• How can I share my Optimum Online connection?
• Can I share my connection with a hub/switch?
• Am I allowed use a router to share my connection?
• What Network Interface Card (NIC) should I use?
• What routers are compatible with OOL's standard & Boost tiers?

You can share your Internet connection with a router device. (Please do not mistaken a router for a standard hub/switch; they are quite different.) Most standard routers come wired or wireless (or both) and you'll be able to control your internal network using a router- both sharing files between workstations and the Internet.

Most standard routers are quite inexpensive these days.
Newegg.com would be a great place to start, but any electronic / tech store will suffice.
And if you're looking for the best buck on an exceptional router- you can find good stuff from site's members via the For Sale/Wanted forum; then there's eBay.

To name some of the top brands: Linksys (a Cisco brand); D-Link; Netgear; and more.

If you're looking for recommendations (and/or help), visit the site's Networking and Wireless Networking forums.

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by drake
last modified: 2011-07-10 01:12:40

No, you can't.

CV provides only 1 IP address per residential account. Now, each device connected to a switch will attempt to pull an IP address simultaneously, which, of course, will not work since there's only 1 to distribute; unlike a router, which "holds" the IP address, and distributes internal IPs (e.g. 192.168.1.X) to the devices within the network allowing each device to share the Internet connection, and still operate as a switch.

This unfortunately is how the networking world operates.

See this FAQ entry:
»Optimum Online FAQ »How can I share my Optimum Online connection?

And, see a brief description by Cisco - switches vs. routers.

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by Lex Luthor edited by drake
last modified: 2011-07-10 01:12:56

Yes, you can.

OOL support will probably ask you to remove the router if you call for support, but you don't have to hide the fact that you have one. It isn't frowned upon one bit and is not a violation of the ToS, so long as you're sharing to your own household.

See this FAQ to pursue:
»Optimum Online FAQ »How can I share my Optimum Online connection?

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by Lex Luthor edited by drake
last modified: 2011-07-11 06:30:25

For the most part, any ethernet card rated for at least 100 Mbps will work just fine for standard, Boost, or Boost+; however, Ultra tier really requires a 1000 Mbps (or 1 Gbps) NIC as the service level as above the 1 Mbps above most 100 Mbps NICs (Ultra, rated @ 101 Mbps). Most workstations come with at least the 100 Mbps these days, so it is rarely an issue.

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by Lex Luthor edited by drake
last modified: 2011-07-10 01:47:50

There are many routers that seem to work with the new OOL speeds. It is impossible to list all of them here. As new routers show that they can handle the different speed tiers, they will be added to the list. Also, some users might find that a certain router listed here does not perform as it should. Theses routers were chosen because users on the »OptimumOnline forum have stated their speeds and were considered to be in the acceptable range for OOL.

The Wired/Wireless column indicates the capability of the router and does not relate to speed.

All potential speeds are using a [wired] connection.

All "G" routers have a maximum potential wireless speed of 27 Mbps. Actual speeds will vary depending on individual circumstances. It is possible to attain 25 Mbps under ideal circumstances.

For full BOOST potential wireless speed a "N" router and card are needed.

All routers have 10/100 Mbps WAN and LAN ports.

When TCP overhead is taken into consideration (about 5 to 12%), these routers should provide at least 13 Mbps on the download side for the 15 Mbps/2 Mbps tier; and 'at least' 26 Mbps on the download side for the 30 Mbps/5 Mbps tier. Note: With the change in the download caps, users can see speeds up to 15 Mbps+ down and on BOOST 30 Mbps+ down.

Routers that are capable of 30 Mbps/5 Mbps speeds also will work with the 15 Mbps/2 Mbps tier


15 Mbps/2 Mbps Plan (now 16.5/2)

Manufacturer	Model Number	Wired/Wireless	Remarks
D-Link	DI-524	Both	.
D-Link	DI-604	Wired	.
Linksys	RTP-300	Wired	Vonage
Microsoft	MN700	Wired	.
Netgear	MR814	Both	v2. 802.11b wireless mode. Expect about 5mb on the DL side.
Netgear	WGT624	Wired	.
Netgear	WPN824 Rangemax	Both	This router is a mixed bag. So beware.There are issues with the wireless side not being able to get good speeds.Achieves high performance only when in channel-bonded mode.
NetworkEverywhere	NR041	Wired
ZyXEL	P-334WT	Wired	.
ZyXEL	X-550	Wired	.

30 Mbps/5 Mbps (BOOST) Plan (now uncapped/5)

Manufacturer	Model Number	Wired/Wireless	Remarks
Belkin	Pre-n	Both	Pre "N" Router
Belkin	F5D8231-4	Both	"N" Router
Buffalo	WHR-G125	Both	.
Buffalo	WHR-G54S	Both	.
Cisco	851	Both	$250
Cisco	871	Both	$400
D-Link	WRB-1310	Wired	.
D-Link	DGL-4100	Wired	.
D-Link	DGL-4300	Both	.
D-Link	DIR-615	Both	N Router
Linksys	BEFSX41	Wired	.
Linksys	BEFSR41	Wired	v3 or later
Linksys	RVS-4000	Wired	Gigabit LAN ports; VPN capable.
Linksys	WRT54GS	Both	.
Linksys	WRT54GX	Both	.
Linksys	WRT54G	Both	.
Linksys	WRT54GL	Both	.
Linksys	WRT150N	Both	"N" Router
Linksys	WRV 200 "Rangebooster"	Both
Netgear	WGR614	Wired	Note: Must upgrade FW to v 2.x to get BOOST Speed.
Netgear	WPNT834	Both	RangeMax 240
Netgear	FVS338	Wired	Must disable Keyword filtering; 8 LAN Ports
ZyXEL	2 Plus	Wired	$170 retail
ZyXEL	P-330W	Both	.

[thanks to Irish Shark for this FAQ.]

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by Lex Luthor edited by drake
last modified: 2011-07-10 01:13:27