Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning GuideTM TechTV Appearances by John Navas Cable Modem and DSL (e.g., ADSL, G.lite, IDSL, SDSL) tips on increasing speed, enhancing security, fixing problems, sharing a connection, and more. Copyright 1999-2005 The Navas GroupS M, All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to copy for private non-commercial use only. Posted as . Updated: Wednesday, February 2, 2005.
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ If you want to skip all the discussions and technical explanations, and just cut to the chase, most people only need to do the following to optimize and secure their Cable Modem or DSL connection: 1. 2. 3.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide Latency* (e.g., normal DSL or 2-way cable) 32K Window High latency* (e.g., poor DSL or 1-way cable) 63K Window Windows NT http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ REGEDIT4 Removal [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters] NTTCPundo.inf NTTCP32K.REG "TcpWindowSize"=dword:00007fff Windows 2000/XP REGEDIT4 Removal [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters] 2KTCPundo.inf 2KTCP32K.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ (Report problems to John Navas.) This script can also be used to restore all settings to default values (i.e., to remove the Receive Window tweak). Important Notes: Reboot your system after making any change for the change to take effect! According to Microsoft: "Before making any modification to the Registry, be sure to make backup copies of the Registry files System.dat and User.dat.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Increasing TCP Receive Window for Apple Macintosh Caveat: The following information has not been tested by this author. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. TCP Receive Window can be adjusted with the "tcp_rwin_mss_multiplier" setting of the OT Advanced Tuner from Sustainable Softworks. This author suggests a starting value of 20. You may need to experiment to find your own optimum setting(s).
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Upload Speed Your upload speed (sending to a remote host) will be limited by your Internet connection, network path, and remote host. It may also be limited by capping (see "How the Upstream Cap can affect Downstream Speed"). It is not limited by settings you can adjust; i.e., there is no adjustment that you can use to increase upload speed.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide 11 12 http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ 309 ms 103 ms 375 ms 238 ms 348 ms 102 ms 208.178.103.62 204.71.202.160 Trace complete. (The trace above was performed over a dialup modem connection. The times in ms would normally be much lower on a Cable Modem or DSL connection.) For more information on TTL, see RFC 791. [Jump to Contents] Why the System.ini Tweak Doesn't Work The System.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Network Monitor Agent, which is located in the Windows 98 CD directory \Tools\ResKit\NetAdmin\NetMon. Once installed, you will be able to add Network Monitor Performance items to the display in System Monitor. (Network Monitor Agent is also available for Windows 95 in the Windows 95 CD directory \Admin\NetTools\NetMon, and can also be downloaded from Microsoft by HTTP or FTP.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ WhatRoute (freeware; recommended) [Jump to Contents] How the Upstream Cap can affect Downstream Speed Although downstream speeds are usually high (typically in the range of 768 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps), consumer-grade Cable or DSL service often has an upstream cap (artificial limit) of 128 Kbps, which is only about 4 times faster than a V.90 (56K) dial-up modem (limited to about 31 Kbps upstream), and a fraction of the downstream speed.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Microsoft has confirmed a TCP/IP retransmission bug in Windows 95, 98, and NT that can adversely affect upload (not download) throughput over "high-delay networks (for example, satellite links)." Standard Cable Modem or DSL service should not be affected by this bug; i.e., the fix is usually not needed.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ than on a temporary dial-up modem connection. The reason is that there are all too many malicious and/or dishonest people in the world that delight in using Internet connections to wreak harm (e.g., destroy information on your computer, steal your personal financial information). Note that dynamic IP (e.g., DHCP, PPPoE, PPPoA) is not significantly safer that static IP -- that's a dangerous misconception.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ 8. Make sure that NetBIOS is not enabled on all instances of TCP/IP that point to a network adapter (including Dial-Up Adapter): a. Open TCP/IP Properties by double-clicking on the TCP/IP entry in the Configuration list that points to a network adapter. If you get the long message starting "You have asked to change TCP/IP properties for a dial-up adapter...", click OK. b. Click on the NetBIOS tab. c.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Security Best Practices For more information on the real risks of Microsoft Networking, see "File and Printer Sharing (NetBIOS) Fact and Fiction". For greater security, run a "firewall" -- special software that actively works to protect you.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide » » » » http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Cyber Sentinel Cyber Sitter Net Nanny SOS Kidproof [Jump to Contents] Security on Cable Modem or DSL for OS/2 Security on a full-time Cable Modem or DSL connection to the public Internet is much more important than on a temporary dial-up modem connection. The reason is that there are all too many malicious and/or dishonest people in the world that delight in using Internet connections to wreak harm (e.g.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide » » http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ DoorStop NetBarrier If you are willing to spend more money, you can get even better protection by using a separate standalone (hardware) firewall. See "Hardware Firewalls (SOHO Routers)". Not all firewalls are created equal (i.e., some firewalls are better than others). If you want the best possible protection, look for: " stateful (packet) inspection" technology; and independent certification of effectiveness.
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide » » » » http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ » Freesco (successor to Ballantain) » Linux Router Project » NetBSD/i386 Firewall » NetMAX (not free) » ShareTheNet (not free) FreeBSD GNATBox (Recommended) IPRoute OpenBSD [Jump to Contents] Check Your Security Even if you are scrupulous about security precautions, you still might inadvertently overlook or even create a security risk. You can get good insurance (and peace of mind) by having your system checked.
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ form of a "cookie," usually without your knowledge. Some other identifier may also be used, such as a credit card number, social security number, or even the unique hardware address of a network card. Cookies A "cookie" is a computer token that your Web browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera) uses to maintain information related to one or more web sites.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ privacy. Also note that firewall blocking alone may cause your browser to slow down or even hang.) Opt-out (Be warned that some purported opt-out services, particularly those for junk email [spam], may only make things worse, because they are actually just address verification mechanisms.
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Keep RAS Connections Active After Logging Off".
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Low-cost server for your small network In addition to typical server tasks (e.g., file storage, printing), a dedicated network server can also be used for sharing a Cable Modem or DSL service (e.g., network address translation, proxy) and to provide security (e.g., firewall, filtering), with the advantage that such sharing does not depend on any other computer.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Option 4: Windows NT/2000/XP Microsoft used to offer a Small Business Server 4.5 Guided Tour Evaluation Kit for only US$20 that was fully functional with no time limitation, albeit limited to 6 client access licenses. However, that offer was replaced with the Small Business Server 2000 Evaluation Kit, which is time-limited to 120 days, leaving Windows unaffordable as a home/SOHO server.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ over NetBIOS (see "File and Printer Sharing (NetBIOS) Fact and Fiction") and/or genuine concern for subscribers that might inadvertently expose themselves to NetBIOS security risks (see "Security on Cable Modem or DSL"). In such cases it will not be possible to use NetBIOS over the Internet unless you can persuade the ISP to remove the filter (block) on your particular Cable Modem or DSL connection.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Suppose you need to use Windows 95/98/Me Dial-Up Networking (DUN) to connect to your employer's network. The usual problem is that you lose the use of your Cable Modem or DSL connection during the DUN connection. The reason that happens is that DUN automatically gets higher routing priority than your Cable Modem or DSL connection because Windows 95/98/Me can only have one default route.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Using multiple Cable Modem, DSL, and/or dial-up modem connections together for increased speed normally requires either special bonding support from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or an expensive, sophisticated load-balancing router.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ [Jump to Contents] Third-party email service What do you do if your ISP has poor email service, or if you anticipate someday switching to a different ISP? Consider a third-party email service, some of which are free. Many people do not realize that they don't have to use services provided by the ISP.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Newsfeeds.com ($9.95-$19.95 depending on servers) Newsguy.com ($10.95/mo; $25/yr for basic service; recommended) OnlyNEWS ($12.95/mo) Randori News ($12/mo and up depending on traffic) Supernews ($13.95-$59.95/mo depending on traffic; not recommended: policies) The NewsGroups.com ($8.95/mo; 500 MB/server/day) Usenet-Access.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide Pro Con Pro Con Standard on most modern computers Low cost Best for: Notebook computers PCI http://cable-dsl.home.att.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide » ZyXEL Prestige 942 DOCSIS Cable Modem Bridge (USB, SUA/NAT) » ZyXEL Prestige 944 DOCSIS Cable Modem Bridge/Router (Ethernet, Hub, SUA/NAT) » ZyXEL Prestige 961 Euro DOCSIS Cable Modem Bridge/Router (Euro, Ethernet, SUA/NAT) http://cable-dsl.home.att.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ For most uses the difference in latency is usually not significant, and the increase in reliability can be useful or even vital. However, the difference in latency can be important for fans of real-time gaming over the Internet. If you fall into that category; are on DMT and aren't on G.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Notes: Any old filter won't do. Do yourself a favor and get one that has been designed for just this problem. This author has no connection to Excelsus Technologies. If you experience problems with the older type PacBell splitter, you can ask that it be replaced with a better device (e.g., Siecor/Corning Cable Systems ADSL POTS Splitter).
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ For general technical information on tracking down sources of RFI, see "Track and Solve Electrical Interference" by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League, Inc.). [Jump to Contents] Other sources of DSL interference AM radio stations According to Nortel Networks, ADSL speeds can be cut by up to 40% by AM radio station interference, a problem that may affect up to 15% of ADSL subscribers. See "AM radio creates ADSL static".
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ remove power from the modem; wait several seconds; and then restore power, whereupon the modem reinitializes, resyncs, and resumes normal operation. Another possible aspect of this problem is ARP (Address Resolution Protocol). It has been reported (but not verified by this author) that the Alcatel ADSL modem will substitute its own MAC address for that of the "gateway" when the DSL link is down.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Turn your modem off when not in use. The modem cannot be compromised when it's off. Use a firewall. Although a firewall will not protect against all forms of attack, it will provide some protection. (See "Security on Cable Modem or DSL") [Jump to Contents] ADSL Modem Guide (DMT issue 2) Most ADSL deployments are based on Alcatel-compatible hardware.
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Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ 1. "Wireless DSL" is not really DSL Fixed terrestrial wireless is capable of providing a broadband experience comparable to DSL, which is why it's sometimes called "Wireless DSL." However, the term DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) properly refers only to data service over standard copper telephone lines. In addition, there are important technical differences between fixed terrestrial wireless and DSL.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ 11 bankruptcy protection, and the future of the Ricochet service is uncertain. [Jump to Contents] Surge/lightning suppression for cable/DSL Power surges, particularly those caused by nearby lightning strikes, can damage your cable or DSL modem, or even your computer.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Speed (order to ship delay) Privacy and/or spam Recommended on-line merchants (for value and service): buy.com (low prices, wide selection) PC Connection (overnight shipping even on late orders, very good service) Provantage.com (oldie but a goodie, wide selection) Good deals: Hard to find & unusual items: DealNews (PC) DealMac (Macintosh) DealofDay.com techbargains.com Computer Geeks Overstock.
Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning Guide http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/ Windows 95 Networking Windows 98 Windows 98 Registry (TCP/IP Registry Key Entries) Windows NT Q120642 "TCP/IP & NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows NT" Windows 2000 and Windows XP MS Windows 2000 TCP/IP Implementation Details [Jump to Contents] Wireless Roaming As wireless networking based on IEEE802.
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