ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
|  DSL Setup Is Ugly If You Don't Want Active X Crap Installed
I installed my modem and set up my new service today. What a horrid and totally unnecessary procedure, requiring either Windows or a Mac PC connected directly to the modem. Never mind the fact that so many users run routers these days. Worse, it wants to install software on your computer.
There was no way I was going to let them install any Active X controls on my computer. I tried the methods listed in this thread without success. As suggested, I tried spoofing my browsers as Safari, but it didn't work. I used several different browsers, including Firefox and Konqueror with no joy. No matter what, the site software kept insisting that I had an incompatible browser.
However, I was able to start a registration process for the wrong bell region. I aborted it, since I was not sure exactly what the consequences would have been.
So I tried my wife's Mac with the genuine Safari browser (without the CD). The web site software recognized that it was a Mac, but then it insisted that I change the settings to allow Active X controls. After that stunner, I gave up and put the CD in a Windows equipped laptop and let the install run.
Nothing like being treated like a child. "Turn up the sound, unpack your modem, now let's look at the filters we sent you." Gahh!
Fortunately, it does tell you when it is going to install its crap on your computer, and since it is after you have created your logon account, you can bail instead of letting it proceed. Doing so will require manually entering the user ID and password in the modem, but that's a small price to pay for keeping the junk off of your machine.
AT&T needs to do much better.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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Canezoid
join:2001-02-16
Powder Springs, GA | Yeah, we know. Pretty much a BS setup from the get go. |
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NetFixer
Freedom is NOT Free
Premium
join:2004-06-24
Murfreesboro, TN
 ·AT&T Southeast
 ·Vonage
 ·Cingular Wireless
·AT&T CallVantage
| Apparently, AT&T has recently hired someone from the Comcast HSI provisioning department.
Comcast has done this crap for years, and the really dumb part was that it frequently did not work anyway, and a voice call to Comcast provisioning would still be required.
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We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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andre2
join:2005-08-24
Brookline, MA
| reply to ruraltn
This sucks. It's the sort of thing you would have expected 10 years ago, but not today. My father in SC uses Linux only and is expecting to get his DSL installation kit soon. I have a dual boot Windows XP/Linux machine and a Westell 327W modem. Any chance I could use this setup booted up in XP to get his username/password for him, even though I live in Massachusetts? If so, I could just give it to him over the phone and he could then change the password. I don't care about the crapware since I basically never use XP anyway and can take my time about figuring out how to purge it later. |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| I don't know. You would have to enter his DSL phone number at the prompt, but I suspect it would hang before that point, when it didn't find the kind of modem it was expecting. He should be getting a Motorola 2210.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to ruraltn
I don't know what you guys are talking about. If you have a standard Windows computer with a network card in it you can plug it into a router and plug the router into the DSL modem. Configure the router and poof you're up - I don't know what Active X Crap you're talking about and I sure as hell wouldn't let BS/AT&T install something on my computer if I didn't know what it did. |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| said by ndwbr  :I don't know what you guys are talking about. If you have a standard Windows computer with a network card in it you can plug it into a router and plug the router into the DSL modem. Configure the router and poof you're up - I don't know what Active X Crap you're talking about and I sure as hell wouldn't let BS/AT&T install something on my computer if I didn't know what it did. Do you have a 2210 modem? The software on the CD expects to talk directly to the modem. While it might be possible to do what you say, it would depend upon which subnet the router is on. The modem comes set at 192.168.1.254. If the router is on the same subnet, you would either have to reconfigure it to a different subnet and deal with double NATing, or you would have to use it as a switch or hub only. And then you have DHCP to deal with. The modem comes with DHCP on by default. It's a whole lot simpler to just plug the sucker directly into a Winders or Mac machine.
Whether or not you do it through a router, you will still get Active X controls installed on your PC if you let the install process run to its conclusion. If the customer doesn't want that crap, he has to abort the install once the account ID and password have been created. There is no way around it with the current shipping CD and modem in the ATT/BellSouth region.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| i actually have an ancient alcatel speed touch home that was given to me by earthlink...but this should be the case with any modem...first off you have to configure it to bridge mode, otherwise it will function as a modem/firewall/dhcp server and you want it to be just a dumb modem. then plug your router into it and plug your computer into the router - type the ip address for the router, set to PPPOE, put the bellsouth email address as the userid and phone number (w/o areacode) as the password and presto you're done. 6.5Mbps down/~325Kbps up - Again, I would never let an ISP install software on my computer |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
2 edits | said by ndwbr :i actually have an ancient alcatel speed touch home that was given to me by earthlink...but this should be the case with any modem...first off you have to configure it to bridge mode, otherwise it will function as a modem/firewall/dhcp server and you want it to be just a dumb modem. then plug your router into it and plug your computer into the router - type the ip address for the router, set to PPPOE, put the bellsouth email address as the userid and phone number (w/o areacode) as the password and presto you're done. 6.5Mbps down/~325Kbps up - Again, I would never let an ISP install software on my computer How do you propose to "first off" "configure it to bridge mode" without connecting to something?
May I suggest that you need to have one of these things in hand and experience the installation process and software that is now being supplied to new DSL customers in the old BellSouth territory before deciding how easy it is. The old procedures do not work. Reading through all the threads on the current situation is enlightening.
As I indicated earlier, and has been mentioned in other threads, you can abort the installation prior to any software being installed on your PC. But there seems to be no current way to avoid running at least the account creation part of the install off of the supplied CD.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast
1 edit | This is possibly a VERY recent development because I just switched over from Earthlink to BellSouth Extreme 2 months ago. As I said, I was up and running before the box from BellSouth arrived. Oh, and BTW, it only has to be connected to your computer and not AT&T to configure it to bridge mode. |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16 | Yes. That is in the FAQs, but the CD expects to find the modem in its default configuration, which is not bridged.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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andre2
join:2005-08-24
Brookline, MA
| reply to ruraltn
said by ruraltn :I don't know. You would have to enter his DSL phone number at the prompt, but I suspect it would hang before that point, when it didn't find the kind of modem it was expecting. He should be getting a Motorola 2210. He's getting FastAccess DSL Lite, and the Order Confirmation email said "Equipment Type: Ethernet/USB Modem", so I thought it would be a 6100, not knowing about this newer model. Do you know the exact model which is being given out in SC (former Bell South) right now, so I can try to find an online manual for it? Thanks. (Also anything else you know about the current DSL installation kit would be helpful - my father isn't familiar with broadband, and I'll have to walk him through it over the phone.) |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| It is a Motorola (Netopia) 2210 with custom AT&T firmware. There are two versions. One is for the old BellSouth region. The other is for the rest of AT&T. The two versions are not compatible, and their internal menus are different. It is primarily managed through a web interface. The default IP is 192.168.1.254.
You can google and find a Netopia manual on the modem's command line software that is accessible via telnet. The modem has a slightly newer software version than the manual, but everything I tried worked. Warning, I didn't try much. The modem has an extensive command line interface. Google for SoftwareUserGuideV77-Clsc.pdf. Most users will not even know the command line interface exists, let alone ever need it.
I could not find an accurate manual covering the modem's port 80 web interface on line, but it does have a good built in help system. There are a few screen shots of the menus on this site, but make sure you are looking at the BellSouth Region version, not the SBC version.
I did find an on line manual for the non BellSouth version of the modem, so be aware that one exists.
The self install kit includes a skinny "manual" with the CD inside, a set of DSL filters for the phones, a power cube, cables, and the modem itself. The modem is tiny, and it runs very hot, which seems to be normal.
The self install kit does not include any account information. That will be taken care of on line. The user does need to know his DSL phone number, which is the same as his regular phone unless he is getting dry DSL, in which case it will be unique. The number should be in the confirmation email, and the installer will likley make sure he has it.
I don't know if the CD will run on Linux under Wine. I thought about trying, but Wine can take so long to configure, and access to ports is really iffy, so I didn't bother trying. My guess is it would not be worth the effort for a one time deal, even if it is doable.
Hopes this helps, and good luck.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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wayjac
Premium,MVM
join:2001-12-22
Indy | There is a bellsouth 2210 modem simulator |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| Cool. I had the direct link to the SouthWest version, but I did not know about the SouthEast version.
Thanks. Too late for me now, but andre2 should be able to make good use of it. 
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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andre2
join:2005-08-24
Brookline, MA
| reply to ruraltn
My father got his DSL installation kit today. It has a Motorola 2210-02-1006 with 1 Ethernet port only (no USB, contrary to the Confirmation email, though he won't be using that anyway). The service is supposed to be available after 6 PM, though a guy came to the house earlier to do something to the lines, and the DSL light is solid green now. He has access to the 192.168.1.254 web interface. He was told what his temporary password is (involves his DSL phone number which is the same as the regular one). Putting in an arbitrary user name (blahblah@bellsouth.net) with this password didn't authenticate, though this might be due to the fact that it's before 6 PM. I would think that since they already told him what the password is, they should be willing to give him the username also over the phone, if that's not arbitrary. Will update later. |
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graysonf
Premium,MVM
join:1999-07-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL
1 edit | When service was purchased online, a Bellsouth.net E-mail Address was chosen. This is also the userid for accessing the network. The seven digit phone number is the password. This information is no secret - it's on the packing list that came with the self install kit.
You cannot change the password without doing it online and installing more Active X stuff. |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| reply to andre2
He needs to run the installer CD. It will ask for his phone number. It's not really a password.
You can use attreg@att.net as the username and attreg as the password to get into the modem, but this should not be needed. The CD should do this automatically.
It is possible to get into trouble using attreg@att.net and attreg. That will let you get into the wrong signup system, if you work hard enough at it. It is the one for the SouthWest group, and it will let you go through the account establishment process. It will involve Yahoo and a bunch of other stuff that has nothing to do with the old BellSouth region.
No bets on how much can go wrong doing that.
Best he just uses the CD as intended.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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ruraltn
join:2008-05-16
| reply to graysonf
said by graysonf :When service was purchased online, a Bellsouth.net E-mail Address was chosen. This is also the userid for accessing the network. The seven digit phone number is the password. This information is no secret - it's on the packing list that came with the self install kit. You cannot change the password without doing it online and installing more Active X stuff. No email address or password on the packing list in my self install kit. I did not see where andre2 said his father signed up on line, if it makes a difference. I signed up over the phone.
The only information I received in advance was my phone number and a static IP, which I did not order. Everything else was generated during the install process.
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www.east-tennessee-land.com |
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burris
Premium
join:2000-08-22
Miami, FL
·VOIPo
·AT&T Southeast
·ViaTalk
| reply to ruraltn
said by ruraltn :He needs to run the installer CD. It will ask for his phone number. It's not really a password. You can use attreg@att.net as the username and attreg as the password to get into the modem, but this should not be needed. The CD should do this automatically. It is possible to get into trouble using attreg@att.net and attreg. That will let you get into the wrong signup system, if you work hard enough at it. It is the one for the SouthWest group, and it will let you go through the account establishment process. It will involve Yahoo and a bunch of other stuff that has nothing to do with the old BellSouth region. No bets on how much can go wrong doing that. Best he just uses the CD as intended. I'm pretty computer literate and I just went through the signup yesterday.
I see no reason that this program should be so convoluted.
I 'never' use IE, unless it is absolutely essential to go where I need to. Of course, BellSouth doesn't know how to code for Mozilla.
I ultimately got connected, and to this moment, I wonder how.
However, I do have nothing but good things to say about the support team. They speak English, they answer the phone promptly and they really do try to help. |
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