# Two DSL questions

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-dsl-questions/202702
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 19, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-dsl-questions/202702 "2003-09-19T23:04:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-dsl-questions/202702/1 "2003-09-19T23:04:06Z")

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I’ve had DSL for a couple of months now and I have 2 questions that have to do with my IP address.

When I do an IPCONFIG/ALL, I see that my address is 10.0.0.something. I understand that this means that I have a private address and must be behind some sort of NAT device from my ISP.

1. Do I still need a firewall? I’m running Zone Alarm but I wonder if it’s really necessary. It tends to interfere when I connect to my company’s VPN.

2. Will I be able to use wireless router with a private address so that I can run my laptop in my bedroom. My modem is in the living room.

Any answers or suggestions (hardware included) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kevin

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### Author: ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-dsl-questions/202702/2 "2003-09-20T00:47:13Z")

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1. Probably not, but we’d need to know what kind of hardware you have to be certain.

2. Yes, but if your modem is one of those “modem\router” thingies, you _might_ have to put the wireless bit on a different subnet to play nice with the modem\router. This will have sharing stuff on your home network a bit difficult. This is why we need to know what kind of hardware you’ve got. Let us know.

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### Author: ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-dsl-questions/202702/3 "2003-09-20T01:13:02Z")

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**Rex Fenestrarum** , my modem is a Westell WireSpeed B90 “DSL Modem”. That’s about all that it says. (Descriptive, huh?) It’s the one that the phone company gave me when they installed the DSL so I doubt that it’s anything more than a barebones modem. My desktop is an older Compaq computer running XP Pro. The network card is a Compaq NC3161. My laptop is a Dell running 2000 with a 3com 10/100 mini PCI Ethernet Adapter. (I think that the NICs are TMI, but just in case.)

Anything else?

Thanks,  
Kevin