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starting your own isp

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 2:56 pm
by g-c0de
hey i was wondering, how do you create your own isp, by using your cable modem, or how do you start one period?? i think this will be a great project for me and my friends, sometimes i here people starting their own isp in their basements, im just curious, on how to do it...email me at

IGC0DEI@hotmail.com

thanks for hearing me out!

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 2:59 pm
by Lobo
I love easy questions, in search box type How to start ISP :)

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 4:09 pm
by g-c0de
can you send me the link?

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 4:15 pm
by Lobo
No, but I will post it here, my mail is messed up:http://www.interlinkweb.com/~main/quick ... advice.htm :)

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 4:28 pm
by Alien
Maybe we could find somebody to provide useful information. That link only provided information that's probably commonly known - not HOW to do it.

For example, if you want to use W2K, how do you configure it? If you're going to use Linux, how do you configure IT?

This information would be more helpful. Getting information on what you need to do is one thing, how to do it is another.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 5:08 pm
by Lobo
Sorry, I don't know one offhand and thee's to much reading in search, maybe someone else here knows :)

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 6:09 pm
by Kip Patterson
Err, what you said is a big-time violation of your contract with the cable company. They do not permit the resale of their connectivity.

Kip Patterson

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 10:20 pm
by g-c0de
i knew someone would say that, but can anyone help me out with this?, im just trying to gain knowledge here

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2001 11:09 pm
by Brent
get a T1 or faster

get some webservers and lots of modem racks

start with 56k connections for the users...

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 5:24 pm
by Kip Patterson
You will need, among other things:

1) However many dial-up trunks you wish. They must come into your site via a T-1 line. Can't use standard phone ciruits.

2) A bank of modems. Can't use standard modems, must be the 3com units that talk to a T-1.

3) Two DNS servers.

4) A news server.

5) A DHCP server

6) An outbound circuit, T-1 minimum, and a contract with an internet provider.

7) Tech support staff.

The biggest expense is the modem bank. About 50 grand should get you going.

Kip Patterson

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:16 pm
by Alien
Nobody said he was reselling it ... he could be using it for his own, personal remote access (ie: connectivity to internet via laptop while at work, not bound to work's firewall, etc).

In theory, using W2K (not sure how to configure) you could use USB-based, external modems (appx $45 per modem) connected through USB hubs (appx $50/ea).

I may be inaccurate on this, but if you wanted for example phone 4 lines with the same phone number (like most ISPs), you could get what was formerly called a "Multi-line Ring Down" (I think that is accurate). Connect that into each modem, and the next modem that gets the call would answer. These calls would be forward through the Ring-down hub, provided by your telco.

Now, the users on your ISP wouldn't have a DIRECT IP to the net, they would have to have a 10.x.x.x type IP. If they wanted to say host a game of Age of Empires, they would have to use YOUR internet IP address. Just be sure to have that 10.x.x.x to a DMZ, or forward the port that the game uses to that IP address.

As far as e-mail, and news - it could be set up just as simply, but it is (like it or not) more complex. I'd just stick to web-only access if I were you.

Again, some of this is theory, and could possibly not work.

[ 03-08-2001: Message edited by: Alien ]

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:19 pm
by Brent
Alien I'm pretty sure he was talking about starting an ISP as he said in his post ;)

If he wanted to ask how to setup RAS or something he would have just said it like "how do i setup a server so i can remotely get access through the web or dial in"

There is a big difference between setting up a RAS server and setting up to be an ISP

[ 03-08-2001: Message edited by: Brent ]

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:25 pm
by Alien
Brent, perhaps he's not educated in that area, and the best way he could describe it was by saying "ISP".

I've found that simply ANSWERING the question, instead of debating about what he meant is the best way to help people.

If he wants to clarify what he meant, then he as the guest here will. He's looking for information, not a debate.

So, let's end the petty arguing here and help the kind man *together*, using the knowledge we have.

[ 03-08-2001: Message edited by: Alien ]

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:35 pm
by g-c0de
well im looking for directions, and how to start a server, so people can dial up to me so that they can have an internet connection, and is it possible to do that with a cable modem? and how? if not its all good

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 6:40 pm
by Alien
Yes, it is possible.

I think the fastest way to get going to what you're wanting to do is to familiarize yourself with Linux or W2K. A buddy of mine uses remote access using W2K and the 1 modem that's in it.

We even use his computer to play Age of Empires on Monday nights. We have a buddy of ours that doesn't have an ISP, so he set the server up for him to use. He also will call my friend to see if it's okay for him to call in and browse the web. So, for simple things like that, it's easily done enough. =)

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2001 9:29 pm
by glc1
Originally posted by G-C0DE:
well im looking for directions, and how to start a server, so people can dial up to me so that they can have an internet connection, and is it possible to do that with a cable modem? and how? if not its all good
I'm sure this isn't legal according to the AUP.

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 12:22 am
by g-c0de
hey alien thanks for the information, can you tell me the tools i need, and how to set it up step by step, i know step by step it will take long, or do you know a site that teaches you how to do it with a cable modem?, email me at igc0dei@hotmail.com, thanks again

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 12:24 am
by g-c0de
yeah i want to make a dial up server, using my cable modem, so my friend or friends can dial up to me, instead of using aol or something, oh yeah and i have windows 2000, and a couple of others os's, now what do i do from here?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 5:56 am
by Alien
Sorry G, I'm not edgumuckated on how to do it exactly. I hope you find somebody more knowledgeable than myself.

Perhaps somebody here would be more familiar and actually tell you how to do it, instead of telling you why you shouldn't.

Oh, and as mentioned before by others - don't SELL the access, that's breach of contract with your ISP. Letting them just sign on as a remote access server is fine. Your contract may be different, so please read it.

Mine says distributing Net access in order to gain profit is reason for immediate termination. So, if I didn't sell it to anybody it'd be okay. =)

G'luck!

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 6:41 am
by Kip Patterson
Alien's suppestion might have worked 5 years ago, but today a V.90 modem requires a T-1 connection at the ISP's end.

Whether for free or for a fee, you cannot share your cable modem with others.

Kip Patterson

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 2:47 pm
by g-c0de
what i want is , people to dial up to me so they can browse the web, just as alian said, anyway my classmate is going to show me how to do that =) thanks to the people that atleast tried to help me

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 5:24 pm
by Alien
My upstream on my cable modem is about 40 K/sec. If I have 2 people dialing in using 5.5 K/sec of that (56k modem), then I have a spare 29 K/sec outgoing.

Sure, a T-1 minimum line might be useful for 100 simultanous users online, ALL sending things upstream and not downloading anything. However, most people DOWNLOAD, not UPLOAD while browsing the web. For what he's wanting to do however, appx 40 K/sec upstream, and appx 250 K/sec downstream would be WAY more than enough to compliment those using his server(s). I'm not sure why a T-1 line would be REQUIRED for a simple 5.5 K/sec modem. Why use a nuke just to kill a small colony of ants?

Further, G, you might try a Cyclades ( www.cyclades.com if I remember ) multi-port serial adapter as well. It would work just like the USB hub, but for a serial port instead. You can get some external modems that use serial ports instead of USB.

Besides, letting your friends use you as an ISP might be breach of contract ... but who'se to say you can't let them sign on just for fun - who'se gunna know? =) If they sue ya, who cares? Can't get money out of somebody who doesn't have any.

Go to jail for it? Okay, that's free food, free education, free overhead, and plenty of time to get back into shape too. Then you're out a month later.

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2001 10:09 pm
by Kip Patterson
Two V.90 modems will not talk to each other. A V.90 modem only talks to a special modem that transmits (downstream) over a DS-0 digital channel.

All he can hope to do is 33.6 with old v34 modems.

Kip Patterson

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2001 9:33 pm
by tomsykes
1) You wouldn't run an ISP with a cable modem. They dont carry any SLAs (Service Level Agreements) at all.

2) To start a basic dial up ISP you could get away with:

1 x ISDN PRI - (for you USA folks, this will provide 23 dialin lines, for Australia/Europe it'll provide 30). Each channel in this will allow you to accept 56k PSTN or 64k ISDN calls.

1 x Acess Server. I would recommend the Cisco 3640 for an ISP of this magnitude. This box will require at least 3 cards: 1 x ISDN PRI card, 1 x 24 port digital modem module and either an ethernet or fast ethernet card.

You will also need some sort of gateway to the internet - which can be the abovementioned 3640 or another router. A 2611 or 2621 would be a good choice with reasonably scalability.

You will then need a few servers: namely, Authentication, DNS, Mail, WWW/FTP, News, Games, etc.

This list doesn't take into account redundant (backup) servers incase the primary fails. You *NEED* backup RADIUS (authentication) servers.

Put all this in a rack and you have a (very) basic dialup ISP. People dont start cable/adsl ISP's from their basement however.

Regards
Tom Sykes
RequestDSL, Australia
tsykes@requestdsl.com.au

[ 03-16-2001: Message edited by: tomsykes ]

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:23 am
by g-c0de
well i meant dial up isp from their baswment, and i just wanted to know if you can start a small one say 3 users can dial up to you and use your internet connection, when you have a cable modem

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:28 am
by g-c0de
ok my friend is being selfish with his knowledge, i need help setting up a server so people can dial up into your own private network, so they can use your internet connection, i have win2k advanced server, and the help files in windows dont help me very much, can anyone tell me some instruction, like swhere do i go from the windows desktop, until i get the server running??

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:38 am
by g-c0de
ok my equipment that i have, which i think i need, is 1 56k internal winmodem, and 1 cable modem, all i want is like 2 people dialing up to me

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:38 am
by tomsykes
Install however many modems you want into Win2k - I dont know of the exact steps to do this. There should be (under Administrative Tools) something called Routing and Remote Access.

The point and click interface is fairly straight forward.

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:40 am
by g-c0de
yeah i did all the steps, which was really straight forward

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 3:45 am
by g-c0de
ok i did the routing and remote access setup with my 1 56k winmodem and my 1 nic, which is using my cable modem, if im doing it wrong stop me and tell me how to do it right, if im doing it right tell me what i should do next

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 5:01 am
by tomsykes
set the user account to have dial in access
under users

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2001 5:41 am
by tomsykes
Sorry dude...thats about all I know with windows stuff.... I design ISP's with cisco gear... not NT boxes :)

Cheers
TS

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2001 12:42 am
by g-c0de
ok , so i just add users to dial up, am i done?, so when people dial up to me by dialing my home phone number, while the server is running, they will get access to the internet, and like browse?