Accessing 2 ISPs through 1 modem/router?

[yelpir]

Hi

I currently have 3 computers on my home LAN connected via a D-Link DSL-2750U to Telkom Internet. One of the computers uses Windows 7 while the other two use Windows XP. I recently signed up for an account with VOX telecom as well. Now I need to find a way to access my VOX telecom account from one or more of the computers on my network. I am a complete tyro when it comes to networking so I need a solution that an idiot can implement

Only I use the 3 computers. Each has a different purpose (gaming, music and other). They all link via Ethernet (though I do have a SMART TV that links wirelessly).

I have read many, many posts and articles relating to similar set-ups but, so far, none has given me a solution that I can understand.

First prize, I think would be to have Telkom as the default ISP programmed into the modem and to be able to access VOX telecom from one or more of the computers in the network when required.
Second prize would be some simple way to reprogram the modem from one ISP to the other so that only one ISP can be accessed at a time.

I have read that it is possible to use something called PPPoE to 'dial up' a connection to a second ISP from one of the computers on the LAN using something called 'half bridging' on the modem but so far I have not found out how to do any of that, at least not anything that I can understand .

Would some kind soul please take pity on me and explain, in simple language, how I might go about setting up such a connection?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Chevron]

Set the router to half bridged mode.

 

[furpile]

I have a similar setup at home. Have a capped account set up on the router. PC, Xbox and phones connect to this account by default. On the PC, you can start a new connection from the Networking centre (I use Win7). Click "Set up new connection", choose "Connect to internet" and enter your VOX account details (also have it remember the password). Then it should dial the account through the modem and the PC will use your VOX account while everything else on the router still uses the capped account.

I didn't do this while I had my D-link modem, but the Netgear one I have now worked on default settings. If the D-link doesn't work, set it to half bridge mode like Chevron mentions. Then you can dial another connection from the PC.

What is nice about this setup is that you can add multiple accounts on your PC (1GB trial accounts), so it is real easy to connect a different account to test your line when you have problems. In the bottom right of the taskbar you click on the network icon, then it brings up a list of all your accounts and you can then just click on the one you want and click connect. I also use the free version of Pingplotter to check that the traffic is going over the correct network after switching.

 

[yelpir]

Thanks so much for your answers. Greatly appreciated

I am going to try setting up a pppoe connection on one of my XP computers as per furpile's instructions and see if I can get that to work without the half bridge setting on the modem. If I can't get that to work, I will cross my fingers and see if I can figure out how to set the modem to half bridge mode.

I will also see if I can find and install Pingplotter.

Update: Setting up the pppoe connection was a lot easier than I expected. There was a brief hiccup when I tried to connect in that I got a message saying that I did not have permission to access the VOX server. I phone their help desk and while we were talking, the connection icon popped up in the task bar and the help desk person said that I was connected. No half bridge required