Sharing a DSL connection with a USB modem

[cameronj]

OK a friend has a DSL setup with AOL (dont ask) but the modem is a USB one. I have plenty of routers lying around (again, dont ask) and was going to try to help him out, then i realized that there was basically no way that I knew of to do it with USB. Plus I dont think the AOL DSL woudl work the same way as my PPPoE DSL works with my router anyway.

My idea is that maybe I can pop a network card into the AOL PC and plug that directly into the WAN hookup of the router, and hook the 2nd computer into the router. Would ICS work for this kind of a setup or what? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Cameron

[Greenstead]

From what I have heard AOL have put something in their service which prevents use of any router other than one provided by AOL. I can't confirm this - I suggest your friend call AOL and ask them the question before you bother using one of your routers.

[cameronj]

Hmmm.. I'd be surprised if that was technically possible. After all, what I'd (hope to) be doing is just routing some more traffic through the AOL computer's connection - to AOL it would seem like the AOL computer was sending the requests. You know that the standard line from the ISP is going to be that they don't support a router anyway... Anybody else have a clue if that's the case?

[Greenstead]

My 'hearsay' comes from here:
Homenethelp is a reputable home networking website. (Of course it is possible their info is out of date).
http://www.homenethelp.com/sharing/dsl.asp
Quote
"Sharing the connection
AOL-DSL
Sharing All DSL services are easily shared with software or hardware EXCEPT AOL-DSL. AOL decided to implement a custom version of PPPoE that broadband routers do not work with."

Also:
I have seen on the DSLreports AOL forum a user with a software solution.
See here:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,4790987~root=aolplus~mode=flat
He has implemented this to avoid "their proprietary hardware".

Let us know what you discover please.

[Dangertux]

Ok have never actually tried this but in theory this set-up should work.

If you set up the machine with the USB modem, to connect to AOL, you stick a NIC in that machine. Picture this one computer as an entire ISP. Connect to AOL (This computer will be used to connect to AOL, and this client will use the proprietary protocol to connect.
Secondly you will run a crossover cable to the other comp's nic.
Then you should run a proxy server on the AOL machine, I recommend AnalogX Proxy (www.analogx.com) or Wingate (www.deerfield.com). Next on the client machine under internet explorer Tools>Internet Options [Connections] Set up a LAN Connection to use proxy input the IP addy of the AOL machine, should be static. Then put in the ports for AnalogX its 6588 for WWW and WWWS. As long as the AOL box is connected to AOL this comp will have internet browsing. Can not open AOL as only one account can log on at a time.

The router can be used instead of a network cable between the two but do not plug into WAN

If you wanna plug into WAN , set up router to get DYNAMIC IP then run DHCP server on AOL box with it having a static IP, set router to something different IP and clone the mac address of the client NIC on to it.

The first method I know works the second I have not tested and sounds extremely ambigous.