The Motorola 2210 supplied by BellSouth is also a router. This eliminates the need for another external router in order to network your computers. Using a hub or switch with the 2210 enables an inexpensive way to share your connection that is easy to set up and very reliable.

This FAQ provide generalized information about setting up a BellSouth configured 2210 with most of the popular hubs or switches available today.

Section 1 - General Information
Most people recommend a switch because they are about the same price and are more efficient than hubs because they eliminate packet collisions. Please reference this FAQ for guidelines on which is right for your needs.
A benefit of using a hub or switch (instead of an additional router) is the ability to still access the modem interface through a browser.
Must new hubs and switches are auto-sensing and do not use a dedicated Uplink port. Simply plug the cable into any port and the equipment will sense that it as an uplink.
Some Hubs and switches require a crossover cable between the 2210 and the Uplink port.
All PC NICs should all be set to "Obtain IP Address Automatically" and no proxy server should be set. Please reference this FAQ. Any changes to the NIC properties may require you to reboot the computer.
The BellSouth Installation CD and Connection Manager are not required to use this configuration.
You must press the reset button while powered on to put the modem back to factory default before proceeding.

Section 2 - Physical Connections & Configuration
Step 1
Verify that your NIC card(s) is set to "Obtain IP Address Automatically". Power off the 2210, hub or switch, and all PCs. Physically connect the 2210, the hub or switch, and any computer(s) as shown. Note: Some hubs and switches may require a crossover cable instead of a standard cat5 wire between the LAN port on the 2210 and the Uplink port of the hub or switch. If your hub or switch is auto-sensing simply plug the cable into any port. A Wireless Access Point (WAP) can also be connected in conjunction with the hub or switch to provide wired and wireless networking as shown in second picture below.

Pictures by Andy Houtz
Step 2
Power up the 2210, the hub or switch, and all PCs. Open a browser session and enter "192.168.1.254" in the address field. If you are unable to access the interface check the NIC properties as mentioned earlier.

Step 3
Enter your BellSouth Username followed by "@bellsouth.net" in the User ID field. Enter your BellSouth Password in the Password field. Re-enter your BellSouth Password in the Confirm Password field. Click on Next. Update the Auto Calender Update Configuration as desired and click Next. The modem will try to initiate a session and then return to the main menu. You're done!

Additional Recommendations
By default the 2210 modem is set to "Connect on demand" and will disconnect after a certain period of inactivity. Many people change their modem connection to "Always On" to disable any timeouts and force the modem to establish a new PPP session if the connection goes down for any reason.

Cool Stuff
An online, html-based menu simulator program is available here. The simulator recreates the Motorola 2210 user interface and provides the ability to navigate menus; just like the real modem interface. It is for simulation purposes only and will not make any changes to your actual modem.

Andy Houtz