Saturday, July 24, 2010

Question: Alternating between 2 computers using a DSL modem

I get a lot of questions every day and here is a one from today...

  • Q: I sometimes switch between my desktop PC and my laptop using my DSL modem. When I connect a different computer directly to my DSL modem, it can't seem to access the Internet. Why is that?

  • A: Since DSL modems talk directly to your computer, unlike a router which is designed to share a DSL connection, you need to reset the modem each time you connect it to a new computer. This allows the modem to set itself up properly and assign an appropriate IP address to the new computer. You can reset the DSL modem by removing the power for a few seconds and then plugging it back in. If the DSL modem has a power switch, you can toggle that, as well, to reset the modem.

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