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The WURD Home Networking FAQ
This page contains answers to common questions asked in the worldnet.users.home-networking newsgroup about home networking and AT&T Worldnet Service.
Does AT&T Worldnet Service...
Where can I find...
- Where can I find general information about networking and how to set one up?
- Where can I find information on how to set up connection sharing?
Can I...
- I don't have Windows 98SE or better, can I still share a connection?
- I have both an AT&T Worldnet dialup and a cable/DSL connection is there a way to use both?
What is...
- What is the difference between a hub, a router and a switch and do I need one for my network?
- What are all these protocols? Which should I use for my network?
- Which is better, wires or wireless?
What do I...
What's going on?
- I just installed VPN software for work and it won't connect, is AT&T Worldnet blocking me?
- I think it is all set up, but my computers still can't talk to each other or can't share a connection.
- I can't reach certain Web sites. Help!
OK, I read all the information, and I still didn't get my home networking questions answered. What do I do now?
If you have additional questions about using home networking with AT&T Worldnet Service and are unable to find the answers in our Home Networking FAQ, please post them in the AT&T Worldnet help newsgroup below. If you're new to newsgroups, please read our Newsgroups Tutorial for a brief introduction to newsgroups and instructions on how to participate in them. Note: If you're looking for AT&T DSL Service support, see http://dslhelp.att.net
Click the newsgroup name if you're dialed into AT&T Worldnet Service. If you are dialed into AT&T Worldnet Service and would rather use your browser than a newsreader to view these newsgroups, click the webnews link and the newsgroup will open in a new browser window. If you are accessing your account from another ISP, be sure to use a newsreader that supports SSL and configure your newsreader to access the iNetNews servers. Then click the iNetNews link to the right of the newsgroup name.
Note: The newsgroup shown below is new so you might have to refresh your newsgroup list if you're using a regular newsreader. Information on the restructuring of the AT&T Worldnet Help newsgroups as posted in the worldnet.announce newsgroup on 03/15/03.
If your browser supports it, hover your mouse pointer over the newsgroup name and a brief description of the newsgroup will be displayed.
Note: When you open the software, make sure you expand the plus (+) signs next to the messages listed. By doing this you will be able to view the messages and responses of others as well as see the answer to your particular question.
For a list of all of the AT&T Worldnet help newsgroups, see Getting Help Through Newsgroups.
Does AT&T Worldnet support home networks?
AT&T Worldnet does not officially support home networks. However, you can get configuration advice and assistance in the worldnet.users.home-networking newsgroup.
Does AT&T Worldnet support connection sharing?
AT&T Worldnet does not officially support connection sharing. However, you can get configuration advice and assistance in the worldnet.users.home-networking newsgroup.
Where can I find general information about networking and how to set one up?
The following links have been provided as a reference:
- Practically Networked: Networking/
- Microsoft Web Site: Home and Small Office Networking with Windows XP
- World of Windows Networking
Where can I find information on how to set up connection sharing?
The following links are recommended by the users of the home networking group:
I don't have Windows 98SE or better, can I still share a connection?
Starting with Windows 98SE, Microsoft has included Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) with all its releases. If you don't have a computer that is running one of those versions, you can still share a connection using a third party connection-sharing program. Some are even available without charge for small networks. Some say that these programs work better than the built in Windows ICS and use them instead. Here are some links:
I have both an AT&T Worldnet dialup and a cable/DSL connection. Is there a way to use both?
Computers can have multiple connections to multiple networks. The official name for this is multihoming. Windows computers do have one quirk though. If you have a network connection like DSL or Cable and open a dial up connection (to AT&T Worldnet, let's say), the computer will automatically make the dial up connection the default. This means all traffic (not just the AT&T Worldnet traffic) will be going through the slower dial in connection. The members in the home networking group came up with a work around so only the AT&T Worldnet traffic will go through the dial up. You can get information and instructions for this from this page:
AT&T Worldnet has recently added Access to AT&T Worldnet from Anywhere. The Access to AT&T Worldnet from Anywhere feature is designed for those times when you are connected to the Internet using a dial-up or high speed ISP other than AT&T Worldnet Service.
Once you are set up, see the following FAQs for additional information:
- Can I access my AT&T Worldnet account information from another ISP?
- Can I access my e-mail from another ISP?
- Can I post to the AT&T Worldnet news servers from another ISP?
- Can I publish my Web site through another ISP?
What is the difference between a hub, a router and a switch and do I need one for my network?
Hub
A hub is a device used to connect computers. As devices go, it is fairly dumb in that it does not do anything to any of the packets going through it, it just sends them to all its ports. This can cause collisions of packets, which slows down the network. Hubs can only connect computers in the same subnet. In home networking terms, this means computers in the same physical location (house.) Since it is very low on the technology food chain, it is also the most inexpensive of the three connection devices.
Switch
A switch is a device also used to connect computers. It can be a fairly smart device. It learns which computer is sitting on which port and looks at all the packets as they are sent through. Since it knows who lives where, portwise, it only sends the packets to the specific computer they are meant for. This decreases packets colliding and some say they can see the increase in throughput. In home networking terms, switches can also only be used on the same subnet. Being more advanced than a hub, it also generally will cost a bit more.
Router
A router Is also a computer-connecting device, but is highest on the home networking food chain. Routers connect computers in different subnets or physical locations. In most cases in a home network, they connect your home to the computers on the Internet. Routers contain software that learns where different computers live and send the packets accordingly. PC's with two or more network cards can also perform the functions of a router. For home networks, many routers also have a built in hub or switch, so they perform two functions for the price of one. As such, they are usually the most expensive of the three.
What are all these protocols? Which should I use for my network?
Generally, the best way to set up a network is using the TCP/IP protocol. It is fairly easy to do, and standard, so even if you run other operating systems, you can still hook them up to your network and share connections.
What kind of cables do I need for a home network?
For the most part, if you go with a wired network today, you will choose Cat 5 cable. It looks like round telephone wire, with a slightly bigger connector at the ends.
One thing to note, there is a special type of Cat 5 cable called a crossover cable that is used to connect two computers directly. If you have a DSL or Cable broadband connection, you may get a crossover cable with your modem.
Which is better, wires or wireless?
It really is a personal choice, as both have their advantages and disadvantages. A wired network (especially if the computers are in remote parts of the house) can be a pain to run cable for, but the equipment to set up a wired network is plentiful and less expensive. Wireless does have some well-known security issues however. It can also be a bit pricier. Here are some links to wireless and other alternative networking information:
I just installed VPN software for work and it won't connect. Is AT&T Worldnet blocking me?
AT&T Worldnet does not block VPN connections. If your VPN is not connecting, there are some things to check on your computer first. Do you have a personal firewall or any Internet speed up software or ad blocking software? Is the site you are trying to connect to in your hosts file? Can you ping the site?
You should also check with your admins at work. They will know your software the best and may be able to interpret the error messages easier.
I think it is all set up, but my computers still can't talk to each other or can't share a connection.
The first thing to check when troubleshooting is the simple stuff. Make sure all the cables are seated well, all the network cards have green lights, there are not conflicts listed in the device manager.
Use the built in tools like ping to make sure the computers can see each other. Ping will let you know that there is basic simple communication between the computers. Tracert is another good tool when you are testing going outside of your local home network. The third tool is ipconfig. Especially if you are sharing an Internet connection, you will need to have each machine set up with a unique IP address. This tool will tell you what each machine's settings are. All these tools are available from an MS-DOS command prompt. If you are working with us in the home networking group, we will post instructions for you on how to send the output to a file for easier pasting into a newsgroup post.
Finally, do not forget other programs on your computer may be working against you. The biggest culprits are personal firewall software. It is always a good idea to disable any firewall software while you are doing your network setup and configuration. Once everything is working, if turning on the firewall causes things to go burp, you have a good place to start troubleshooting. Note that some firewall software, most notably Zone Alarm, can still contribute to connection issues when disabled and must be uninstalled to troubleshoot. Ad blocking, Internet speed up, and proxy software are also common culprits.
I can't reach certain Web sites. Help!
Your home network, or an installed but incorrectly configured network card can impact your ability to get to certain sites. The most common sites we see complaints on are www.hp.com, www.adobe.com and www.fidelity.com. If you lookup the IP addresses of these sites, you will notice they all start with 192. If your network card is set up with a 196.168.x.x address, but the subnet mask is incorrect, your computer will think these addresses are local, rather than out there on the Internet. The fix is simple. Make sure you have the subnet mask for your network card set to 255.255.255.0. How you do this will depend entirely on how your network is set up, plus the version of Windows you are using. If you need assistance to get it changed, please post in the home networking newsgroup.