Member Avatar for Blade10878

I used to run earthlink, now i run aol because my pc has aol and i do not wanna pay for 2 isp just because i have one mac and one pc. I was also curious about netzero, any one have any advice on any other ones?

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A short, practical summary and a few setup/troubleshooting steps that extend the thread above.

Macs work with the same ISP technologies PCs use (Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, PPPoE for DSL, etc.), so there is rarely a vendor lock that prevents a Mac from using a consumer ISP. That means it is usually unnecessary to keep two paid accounts just because one machine is a Mac; portal-style memberships (AOL’s historical dial‑up/portal model) are a separate product from basic internet access. (support.apple.com)

If two machines need to share one broadband line, use a small NAT/DHCP router and put the ISP authentication in the router when possible. This makes the modem authenticate once and both computers get IPs from the router (simpler and more reliable than running a dialer on each machine). For DSL that uses PPPoE, the router or the Mac can hold the PPPoE credentials — configuring the base station/router is usually the cleanest option. (support.apple.com)

Quick, repeatable troubleshooting checklist (useful before calling tech support):

  • Verify cables and modem/router power; check modem link lights.
  • Restart modem, then router, then computers.
  • On the Mac open Network settings and check the active service, IP address and renew the DHCP lease.
  • If problems persist, connect the Mac directly to the modem (bypass the router) to isolate the fault.
  • Keep macOS updated before installing third‑party clients; backup important files first. (support.apple.com)

Tiebacks to the thread: echoing , if the line is dial‑in then the AOL client is an option; if broadband, a router saves the cost and hassle. As noted, the IP stack is universal; as suggested, compare DSL/cable pricing in the area before paying twice.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

I personally use NTL Broadband Plus and it works with my G5 Imac and XP PC

Member Avatar for Perigee

dial-in or broadband? If it's dial-in, you can use your AOL account on that mac, no big deal...if you are using broadband, get yourself a router so the two computers can share the connection...there is no need for a portal-style service like AOL if you have broadband, unless, of course, you use those features...otherwise, you are paying for internet access AND an online membership, which are two different things...there are plenty of free email services out there, and a broadband connection usually comes with at least one anyway...

Member Avatar for Blade10878

thanx for the advice, so aol wont mess up my mac?

Member Avatar for Perigee

thanx for the advice, so aol wont mess up my mac?

Under OS X it's not likey to do any harm, especially more recent versions of OS X...what OS version are you running?

Member Avatar for Blade10878

i believe i am on 10.3 im on my pc right now so i cant be for sure, im a mac newbie so i dont know a whole lot. are there any sites for mac newbies to help us along our way>?

Member Avatar for Perigee

10.3 is fairly recent, though not the absolute latest...10.3 is a mature version of OS X, and AOL should work just fine...be sure to run 'Software Update' in the system preferences...it should come up automatically every now and then, but it's good to check it yourself to keep things up-to-date, especially if you are on dial-in...also, if there is an apple store near you, go in and ask them if they have the updates on disc - they are going to take a looong time via dial-in...

...as far as Mac sites go, www.macsurfer.com is a great one-stop site for all the Mac info you are likely to need, be it news, tech info, gaming, iPod, rumors, etc...the site itself provides links and headlines from many different Mac-centric web sites elsewhere...it's a great resource...also, don't be bashful about picking up a copy of 'Macs for Dummies', 'The Missing Manual' or a similar type of noobie book - they are quite good references, even for more experienced users...

ps - if you can, I highly recommend getting a broadband connection...unless they specifically state that the actual internet connection is not Mac compatible, it will work...I have Macs on both Cablevision's Optimum Online service and on DSL...it's worth the extra cost...

Member Avatar for CEDickson

If DSL is available in your area it may be less expensive than AOL. Last I looked AOL was more than the 12.95 cost of DSL.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

This is a nice post / topic.

A Mac should work with any ISP that a PC works with, unless you have one that specifically does something Windows only, such as needing Microsoft or Citirix VPN solution into a corporate network. But that is not your traditional ISP that a consumer would be attaching to.

The IP protocol is universally accepted. You could even get an Apple IIe on the internet if you wanted to.

Christian

Member Avatar for MacJunkie

There was some recent stuff online about someone making an ethernet card for their IIe and getting it online. Pretty funny stuff.

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