[ale] Question about cable modem connections

[Jim Lynch]

Jim Lynch wrote:
> I'm about to set out on a project that's bound to be hazardous to my 
> marriage and maybe my health.  I'm sending my wife to her mother's house 
> (who is 91) with a laptop running Xubuntu.  When she gets there, she'll 
> order internet service from the local cable provider.  While I have no 
> hope that the installer will even know what Linux is, I'm hoping it will 
> be plug and play. 
>
> My question is, do cable modems work like DSL modems in that they have a 
> DHCP server built in so all you have to do is plug a computer that works 
> with a DHCP enabled router?  Or do you have to do some manual configuration?
>
>   
I had hoped this would be a simple installation.  Guess I'd better see 
if I can get IE to run under wine for her.  This old box can't run 
anything newer than Win98 and there's no way I'd open a Win98 system to 
the internet today. 

Another question.  If I go buy a cable modem can I test to see if it 
will respond to firefox without being connected to the cable?  Maybe 
that's a solution.

Thanks,
Jim.