AOL DSL PPPOE in OS X without AOL software

[cardsdoc]

I will be setting up a new iMac for my father soon. He currently has AOL DSL service which typically requires AOL software to connect. Can anyone confirm that I can set up a regular PPPOE connection (what AOL DSL uses) using his AOL username and password in OS X and avoid using AOL's software? My google searches have not confirmed this to work although I've seen references to setting up an airport extreme to do this. Thanks.

 

[Blubbert]

I will be setting up a new iMac for my father soon. He currently has AOL DSL service which typically requires AOL software to connect. Can anyone confirm that I can set up a regular PPPOE connection (what AOL DSL uses) using his AOL username and password in OS X and avoid using AOL's software? My google searches have not confirmed this to work although I've seen references to setting up an airport extreme to do this. Thanks.

If he has a modem/router combo, you can probably enter all the PPPoE information in there. That way, he wont have to connect or disconnect. It will all be handled by the router/modem.

As far as using the mac to connect, there is a PPPoE tab in the Network pane of System preferences. I am assuming that you can enter the info here and it should work.

 

[cardsdoc]

If he has a modem/router combo, you can probably enter all the PPPoE information in there. That way, he wont have to connect or disconnect. It will all be handled by the router/modem.

As far as using the mac to connect, there is a PPPoE tab in the Network pane of System preferences. I am assuming that you can enter the info here and it should work.

He doesn't have a router - it's just a DSL modem. I'm assuming it will work with the standard PPPoE setup as well but I was curious if anyone has actually done it. When AOL first started the service I believe it was proprietary and you had to use the crappy AOL software or routers that specifically had support for it. I think at some point they standardized it but I'm not 100% sure.