<snip>

> > connection. When I got to the last page for STATUS I saw that the
> > Internet was disconnected and so I tried to connect. It goes through
> > about 4 tires and comes back with a message " Can't get an IP address
from
> > the PPPoE Server. I chated with a Bellsouth person who concluded I
> > needed to talk to Linksys about this as he couldn't help me. That
doesn't
> > appear correct but what do I know?

What kind of "modem" (brand/model) do you have? Does your ISP require
PPPoE or can it establish a "regular" ethernet connection? PPPoE is older
technology. Your router may not default to that configuration. Remember
the recommendation to RESET the router. Find the little button and turn on
the router and push it in and hold it in for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then
you
may have to go through the configuration menu in the router to turn on the
PPPoE capability. With consumer dsl accounts the ISP assumes that you will
be connecting ONE computer to THEIR network. The router can mimic that
kind of connection so from the ISP's side, it still thinks that there is one
computer connected to their network. Don't forget to change the
administrator
password, very important. Otherwise someone else can get into your router
after you get an Internet connection and reprogram your router. Anyway, a
call
to Linksys wouldn't hurt. Bellsouth may require you to connect their modem
to
one of your Windows machines to establish the link initially. Then after
that works
you can change your configuration (add router, etc...) as much as you want.
"In
the old days" the ISP's wouldn't help the user out with anything but the
standard
install computer => their modem => their network. Now they are getting a
little
more flexible knowing that their customers are getting more savvy. The tech
guy
at my ISP, AT&T/Yahoo, talk my through my first dsl install and I had an
older
WRT54G Ver 2.0. Now after helping dozens of others locally set up their dsl
links, I can practically do it in my sleep, Windows, OS X, Linux, BSD no
sweat.

later,
charles.....