DSL Setup - Windows 98/Me

 

Before beginning, you will need to the following in order to set up your DSL:

All of the above are provided to you by ACD.net (or can be in the case of the internal wiring) except for the last one. If you do not have an ethernet card installed in your computer you will need to purchase one. You can obtain them from computer component stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA or you can contact your local computer repair shop. Most computers sold over the last few years have ethernet cards already installed, however the fact you're reading a walkthrough about setting up DSL on a Windows 98 or Me computer tells us your computer may be just a tad bit older than that. :) **NOTE** Newer DSL modem models (such as the 6381-A2 and A3 and the 6211) support USB connectivity. If your computer has a free USB port you can use, you may not need to purchase an ethernet card. If you do not have an ethernet card but you have a free USB port, click HERE for instructions on how to use the USB cable and driver CD provided with your modem, if applicable. The modems that support USB look like this:

For best performance and reliability, ACD.net recommends using the ethernet option if possible.

To determine if your computer has an ethernet card installed, take a look at the back of the computer. Look for an interface that looks like a phone jack, but is slightly wider. Dialup modems typically have two phone jacks on them, ethernet jacks should be by themselves, so look for a single jack.

Check your TCP/IP settings for your ethernet card:

  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. Click on Settings.
  3. Click on Control Panel.
  4. Locate the Network icon and double-click on it (if you are using Windows Me and do not see the Network icon, click on the View all Control Panel options link on the left). You will see a screen like the one below:


  5. What you see in this window will depend entirely upon the hardware installed in your computer and the setup of your Windows networking components. The most commonly encountered configuration is shown above. The name of the ethernet adapter will vary depending on the brand of ethernet card you have installed in your computer. In the above example, a AMD PCNET ethernet adapter is installed in the computer. If you are using the USB interface available on some modem models, you will see TI USB Remote NDIS Network Device.
  6. Select the TCP/IP instance associated with your adapter, such as what is highlighted above (such as TCP/IP => TI USB Remote NDIS Network Device for USB users).
  7. Click the Properties button. You should see something like this:


  8. This the default TCP/IP settings for any computer running Windows. The adapter is configured to Obtain an IP address automatically. If you have Specify an IP address selected, then your computer is currently configured to participate in a local area network. If you do not have a network (again, this guide is targeted towards customers with a single computer), then select the Obtain an IP address automatically option.
  9. Click on the Gateway tab at the top. You will see a screen like this:


  10. This is what your screen should look like. There should be no installed gateways. If any gateways are listed you will be unable to get online. Remove any installed gateways by selecting them and clicking Remove.
  11. Click the DNS Configuration tab. You should see a screen like this:


  12. By default, DNS should be disabled. Your computer will obtain its DNS information automatically when it connects to the DSL. If your DNS settings are Enabled and there is information specified, it is highly recommended to set this option to Disable DNS.
  13. These are the only settings that have to be checked. Click OK to exit the TCP/IP properties for your ethernet card.
  14. Click OK again to exit the Network Properties window.
  15. You may be asked to restart your computer (especially if you made any changes to the TCP/IP settings). Click Yes to restart the computer.


  16. Once your computer has restarted, repeat steps 1 through 3 to go back to the Control Panel.
  17. Locate the Internet Options icon and double-click on it.
  18. Click on the Connections tab. You should see something like this:


  19. What actually shows up under Dial-up settings will depend on what existing dial-up connections (if any) you have configured on your system. If you no longer have the dial-up services listed, you can remove them by selecting the connection and clicking Remove to the right.
  20. Select Never dial a connection if it is not selected already.
  21. Click the LAN Settings... button. You will see a screen like this:


  22. This is how you want your screen to look. This is just like the default settings, however ACD recommends you deselect the Automatically detect settings box. If Use a proxy server is checked you will be unable to access the web, so be sure it is unchecked.
  23. Click OK to exit the LAN settings.
  24. Click OK to exit the Internet Properties.
  25. Close the Control Panel.


Connect your modem. If you are using the USB option available on some modem models, click HERE for instructions instead.

  1. Connect one end of the phone line included with your modem into the LINE port on the back of the modem.
  2. Connect the other end of the phone line into the phone jack for your DSL. This is the jack that you hooked up to your DSL line at your telephone interface (in the case of a self install) or that an ACD install technician connected for you. Do NOT connect the phone cable into the telephone port of a surge protector. Surge protectors can cause noise on the line, and DSL is frequency-dependent. The added stress on the line will result in poor connectivity between the DSL modem and your DSL line. It is recommended that your phone cable be 1 to 2 feet away from any large AC power adapters as well, unless you are using a cable created from category 5 ethernet cable.
  3. Connect one end of the ethernet cable into the ETHERNET or LAN jack on the back of the modem (generally located in the center).
  4. Connect the other end of the ethernet cable into your computer's ethernet port.
  5. Plug the round end of the power cable provided with your DSL modem into the power jack on the back of the modem.
  6. Plug the other end of the power cable into an available power outlet.
  7. The modem will power on and go through several self tests. During this time the various lights on your modem will flash. Ultimately your Power, Line (or Status on some models) and Ethernet (or LAN on some models) lights will stay on. The Line or Status light indicates the modem can see ACD.net's DSL equipment. The Ethernet or LAN light indicates the modem can see your computer. If these lights do not come on and stay on, please see our Troubleshooting section.

Verify your connectivity.

  1. Open Internet Explorer to see if you can bring up your home page.
  2. If you get a "page could not be displayed" error, click on Start and select Run.
  3. In the Open box type: winipcfg and click OK (if there is already something typed in the box delete it entirely first).
  4. The Windows IP Configuration window will appear. By default the adapter it will show you is the PPP Adapter. If this is the case, click the drop-down box and select your ethernet adapter:


  5. Once your ethernet adapter is selected, you will be shown what internet address the adapter is getting (if any). A computer successfully getting an IP address will look something like this:


  6. If your IP address starts with 169.254, like shown below:



    ...then your computer did not get an IP address on the DSL. Click the Release All button and the IP address will reset to 0.0.0.0. Once that is done, click Renew All and you should get an IP address like the screen shown in step 5, and should be able to get online. If you do not, please contact our Internet Support department.

Enjoy your DSL!