4
Note that once the MTA is set up properly, you may use it even though the
PC is turned off.
User Name and Password Requirements
Most if not all Internet Service Providers require a username
and password the very first time you log on to the service.
This is usually entered using software provided by the ISP
which is run on a PC. It is most likely, therefore, that you will
have to have previously logged onto the service at least once
before connecting the MTA.
Tip: Write down the UserName and Password that your Internet
Service Provider expects at logon… especially if you have a DSL
connection.
After the very first time you log in, some providers store that info in the modem
(this is often true for cable modem subscribers). Others require that the PC supplies
a username and password every time a connection is re-established (such as when
you reboot the computer, or if the connection is lost). Most DSL connections adhere
to this protocol (called PPPOE), so you will need to have your username and
password to install the MTA.
Network Card Hardware Address Requirements
Some Internet Service Providers require that once a network card connects to the
service, only that network card can connect to it in the future. If in your experience
you’ve found that if you’ve ever tried to connect a computer other than the one that
you normally use to your Internet connection, and it wouldn’t connect at all even
though you entered the correct user name and password, then it’s likely that this is
the case. If you simply went ahead and connected your MTA to your connection
now, the Internet Service Provider would not let the MTA “on” to the network.
Tip: Some broadband providers who reportedly check the MAC
address of your network card include Adelphia, RoadRunner,
BellSouth cable, Rogers, HiSpeed, Comcast, Telus, CoxHSI,
InsightBB, RCN and Cogeco. This, however, does not mean that
these providers do this in your area. If your provider is on this
list, please read this entire section carefully.
The way your Internet Service provider can keep track of which network card
connects is through its unique hardware address, which is called a M.A.C.
Fortunately, the MTA allows you to change
its
M.A.C. address so that
it
appears to
be the same as your network card. If you’ve previously experienced a situation in
