I have a cable Internet connection.
I have been trying to replace my modem with a wireless modem I have been given, but the network won't recognize it. I have been told that the network recognizes me as a valid customer on my original modem because of a built-in ID. (I don't have to do anything to make the connection.) It won't recognize the new one because the ID is wrong. Is that correct and if so what it this type of ID called?

My friend has an ASDL Internet connection
I have just converted her PC to Linux and her Internet connection is the only thing that won't work. I am intending to replace her ancient modem with a more recent one as I think this is the problem. When she wants to connect to the Internet there is a pop-up panel into which she has to enter her identifier (looks like an email address) and password and some other sort of identifier to do with the network (looks like 99,9). It seems to me that the network identifies her as a legit customer with this information, so that there is no need for a built-in identifier in the modem and I should be able to replace it without problems, am I correct in this assumption?

No idea what it's called, but unless your cable company provisions the device to work on THEIR network, you're dead in the water. So, call your cable company and either get them to provision/authorize the device, or get a wireless modem from THEM. Your other alternative is to use the cable-company's modem that DOES work, and plug it into your own wireless modem.
No. If your friend has an ADSL connection now, you need to just purchase a standard SOHO home router, and plug it in. It will make the connection outwards to the ADSL network, and your computers connect to it. You *CAN* use software like Roaring Penguin's PPPoE software, and most network managers can do this in Linux now, but connecting a computer DIRECTLY to the Internet is a bad idea. Most SOHO routers have firewalls and access control built-in...and while it's not much, it's MUCH better than nothing.

Yes, as stated the MODEM has to be registered with the ISP and all you need to do is provide them with its WAN MAC usually identified on a sticker on the device.

ADSL typically requires a username / password for authentication but the MODEM might also have to be registered with the ISP. I suggest calling them.

1 members found this post helpful.

Michaelk
Thanks for answering my questions.

My friend has now bought a new modem and Linux connects to it without problems, she didn't need to contact the ISP. I suppose they might complain later though!