Is there any reason to favor loopback over DHCP (or vice-versa) for a wireless modem? Both seem to work but I'm just wondering.

That does not make sense: DHCP is something a router does, not a modem.

Loopback is the IP address that refers to the host device - packets sent to loopback go nowhere. So this also makes no sense in the context of a modem. Routers, though, can have loopback enabled. On routers, it is used for administration and diagnostics.

I suspect you are using non-standard terminology. Can you be explain what you mean?


If you want a modem to be available to the outside world, it has to have an IP address. This is obtained from a server dynamically or can be set statically. Perhaps this is what you mean?

Well, I suppose what I meant was that I have this new wireless modem (always used DSL and routers with fixed IP prior to this -- got the wireless thing for use where I don't have any other choice but dial-up) and just wondering if there's some strange and wondrous magical mystical thing that needs doing to make the thing has happy as it can be (and, thus, no trouble). I have installed USB_ModemSwitch (from the source tree in Slackware 13.1 which is the current version of the utility) in Slackware 13.0; compiled and appears to work just fine.

And, yup, I do know that DHCP is for routers but, hey, ya never know...

Thanks.