[Gloucs] ADSL (at last)

[Mark Adams]

Steve Searle wrote:

>To widen the question - it looks as if price-wise the best option would
>be to go for a "wires only" setup, probably Demon Express Solo and buy
>an ADSL modem/router to attach to my IPCop box.  A modem would need to
>attache via Ethernet - my IPCop box is pre-USB.  I am not very clear
>from looking on the manufacturer's sites what the difference between an
>ADSL modem and an ADSL router is
>
A modem is just a device which talks ADSL down the 'phone.  It has no 
more logic in it than that.  It doesn't know about network protocols, so 
it needs to attach to a PC which does the network protocol stuff.

A router can handle network protocols, and is usually used to share an 
ADSL connection out across a number of PCs.  As you say, a router has 
its own IP address.  In fact, it has two.  One is the public address 
which is assigned to you by your ADSL provider, which probably changes 
every time it connects.  The other is a private address for your local 
network.  Routers may have other features like firewalling built in.