I went to connect a new customer to broadband.

He got a bigpond 2wire adsl modem, so I set out to do the usual: ignore the bigpond CD, and connect to the modem directly (and usually save a lot of time clicking through menus).

Once into the modem setup menu, I enter the correct email/username, password, and then save, and try to connect… but it doesn’t connect.

I call bigpond tech support, and I’m told to hold down the reset button for 1 minute (I would have thought 10 seconds is the standard “reset to factory defaults” time… oh well, do as I’m told.

I then have to change the atm encapsulation setting to “routed LLC”

After that (and re-entering the username/password), the internet is up and running.

Its not often that the default modem settings need to be changed in order to get an internet connection…

I hate having to use the installation CD, but if ISPs decide to ship modems that won’t work with the factory default settings, then future internet setups are going to start taking a little longer.