however with broadband, there a few major differences:
In other words, a computer connected with broadband is simply a juicier target for the uninvited. The Cableguy has a summary of the issue. While Cableguy is BPB-centric, this section is equally useful for Optusnet Cable users. You can read it here: http://www.ozcableguy.com/Security.html#security Also note that most broadband ISP's include a clause in their contracts that make you fully responsible for keeping your computer secure. |
| 3.2.2 | Macintosh Security Software |
| 3.2.2.1 | Intego NetBarrier |
| NetBarrier is a firewall for Macintosh. It also includes antivandal, filter and privacy features. Read more here: http://www.intego.com/netbarrier/ |
| 3.2.2.2 | Norton Personal Firewall for Mac |
| Norton Personal Firewall for Macintosh is made by utilities vendor Symantec. More information here: http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf_mac/ A software package called Norton Internet Security is also available. It includes Personal Firewall, as well as Antivirus. http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_mac/ |
| 3.2.2.3 | Mac OS X: built-in firewall |
| Thanks to its UNIX heritage, Apple's new operating system Mac OS X has a built-in firewall. If its simplistic interface doesn't do what you want it to do, you could try one of these programs: Brickhouse, shareware (25 US dollars). http://personalpages.tds.net/~brian_hill/brickhouse.html Firewalk X, shareware (12 US dollars). http://www.users.qwest.net/~mvannorsdel/firewalkx/index.html |
| 3.2.3 | Windows Security Software |
| 3.2.3.1 | Introduction |
| Nearly every version of Windows, by default, is horrendously insecure. Before we begin, lets get a couple of things out of the way first:
(If you don't know how to turn these off, use google, or ask your friendly computer geek.) Installing a software firewall like ZoneAlarm is a good idea, and a hardware barrier of some kind is even better. But whatever you do, don't ignore the problem. Computer security is a very real threat for broadband users. |
| 3.2.3.2 | ZoneAlarm |
| ZoneAlarm is a pretty good personal firewall, which places an emphasis on programs attempting to connect to the internet without your permission. Best of all, it is free for personal and non-profit use. Grab your copy here: http://www.zonealarm.com/ |
| 3.2.3.3 | Norton Personal Firewall |
| Norton Personal Firewall is a firewall by utilities vendor Symantec. Norton Internet Security can also block banner and popup ads, as well as Flash and Java applets. Expect to pay commercial software prices. Known to conflict with BigPond Cable. More information here: http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/ |
| 3.2.3.4 | Tiny Personal Firewall |
| Another good firewall product is Tiny Personal Firewall, a personal firewall made by the creator of the WinRoute software routing solution. Check it out here: http://www.tinysoftware.com |
| 3.2.3.5 | BlackICE Defender |
| BlackICE Defender is primarily a Network Intrusion Detection System, although a firewall is implemented for the blocking of addresses from whom suspicious activity is detected (e.g. port probes). People's opinion of BID is widely varied depending whom you ask -- some people say it's the best of the bunch, others claim it's useless. It has a price of 40 US dollars (around $AU 80). Here is the web page for BlackICE Defender: http://www.networkice.com/products/blackice_defender.html |
| 3.3 | Setup: Networking |
| 3.3.1 | How do I share my connection with multiple computers? |
| There are a number of ways to share your internet connection with other computers. But by far the most thorough and satisfactory way is to get a NAT router. This can either be hardware or software. All software solutions will require either a second ethernet card in the main computer, or a hub (or a switch). If you aren't familiar with ethernet networking, I strongly recommend that you either buy a hardware router (examples of these are listed in #5.3.2), or get someone to set up the network for you. If you are familiar with networking and have the gear, then software can be an economical solution. The simplest NAT routing software available for Windows ME/2000 is the built-in Internet Connection Sharing feature. It has a few quirks and oddities, but it's fine for most two-computer operations. For a more configurable Windows software solution for, you can buy programs like Sygate (http://www.sygate.com), Wingate (http://www.wingate.com), or Winroute (http://www.tinysoftware.com/). A simple and free proxy program by analogX is also avalable (http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/proxy.htm). Proxies are a simpler solution, but only work for web browsing. Macintosh users looking for a software solution should look no further than IPNetRouter (http://www.sustworks.com/site/prod_ipr_overview.html). While it needs a touch of networking nous to operate, it'll do the job quite well when configured. For people willing to dedicate a computer (old or new) to the task of NAT routing, check out Smoothwall, which is the subject of the next question... |
| 3.3.2 | Smoothwall |
| If you have an old PC lying around, you can turn it into a powerful internet gateway/firewall/router using the free software Smoothwall. It runs on Linux, but is designed to be extremely easy to administrate (using a web interface). Because it uses Linux, you do not need a license of Microsoft Windows (or worry about the security vulnerabilities that Windows has). Installation is remarkably simple: download the CD image, burn it and use it to boot up the computer. Protocol support includes PPPoE, which is used by most all ADSL providers. You can get Smoothwall here: http://www.smoothwall.org Setting up Smoothwall to work with BigPond Broadband Cable is a bit trickier than ADSL; fortunately, Lucien Wells has written a comprehensive setup guide which details the process clearly. It's hosted on Whirlpool here: http://www.wpool.com/smoothwall/ |
| 3.3.3 | Am I allowed to connect my modem to a home network? |
| Yes. It's worth noting however that simply connecting more computers to your broadband modem doesn't automatically allow each computer to surf the web. For that you need to investigate a router (either software or hardware). Some ADSL modems do provide integrated routers. If you have more than one computer and haven't signed up to a service yet, and you should seriously consider purchasing a modem-router (or modem-router-hub) device. |
| 3.3.4 | How do I configure an Airport wireless network for broadband? |
| With version 1.3 (or later) of its software, Apple?s Airport Base Station supports the PPPoE protocol used by most ADSL services. It does not, however, support the special login process used by BigPond Broadband Cable. This means each computer will need to run their own software client (either Launchpad or BPA Login Mac). To configure the Airport Base Station for use with BigPond Broadband Cable, you need to go to the Network tab in the Airport Admin Utility, and un-select the 'Distribute IP Addresses' box (the 'Enable Airport to Ethernet Bridging' then becomes ticked). This will disable the internal DHCP server, and turn the Base Station into a regular wireless hub. If you have a number of computers that all need internet access, or want to set up a firewall between the internet and your network, the only solution is to place a router between the cable modem and your Base Station. The best tool for the job is the Compex NetPassage 15 or 15-A (see #5.3.2), because it has a built-in login client for BigPond Broadband Cable. |
| 3.3.5 | Sharing setup guides for Bigpond Broadband |
| The Cableguy has a nice list of troubleshooting tips for setups using Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). Hosted by Whirlpool. http://www.ozcableguy.com/ |
| 3.3.6 | Sharing setup guides for Optusnet Cable |
| Phil Clayton has forged a useful guide for setting up cable sharing with Windows 98/ME and Optusnet Cable. Hosted by Whirlpool, it is available here: http://wpool.com/cablesharing/ MadMick has a nice Optusnet Cable sharing guide as well. You can read it here: http://members.optushome.com.au/madmick3006/networking_details.htm Finally, if Linux is your thing, you'll be interested in the Internet Sharing guide on Linuxathome.net: http://www.linuxathome.net/sharing.php |
| 3.3.7 | Newbies' Guide to Gateways |
| If you're interested in a comparison article between various router and gateway solutions, Matt_L has written an excellent guide for you. It compares the following gateways: BBIagent, ClarkConnect, Coyote Linux, EDGE Firewall, Fli4L, FloppyFW, FreeSCO, IP Cop, MandrakeSoft SNF, and SmoothWall GPL. You can read it here: http://www.wpool.com/guides/gateways.html |
| 3.4 | Setup: Linux / BSD |
| 3.4.1 | BigPond Broadband Cable setup guides |
| The BPALogin web site includes a fairly detailed set-up tutorial. http://bpalogin.sourceforge.net/tutorial.html Troy's Linux Server Project is a site detailing how to set up a Linux box to be a gateway between BigPond Broadband Cable and a local network. http://linuxserver.tkdack.com/ If you're setting up a Linux box to run primarily as a gateway/firewall/router, you might consider Smoothwall instead. It's a pre-configured and pre-secured distribution of Linux that is designed for exactly this purpose. A setup guide for BPB Cable users is hosted on Whirlpool here: http://www.wpool.com/smoothwall/ If OpenBSD is your thing, you might be interested in Dan Lehman's guide to Building an OpenBSD firewall for use with Telstra/Optus broadband. http://korvan.cjb.net/obsd-fw/ |
| 3.4.2 | Optusnet Cable setup guides |
| LinuxAtHome.net is a great resource for Linux users with Optusnet Cable. In particular, it has a guide for installing Linux and setting it up for Optusnet Cable. There are also guides for setting up Linux for internet sharing and port forwarding. http://www.linuxathome.net/ Pengu has put together a site detailing how to set up a Linux box to be a gateway between Optusnet Cable and a local network. http://members.optushome.com.au/pengu/ If OpenBSD is your thing, you might be interested in Dan Lehman's guide to Building an OpenBSD firewall for use with Telstra/Optus broadband. http://korvan.cjb.net/obsd-fw/ |
| 3.4.3 | ADSL setup guides |
| Since most DSL services are technically similar, the following guides should be helpful to users of any DSL provider, although many focus on BigPond Broadband ADSL in particular. Most DSL providers in Australia utilise PPPoE to assign IP addresses and authenticate users. XiS's ADSL service uses PPPoA instead, so these guides may not be useful in that case. The website for the Roaring Penguin PPPoE client contains some generalised setup instructions that may be of value: http://www.roaringpenguin.com/pppoe/ This guide by Rebecca is targetted towards Linux 2.2 users: http://www.becsta.net/adsl.html This guide by Crossfire is targetted towards Linux 2.4 users: http://kitsumi.xware.cx/tech/adsl-2.4.html Here's a brief guide written for Mandrake Linux 7.1 / 7.2 users: http://eastwood.apana.org.au/Misc/adsl-bigpond.html Paul Hoadley has written a guide for users of FreeBSD: http://logicsquad.net/freebsd/PPPoE-how-to.html It's also worth mentioning this section of the FreeBSD handbook: http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/pppoe.html And here's Dan Lehman's guide to Building an OpenBSD firewall for use with Telstra/Optus broadband. http://korvan.cjb.net/obsd-fw/ |
| 4 | Gaming |
| 4.1 | What is a 'ping'? |
| A "ping" is a simple measure of round-trip latency. It is the time taken for a packet of information to travel from your computer to a server and back again, measured in milliseconds. Electricity, like light, travels at a remarkably fast speed -- not instantaneously. This doesn't cause a big problems when communicating between, say, capital cities, but it does get noticeable over longer distances -- between countries for instance. High latency can also be caused when the data is delayed during transmission. Regular telephone line modems introduce a lot of transmission delay. Delays can also occur when pipelines are heavily used and packets have to queue up, or when the target server is overloaded with responsibilities. In general, broadband internet connections have lower "ping" than regular dial-up accounts. |
| 4.2 | What is 'lag'? |
| "Lag" is the result of high latency between your computer and the game server. Ping is a measure of latency (see previous question). Take the example of a game like Quake: if an enemy player decides to shoot at you, the co-ordinates of that shot has to travel from that person's computer to the game server. Once at the server, the decision is made that you were shot. This unfortunate news has to then travel from the server to your computer, at which point you see the effects of the shot (e.g., death). Normally this happens so fast that you don't notice the delay, but when latency is increased, the time between the enemy's mouse click and your death can be noticeable. When someone says the server is "lagged", it means latency has increased beyond acceptable levels. |
| 4.3 | What does 'LPB' mean, and why are people calling me one? |
| LPB is an abbreviation for "Low Ping Bastard". It is often exclaimed when a game player believes you had an unfair upper hand during battle because your ping was lower than theirs. While having a lower ping is an advantage, more often than not you're just a better player than them. |
| 4.4 | Why do overseas game servers have such high pings? |
| Why is the latency so high? One reason is because the electrical pulses (or light pulses, in the case of optic fibre) have to travel around the globe and back (15 thousand kilometers down the Southern Cross Cable is approximately 80 milliseconds at the speed of light through fibre optics). Another reason is because there are more intermediatary routing points between you and the destination -- each one adding as much as 20 milliseconds delay to the trip. For games that require split-second reaction, such delays are unacceptable. Use a local game server if possible. |
| 5 | BigPond Broadband |
| 5.1 | BPB General |
| 5.1.1 | What plans are on offer, and how do they differ? |
| Telstra's pricing pages are here: http://www.bigpond.com/broadband/cable/pricing.asp http://www.bigpond.com/broadband/adsl/pricing.asp For most users, the best value plan is 3GB Residential. Only get ADSL if you are happy to have Telstra as your default long-distance call provider (aka preselection). If you are Telstra pre-selected, ADSL plans are about $15 more expensive than the equivalent Cable plan (see next question). If you aren't Telstra pre-selected, they are around $30 more. |
| 5.1.2 | Is BPB ADSL so much better than BPB Cable that it justifies an extra $15 a month? |
| Not really. It is an oft-repeated urban legend that Cable will slow down when too many people connect to it. This is unlikely to happen in Australia, given our far less dense population than America. And even if it does happen, Telstra will simply need to buy more cable routers. There are currently around 8 in each state (at last count). The modem you get with ADSL will continue to work if you decide to change ADSL providers, whilst the cable modem is useless outside BigPond's network. The cable technology, in Australia at least, is more mature, and has been somewhat more reliable recently. Of course, all this assumes that you have a choice. There are many suburbs where Cable isn't deployed, leaving you with no option but to choose ADSL. Last of all, if you intend to move house soon, or you move regularly, ADSL may be a better option because it's more likely to be available at your next house. |
| 5.1.3 | What is a sub-account, and what do I get with it? |
| A sub-account gives you an extra login account and email address. At the time of writing, they cost $11/month. It also gives residential plan users the permission to connect another computer to modem, using a hub. Residential plan users can get up to 2 sub-accounts. Users on a business plan can have up to 7. You do not get more bandwidth. You do not get more free web hosting space. |
| 5.1.4 | What is the transparent proxy, and how does it affect me? |
| Even if you don't set up a proxy server, all your browsing is probably going through BigPond Broadband's transparent proxy. In general, this isn't a bad thing. The proxy will make browsing a little faster, by caching content and reducing the bandwidth load on Telstra's links. There are some instances however, where the transparent proxy server causes problems. The most noticeable of which is Frontpage Extensions, which will refuse to work if you don't inform it that the transparent proxy exists. |
| 5.1.5 | What's this USB adapter thing, and what does it do? |
| The adapter is a simple NIC (network interface card) in the form of a USB device. Telstra began offering them out to users instead of proper ethernet cards, mainly to avoid having to open the computer case. While they are no substitute for a real ethernet card, for most people they seem to work fine. People have reported success using the USB adapter alongside a regular ethernet card for internet sharing. |
| 5.1.6 | Can I still use BPB if I don't use a supported operating system? |
| Probably. There are two reasons why only Windows and Macintosh are supported.
For a given computer to log in, all you need is support for DHCP, and a login client for Cable or ADSL. See question #5.3.1 for a list of cable login clients. ADSL uses PPPoE to log in; see question #5.4.1 for a list of PPPoE clients. One way to ensure support is to buy a router like the Compex NetPassage 15. It will handle all the authentication for you, so the only thing your computer REALLY needs is an ethernet port and support for TCP/IP. If you have an old PC lying around, you could try running Smoothwall. Question #3.3.2 discusses Smoothwall in more detail. |
| 5.1.7 | Can I send faxes using my Cable or ADSL modem? |
| No you can't, although there are ways to send faxes over the internet, but they usually require seperate subscription fees, and aren't particularly flexible. However, because your regular phone line remains unused, you can still use it to fax. If you've still got your regular dial-up modem lying around, you can plug it back in and use it for faxing (assuming you've got the appropriate software, e.g. WinFax). |
| 5.1.8 | How can I access my BigPond email mailbox using a different ISP? |
| It's quite easy -- the setup procedure is the same for if you were on BigPond Broadband, except for the following two settings. POP3 server: pop-server.bigpond.net.au SMTP server: (use the SMTP server supplied the ISP you're using) Technical note: Since the unification of BigPond email between states, it is not necessary to add the state to the server name (e.g., pop-server.vic.bigpond.net.au). All the DNS names for each state point to the same IP address. At the time of writing, the POP3 server for the entire country had the following IP address: 144.135.24.13 |
| 5.1.9 | How can I access my BigPond email mailbox with a web browser / at an internet cafe? |
| Go to telstra.com and click on "WebMail". Enter your complete email address (yourname@bigpond.net.au) as your username, and your email password, then submit the form. If you are asked if you wish to register, click Yes. You should now be able to read your mail. If you don't like Telstra.com, or it simply isn't working, there are a number of sites that let you check any POP3 mailbox through a web browser. This is particularly useful if you only want to check your mail once, or if you're in an Internet Cafe. One example is a site called PandaMail (http://www.pandamail.net). When it asks you for your server, type in the full name of your local POP3 server (for BigPond Broadband users it is "pop-server.bigpond.net.au"). If you have a Telstra GSM or CDMA mobile, the Telstra 'Notify Me' service can be used in conjunction with your bigpond mailbox. This sends an SMS message to your mobile when you have mail. Unfortunately it just tells you that mail is there, but nothing about the subject or message body. Once enabled the first time, it is easy to switch the notification on and off. |
| 5.2 | BPB Troubleshooting |
| 5.2.1 | I've got a router/firewall, why can't I check my email? |
| If you have packet or port filtering enabled for outgoing requests, you need to ensure that port 110 and port 25 are open. Port 110 is the port used for POP mail, and port 25 is used for sending mail. Your router/firewall may not be configuring your TCP/IP settings properly. A simple way around this is to use the complete server names: POP3 server: pop-server.bigpond.net.au SMTP server: mail-hub.bigpond.net.au |
| 5.2.2 | I can only download at around 55-60k/sec, not 512kbps. Why is that? |
| The measurement "kbps" is an abbreviation of kilobits per second. Most traditional phone line modems are rated this way (i.e. 56kbps). The measurement "k/sec" is considered an abbreviation of kiloBYTES per second. Most of the time, one byte equals 8 bits (and by extension, one kilobyte equals 8 kilobits). So when a cable or ADSL connection is capped at 512kbps, the maximum download speed that you can achieve is 64k/sec (though in most cases, you'll rarely get past 60k/sec). Phone line modems are a bit different, as they have a start bit and a stop bit to consider -- meaning that one byte requires a total of 10 bits. This means 56kbps modem can download at a maximum of 5.6k/sec per second, though this can sometimes be higher (due to compression) or lower (due to a poor connection). |
| 5.2.3 | Can I uncap my modem? |
| There is no way to "uncap" your cable modem without your ISP becoming aware of it. I strongly advise you not to try. |
| 5.2.3.1 | Are you sure? I downloaded a ''bandwidth cap remover'' program... |
| In the not-so-distant past, a downloadable hack was circulating that claimed to be a "bandwidth cap remover" for BigPond Cable. It turned out to be a trojan horse (destructive software). A few people have seen this "hack" circulating recently. It certainly doesn't "uncap" your modem, all it does is severely compromise the security of your computer. For more information about the myth of uncapping, there's a great editorial here: http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=110 It notes that there was one case where it was possible to uncap the cable modem with a software hack. However, that hack was limited to a specific network type not used in this country, and the loophole it took advantage of was quickly closed. The person who wrote the hack is currently getting the ass sued off him. |
| 5.2.4 | I'm not satisfied with the service. Who do I complain to? |
| If there is a serious issue and the person on the phone cannot help you, request to speak to a supervisor, ensuring you note their names. You can also request a mailing address and put your concerns in writing (preferably sending via registered mail). The final point of contact is the Telstra Customer Referral Centre: 1800 011 333 If Telstra is unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you should then contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (http://www.tio.com.au/). You must exhaust all avenues within Telstra before you can initiate action with the TIO. |
| 5.2.5 | How do I get Frontpage Extensions to work? |
| If your ISP is using a "transparent proxy server", Frontpage Extensions will need to know the name of that proxy server. The easiest way to fix it is to go to my proxy detection page (http://whirlpool.net.au/user-proxy.cfm), and record the name of your 'proxy host'. Then configure Frontpage to use those details in the "proxy server" settings. Alternatively you can simply feed Frontpage the name of a standard Telstra proxy server (e.g., proxy.cache.telstra.net, port 3128). |
| 5.2.6 | A network tool says I'm receiving heaps of ARP packets. Will I be billed for that traffic? |
| No. |
| 5.3 | BPB Cable |
| 5.3.1 | Are there alternative login clients available? |
| Yes, however with the recent overhaul of the Launchpad sofware, the need for alternatives is far less of an issue. BPALogin (http://bpalogin.sourceforge.net/) is an open source login client. It has been ported to Windows, Linux, OS/2, AmigaOS, BeOS, and Mac OS X. The current implementation was written by Shane Hyde, but is now being maintained by David Parrish. While not as stable as WinCable, it is nonetheless far superior to Launchpad. Launch! by Jamie Curmi (http://curmi.com/software/mac/launch) is a distribution of BPALogin with a nice GUI for Mac OS X. BPA Login Mac by Adrian Bourke (http://users.bigpond.net.au/adrianb/) is a fantastic client for Mac OS 9 users. Unlike Launchpad, it won't die while playing games. Unfortunately it doesn't work in WA or SA at the moment. WinCable by Scott Campbell (http://www.spiffysoftware.com) is an excellent alternative for Windows users. It is shareware, costing $20 per license. Also available is NTCable, which runs as an service on Windows NT and 2000. A version is also available for BeOS. BPC_NO by David Seikel (http://matrix-rad.net/matrix-RAD/docs/historical/BPC_NO-0.3.5-alpha.zip) is a login client written in java. It hasn't been changed in some time and there are a number of known bugs, but it still works acceptably today with almost any Java virtual machine you can throw at it. |
| 5.3.2 | Do any hardware routers include a built-in BPB Cable login client? |
| Yes! Compex NetPassage 15 series This unit gives you the ability to share a single broadband internet access account with up to 253 computers. It features a NAT firewall for security, a DHCP server for easy computer configuration, packet filters, port forwarding, and a built-in five port hub (the 15a model has a four port switch). As noted, built-in is a reliable cable login client appropriate for the BigPond Broadband network, which simply works, and automatically re-connects after network outages. --- About: http://www.compex.com.sg --- Firmware: http://www.compex.com.sg/...prod_list.pl?965374211 --- Review: http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/138 D-link DI 804 This router now has BPB-cable compatible firmware. You can download the latest firmware for this router here: --- About: http://www.dlink.com.au/products/routers/di804/ --- Firmware: http://www.dlink.com.au/tech/drivers/files/internets/di804.htm Netgear R-series A built-in login client is included in firmware version 3.26 for Netgear's R-series routers (RT311, RT314, RP114, RO318, MR314). You can download this firmware from Netgear. Also, Fulton.net.au has written a setup guide for the new firmware. --- About: http://www.netgear.com.au/categories.asp?xrp=4&yrp=12 --- Firmware: http://www.netgear.com.au/telstra_update.asp --- Guide: http://www.fulton.net.au/cableclient.htm A few other routers support BigPond Broadband Cable now, but the ones mentioned above are recommended. |
| 5.3.3 | People keep referring to my 'heartbeat'. What is that? |
| On the BigPond Broadband cable network, once you log in, a 'heartbeat' is presented to your computer every five minutes. If your computer does not respond to this, your connection to the Big Pond network will be closed. |
| 5.3.4 | Why does my connection drop out after 5 minutes? |
| More often than not, it is because the login client software on your computer failed to respond to the heartbeat (see previous question). If you're using a firewall, make sure it's not filtering out the heartbeat. The heartbeat is received from and sent to the server "dce-server". Cableguy has instructions for ZoneAlarm here: http://www.ozcableguy.com/Cable.html#heartbeat If you are using Launchpad, a good starting point is to try an alternative login program (see question #5.3.1). For Windows, BPALogin is particularly good. Improperly configured internet connection sharing software can also cause problems. Make sure the login client can access the outside internet directly, and that it can listen on the appropriate ports. If you are using a VPN, your computer may be configured in a way that causes the login client to listen for heartbeats coming from the virtual network, and not the real network (BigPond Broadband). You need to configure your VPN so that it does not route regular internet packets through the VPN. Alternatively, you can configure your VPN software to exclude "dce-server" specifically. If you are unable to change these settings, you will need to login from another computer, and use internet sharing to supply internet access to the computer which the VPN will be used from. If you don't have/want another computer, the Compex NetPassage 15 (#5.3.2) router can do the job of logging you in, although for just one computer it's not a cheap investment. The Macintosh version of Launchpad was not properly designed to cope with CPU-intensive tasks like online games. So whenever anyone tries to play games like Quake 3, the heartbeat is ignored and you get cut off! To remedy this problem, user Adrian Bourke created an alternative login client for Mac OS 9 (http://users.bigpond.net.au/adrianb/). |
| 5.3.5 | What are the different cable modems that Telstra have supplied? |
| The original modem was the beige Motorola CyberSurfr. Later they began giving users the Motorola CyberSurfr Wave. Contrary to popular belief, this model does not properly support DOCSIS, and can not work on a DOCSIS network. Apart from being black and somewhat slimmer, it's exactly the same as the previous model. The Nortel CM115 was offered when BigPond Broadband began rolling out a DOCSIS network in parallel with the original Motorola system. This silver/black modem has a built-in web server which reports on its status. It can be accessed from its ip (http://192.168.100.1). Make sure you disable any manually set proxy servers before attempting to access it. The current model is the Motorola Surfboard SB4000 series. Even though this is the same model as Optus once supplied, you can't migrate to/from Optus with it. |
| 5.3.6 | Why do the RD and TD lights on my modem flash, even when my computer is off? |
| The flashing is caused by ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) packets sent out by the BPA routers. ARP is used to map the MAC address (which uniquely identifies your network card) to your IP address. The packets cost nothing (for users on volume plans) and do no harm. RD stands for 'receive data'; TD stands for 'transmit data'. |
| 5.3.7 | Which cable router am I on, and where are the routers located? |
| To determine the router you are on, go to the Big Pond Direct Traceroute Utility page (http://www.telstra.net/cgi-bin/trace), enter your IP and press return. Look at the second-last line of the trace, it should display a DNS name similar to "mcr6.vic-remote.bigpond.net.au". The number shown after 'mcr' is the cable router number. So "mcr6.vic-remote.bigpond.net.au" is Victorian Cable Router 6. Knowing what router you are on may be of interest as sometimes network problems are confined to one router. Don't worry if none of this makes much sense to you -- it's not really that important! All the cable routers for each city are together in the one room. Victoria's cable routers are located at Exhibition Street, Melbourne -- along with the BigPond Broadband server complex. The other routers are located in the telephone exchanges at Homebush (Sydney), Charlotte Street (Brisbane) and Southport (Gold Coast). The Perth router is located at the Wellington Street telephone exchange. The location of the Adelaide router is unknown. |
| 5.3.8 | My house is wired for Foxtel. How much should BPB installation cost? |
| There are currently no installation discounts for getting both Foxtel and BigPond, though this is rumoured to change in the future. |
| 5.3.9 | I want a longer cable to go between the cable modem and the wall. |
| The cable needs to be a minimum of dual shielded RG-6 cable with a solid core and "F" type connectors on both ends. These are available pre-made in fixed lengths from outlets like Dick Smiths and Tandy, or you can purchase the materials and tools required from most hardware shops. Warning: Sub-standard cabling and materials may affect bigpond and foxtel performance for yourself and your neighbours, landing you in hot water with Telstra and (in extreme cases) possibly involve several Government departments that deal with cabling and broadcasting legislation. Of course, you can always request Telstra techs to install a new wall socket -- for a fee. A better option may be to leave the modem where it is and run a longer patch (ethernet) cable. The patch cable supplied with your modem is a regular (not crossover) cable. When plugging your modem into a hub, use a regular (not crossover) cable and plug it into the uplink port. If the uplink port is already in use, you can use a crossover cable to plug the modem into one of the other ports. |
| 5.3.10 | I own a cable modem supplied by Optus. Can I use it on BPB? |
| Modems supplied with OptusNet Cable aren't immediately compatible with the BigPond Broadband, even though both Telstra and Optus are using the DOCSIS system. If you do have such a modem at your disposal, it might be worth asking Telstra about this when you're signing up -- but you can be sure that you'll need proof that the modem was legally aquired. |
| 5.4 | BPB ADSL |
| 5.4.1 | The software supplied is awful! Are there alternatives? |
| The best alternative software is in fact hardware -- you can get broadband routers (or integrated modem-routers) which perform the task of authentication internally. With one of these, you don't need to install any software on your computer. Software programs: RASPPPOE (http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~normanb/) is a Windows 98/ME/2000/XP alternative to Telstra's supplied software, Enternet. What makes RASPPPOE so good is that it's a clean implemenation of the protocol without any bells or whistles. Designed specifically for Windows 2000 then ported to Windows 98/ME, RASPPPOE offers seamless integration into the operating system. This protocol makes ethernet adapters (NICs) appear as "modems", allowing PPPoE to be easily used within the standard dial-up networking framework. This protocol also supports Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing (including on-demand dialing), power management (Standby and Hibernate) as well as multiprocessor systems. Note that Telstra will only give software support for users of Enternet. |
| 5.4.2 | Do any hardware routers include a built-in BPB ADSL login client? |
| Almost every broadband router on sale at the moment has the ability to perform the login routines for you, relieving your computer from the task. BPB ADSL uses an industry standard system called PPPoE, which is an acronym for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Check the features list of the router you want to buy for PPPoE support. For a Cisco config for Bigpond ADSL take a look at: http://lists.slug.org.au/archives/slug/2001/April/msg00099.html |
| 5.4.3 | Does BigPond Broadband ADSL have a heartbeat like BPB Cable? |
| Not exactly. PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet) sends "LQR" (Link quality report) packets which are a type of connection monitoring (keep-alive) system. However, these are sent on a protocol level, not on an IP level. In basic terms, ADSL does have a heartbeat, but it's one that the end-user should never have to worry about. |
| 5.5 | BPB free web hosting |
| 5.5.1 | How do I use the free web hosting provided with my BPB account? |
| With every BigPond Broadband Cable or ADSL account, you get 10 megs of web space on their public server (http://users.bigpond.net.au). BigPond Broadband users can read more about it here: http://www/cable/services/webhst.htm You can set up and manage your web space from here: https://bcoba-server.bigpond.net.au:8443/rhwc/swhe If you need more help, Cableguy has a comprehensive guide for setting up your web space. It's located here: http://www.ozcableguy.com/webs.html |
| 5.5.2 | How can I change its location? |
| If you set up a site as http://users.bigpond.net.au/oldname/ but instead you want it to be http://users.bigpond.net.au/newname/ it is not immediately obvious how to change it. You need to back up your site through FTP; go into hosting management (http://www/cable/services/webhst.htm); delete your page; create it again with the new name; then restore the content with FTP. |
| 5.5.3 | What CGI features are available? |
| There's a form-to-email CGI and a hit-counter CGI. The Cableguy has written a few lines on how to use these CGI's. You can read it here: http://www.ozcableguy.com/website.htm#cgi |
| 6 | Optusnet Cable |
| 6.1 | ONC General |
| 6.1.1 | What are the different cable modems that Optus have supplied? |
| Nortel CM100 The first modem Optusnet Cable supplied to customers. Supports ethernet connection only; no diagnostic capabilities visible to user. http://www.nortelnetworks.com/ Motorola Surfboard SB4100 Supports ethernet and USB connections; has browser-based configuration and diagnostics. http://www.gi.com/noflash/sb4100.html Motorola Surfboard SB3100 Supports ethernet connection only; has browser-based configuration and diagnostics. http://www.gi.com/noflash/sb3100.html Nortel CM200u Supports ethernet and USB connections; has browser-based diagnostic capabilities via an integrated web server. The web server monitors the cable modem and incoming/outgoing data signals. This model has been discontinued by Nortel. http://www.nortelnetworks.com/products/01/cornerstone/cm200/index.html Optus released a USB driver update for this modem in August 2001. You can read more about it here: http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/416 Thompson/RCA DCM225E A rebranded Nortel CM200u. http://www.rca.com/ |
| 6.1.2 | What hardware routers are best for use with Optusnet Cable? |
| Most "broadband routers" from Netgear, D-Link, Compex and others will work fine with OptusNet Cable, and in most cases are fairly simple to set up. |
| 6.1.3 | Does Optusnet Cable have a heartbeat, like BPB Cable? |
| No. |
| 6.1.4 | Is there any way around the upstream bandwidth cap? |
| No. |
| 6.1.5 | I own a cable modem supplied by Telstra. Can I use it on Optusnet? |
| No. None of the modems supplied with BigPond Broadband are compatible with the Optusnet Cable network. DOCSIS modems are factory-configured for specific networks, and will not work on other networks, even if the other network provides the same brand or model. |
| 6.1.6 | Do I get a discount if have a compatable modem when I sign up? |
| An Optusnet Cable representative has mentioned in the newsgroups that you can recieve a $100 discount on installation if you already own a compatable modem. Presumably this is for people who have signed up previously, or bought one from an ex-customer. This means an Optus-supplied cable modem is worth no more than $99 on the second hand market, and realistic prices would be much lower than that (maybe between $50 and $70). |
| 6.1.7 | Can I run a server on Optusnet Cable? |
| It is technically possible, but running any kind of server on your computer is against the Acceptable Use Policy. Until recently, there was no evidence that Optusnet Cable actively verified if you were running a server; however, in mid September, they suspended a number of users for a fortnight because they had ports open -? regardless of whether or not they were actively being used. On 14 September 2001, an article was posted to Whirlpool with more detail: http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/517 |
| 6.1.8 | How much can I download each day? |
| If you are on a Lite (550MB), Standard (3GB), Pro (5GB) or Ultimate (10GB) plan, you must simply try to stay under this amount for the calendar month. If you exceed this amount your speed will be capped to around 28.8kbps. If you are still on a contract with the NetStats system, the average user has been fixed so that you can download a maximum of 11.2GB over any 14 day rolling period. This equates to around 800 megabytes per day on average. |
| 6.1.9 | Can I send faxes through Optusnet Cable? |
| No you can't, although there are ways to send faxes over the internet, but they usually require seperate subscription fees, and aren't particularly flexible. If you've still got your crusty old analogue (dial-up) modem lying around, you can plug it back in and use it for faxing (assuming you've got the appropriate software, like WinFax). |
| 6.1.10 | If my neighbour connects to Optusnet Cable, will that affect me? |
| No more so than if someone in the next suburb signs up. Cable systems are managed so that there is generally sufficient resources available for most circumstances. Cable modems share both upstream and downstream channels. Cable ISPs will typically deploy a maximum of 2000 subs on any one shared domain or "segment". Downstream chanels are deployed on unused TV channels so as more subs on each segment take the service additional capacity can be added in the downstream channel, within the limits of available unused TV chanels. A TV channel typicaly carries 27Mbps. So if a segment has only one TV channel configured for data all subs on that segement share the 27Mbps downstream channel. The upstream channel is more troublesome, cable ISPs use the relatively limited spectral space from 5-45Mhz, the so-called return path for their upstream channel. All subs on the segment share this return channel. The return channel is typically less able for any given bandwidth to carry data. A typical return path will have a capacity of 10-40Mbps depending upon the quality of the return channel. The limitation of the upstream channel is one reason that cable ISPs do not want their subs running web servers. |
| 6.1.11 | How big is my Optusnet Cable email mailbox? |
| Your mailbox can hold no more than 10 megabytes of emails and attachments at any one time. To be clear, your "mailbox" is where emails are stored before they are downloaded to your computer. Think of your "mailbox" as the letterbox outside your house. It might only hold a few hundred letters before it reaches capacity, but every time you go outside to check for new mail, you move the mail OUT of the letterbox and take it into your house. On the other hand, your "inbox" on your computer is practically unlimited (in the same way that the capacity of your house to store letters is practically unlimited). |
| 6.1.12 | Can I access my email from a web browser? |
| Yes, there is a webmail service here: http://webmail.optusnet.com.au |
| 6.2 | ONC Troubleshooting |
| 6.2.1 | I'm currently experiencing a problem. What do I do first? |
| Firstly, check the Optusnet Cable service status page. It gives detailed information about upcoming scheduled outages and current service issues and problems that Optusnet is aware of. http://www/V3/tabmember/servicestatus/index.htm If you have experience with newsgroups, you could try asking your question in athome.aus.support. If the problem is stopping you from accessing the service status page or newsgroups, ring the Optusnet helpdesk -- they should be able to tell you if there's a problem affecting everyone (or at least the people in your area). |
| 6.2.2 | Someone's trying to hack into my PC. How do I force an IP change? |
| The only sure-fire way to do so is ring up Optusnet technical support. If you have solid evidence that someone hacked your computer, they will organise a new IP for you. If your ethernet card supports arbitrary changes of its MAC address, that might also work. |
| 6.2.3 | How do I stop my proxy settings from reverting to Optusnet's default? |
| The Optusnet Cable software includes a few little tricks to keep your proxy server set to the one Optusnet wants you to use. Every time you restart your machine, the proxy settings will be reset to http://proxy:8080. Uninstalling the Optusnet Cable software package doesn't appear to stop this. There are two DLL files which are causing this to happen: ahiehelp.dll and ahnsreg.dll, both can be found in C:\Windows\System\ on a Windows 98/ME system. These files stand for "at-home Internet Explorer Helper" and "at-home Netscape Registry". Windows NT/2000 users can use "Search for Files or Folders" to locate these DLL files. The will most likely be found in the C:\winnt\system32\ directory. Apparently NT4 users can type REGSVR32 -u ahiehelp.dll at the command prompt to unregister the DLL properly. Start up in safe mode, delete these two DLL files, and the problem should disappear. |
| 7 | The community |
| 7.1 | Whirlpool |
| Whirlpool is a non-profit, community web site devoted to keeping the Australian public informed on the state of broadband internet access in our country. Funded entirely out of the pocket of its owner, Simon Wright, it has been online since 1998. The site focuses on news and current events, as well as providing a wealth of information for the new and veteran broadband user. You can visit the site here: http://whirlpool.net.au |
| 7.2 | Broadband Forums |
| Whirlpool is also home of the most popular Australian broadband community forum. You can visit the forums here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au |
| 7.3 | The Cableguy |
| "The Cableguy" is a fantastic resource for BigPond Broadband users -- full of comprehensive setup and configuration advice. While the tutorials are targeted for Windows, Internet Explorer & Outlook Express, most of the information can be easily translated for use with any other operating system and/or software. http://www.ozcableguy.com/ Ozcableguy.com is hosted on the Whirlpool server at WebCentral. |
| 7.4 | Advanced ADSL Troubleshooting |
| A great resource for technically minded people who want to know more about how their ADSL connection works, and how to diagnose and troubleshoot various problems. http://adsl.cutw.net/dsl.html |
| 7.5 | LinuxAtHome.net |
| A cool news and info site for for Linux users on Optusnet Cable. Includes a a number of useful articles about security and network setup. It is maintained by Mayhem. You can visit the site here: http://www.linuxathome.net |
| 7.6 | Newsgroups |
| There aren't many useful, publicly available newsgroups. Your best bet is probably aus.net.access. Inside BigPond Broadband, there are ten newsgroups specifically for discussion by subscribers. These groups all begin with "bigpond.broadband". They can only be seen by users of BigPond Broadband through the local news server, accessible with the DNS name "news-server". The most popular newsgroup is bigpond.broadband.users. Inside Optusnet Cable, there are a number of newsgroups specifically for discussion by subscribers. These groups all begin with "athome.aus". They can only be accessed by users of Optusnet Cable. |
| 8 | Other sources of info |
| 8.1 | FAQs on Whirlpool.net.au |
| Australian Broadband FAQ, maintained by Simon Wright. http://whirlpool.net.au/faq-ab.cfm Mac BigPond Broadband FAQ, maintained by David J Richardson. http://whirlpool.net.au/faq-mac.cfm |
| 8.2 | FAQs on Ozcableguy.com |
| Cableguy's Broadband FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/broadband.html Cableguy's Cable FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/cable.html Cableguy's Telstra Cable Heartbeat FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/heartbeat.html Cableguy's ADSL FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/adsl.html Cableguy's Security FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/security.html Cableguy's XP & Broadband FAQ http://www.ozcableguy.com/xp.html Cableguy's Broadband Glossary http://www.ozcableguy.com/glossary.html |
| 9 | Credits |
| 9.1 | Maintainer |
| This FAQ is maintained by Simon Wright. The primary location of this FAQ is on Whirlpool (http://whirlpool.net.au/faq-ab.cfm). |
| 9.2 | Contributors |
| Parts of this FAQ were sourced from the "Mac BigPond Broadband FAQ" maintained by David J Richardson, hosted on Whirlpool (http://whirlpool.net.au/faq-mac.cfm). Other sources include: "Unofficial Big Pond Cable FAQ" by Eric Pircher, last updated in 1999 "Unofficial Security FAQ" by Stephan Meyn, last updated in 1999 "Bigpond.Cable.Users FAQ" (author unknown), last updated in 2000 Other major contributors include: Phil Sweeney, Matt Borgo, Darren Stribning, Cameron Seeber, T.S., M. Hyne, AJ, Graham, Andrew, Mark Hamilton, Tom H ...plus the many hundreds of users who have submitted corrections: I thank you all. |
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