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Sharing Internet Connections with AOL
Is it possible?
Buried deep in the
documentation for AOL 6.0 are references to home networking. Apparently,
AOL has some plans to let multiple screen names to be signed on AOL at the
same time. This will be done through a special AOL ‘proxy’ and a single 'master login account'.
This proxy will run a computer with a modem or broadband connection and will
dial AOL whenever anyone on your home network wants to access
AOL. Sounds great doesn’t it! Unfortunately AOL does not have this
feature implemented. According to a tech there, they plan to start beta
testing around June or July. I don’t know if we will ever see
this feature at this point!
Note: No matter how you connect
to AOL, they will currently only allow one instance of one screen name per account
to be signed on at a time.
Other Options:
If you use your AOL account mostly for surfing the
internet, but still enjoy some of AOL’s content, I might have a solution
for you. It will cost you more money than you are paying now, but your
access will be faster then you ever thought possible.
Right now you probably connect
to AOL with a 56k modem, but that is not the only way you can connect. AOL
has a ‘bring your own connection’ option that costs much less. The ‘bring
your own connection’ option allows you to connect to AOL over the internet
through another connection method other than your 56k modem.
With the ‘bring your own access’ option, you could
get a Cable Modem or DSL modem and connect to AOL over the Internet. All
the computers in your house could connect to the internet to browse the
web, but only one can connect to AOL at a time.
I suggest getting a ‘ broadband
router ’ to separate
your home network from the internet and to share your internet connection.
Software also exists to share your cable modem or DSL modem, but AOL
support is always questionable. The best part of this solution is that it does not
use your phone line! All of your computers can be on the internet (one on
AOL) and your phone line will still be free.
Cost of this solution:
$99 for a broadband router
$25 per computer for network cards and cables
$40 per month for Cable Modem or DSL connection
$10 per month for AOL’s Bring your own connection
As you can see this solution is not cheep, but it
will give you the best and safest access to AOL and the internet!
NOTES ON AOL-DSL PLUS
It is my understanding that AOL implemented a
custom form of PPPoE for it's DSL connections to keep them from
being shared with a broadband router. You can NOT share
AOL-DSL plus with a router. You CAN share it with connection sharing
software | 
Share AOL
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