Newbie Support
Diane:
Baby boomer needs help with basic set up.
I've converted all of my household wifi to ethernet via 5 port ethernet hub (health reasons).
Switched remote landline to corded style too.
Getting rid of Comcast cable TV soon and plan to discontinue Comcast phone service.
Need to keep internet service through Comcast via ethernet via Comcast issued modem.
Modem only has one ethernet line, and two phone line ports.
What OBi device would best meet my need to have Vestalink phone service, ethernet to two laptops, ethernet to hp fax machine?
Do I need to order any adapters for the corded phone I'll be using?
Does anyone know if Comcast will block the alternate phone service as I've read in other postings?
mo832:
I would call myself a "seasoned newbie" or a "sophomore". So don't treat this info as gospel, but my sense from the info you provided is that you would need a separate router with no wifi plugged into your comcast modem, and that would give you multiple ethernet ports. Then, you could use ANY Obi device from 100 on up to plug in to one of your router slots, and sign up with Vestalink.
If my understanding is correct with regard to external routers as other threads here have talked about, you should not have a problem with comcast "blocking" your Obi phone service as it is just treated as data at that point.
Again, I stand to be corrected if something I've written is not accurate.
EDIT: I just noticed the part about your 5-port ethernet hub. That most likely takes care of the "router" that I described. All you need to do is plug your Obi into the hub, and any standard modular phone cord into the Obi.
Diane:
Forgive my lack of understanding of the components, but if I have a ethernet (5 hub) plugged into the back of the Comcast modem via an ethernet cable, then into each device from the hub, do I still need a router?
mo832:
Most likely, no. See the paragraph after the "Edit" portion of my previous post.
The only reason you might need a router is if the "hub" has no router features of its own AND your modem blocks certain addresses. But that is unlikely and you can always try that later if and when your first try doesn't work.
drgeoff:
1. If the 5 ports of the 'hub' are all labelled the same way eg 1 through 5, it is probably a 5 port ethernet switch with no routeing capability whatsoever. If it is older than about 10 years it might even be an ethernet hub (in the strict technical meaning of 'hub'). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_hub.
However if its ethernet sockets are actually grouped as 4 + 1, labelled something like LAN1 through LAN4 and Internet or WAN on the odd man out, then it would be a router.
If you can find a maker and model number, we should be able to give a definitive answer.
2. I'm not familiar with Comcast modems. If it has no inbuilt Wi-Fi then its single ethernet socket almost certainly indicates that is has no routeing capability and will need a separate router (not an ethernet switch or ethernet hub) to support more than one PC, OBi etc.
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