Any good sites to help with Networking 3 computers?
#1
Any good sites to help with Networking 3 computers?
Hi! We are planning on networking our 3 home computers together after Chirstmas. One is a gateway Win 98 , one an e-machine Win 98, and the new one will be a e-machine Win EX. We have an DSL connection.
I'm wondering if anyone has a good site that I can read since I know nothing about networking. I have called myself looking around this site, but have found nothing yet. I understand that I will need network cards, compatable cable, and a router... but it all seems like greek to me.
I know that if I can get my hands on a good web page that explains it all I can get this job done.
Thanks for any and all help.
~Pigfanatic
I'm wondering if anyone has a good site that I can read since I know nothing about networking. I have called myself looking around this site, but have found nothing yet. I understand that I will need network cards, compatable cable, and a router... but it all seems like greek to me.
I know that if I can get my hands on a good web page that explains it all I can get this job done.
Thanks for any and all help.
~Pigfanatic
#4
networking - Thanks!
thanks for the links.... will check them out today. I was wondering one thing.... when I went to my DSL providers home page and clicked on the help button and typed in networking it led me to a page that said I could only network if I was a business customer, I'm not. Does this mean that it can't be done, or that they would rather we didn't???
#5
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www.pcnineone.com It doesn't get any better..........The forum has activity 24 hours a day. You'll find information pertaining to all areas of computers on the site and you can post in the forum. My suggestion is to read up and then post specifics as once you get a thread going in a direction, the monitors will stay with you as you need help...
#6
It probably means they would rather you didn't. Here where I work, (dsl technician) we are not to help any customer who refuses to disconnect their netnwork, or dsl router. I can't tell you how many times I have spent on the phone troubleshooting a connection, only to find out the customer is using a router that has a bad port on it, or is not configured properly. Now days the first words out of my mouth our, "does the customer have a router?" if the answer is yes I tell them to call back when they have it disconnected and hang up. Ok, maybe not that harsh, but pretty close.
Linksys makes a pretty good 4 port dsl router that is extremely easy to connect and configure. the newest one even allows you to give it the mac address of what ever nic the isp asks for when building your account.
For 3 machines you will need 3 NIC's, cat 5 cable (most pc stores can cut and make the sizes you need. one hub or dslrouter. If for some reason you are unable to use the dsl router the other choice would be to take the smallest machine and set up with a second NIC (total of 4 now) a hub and make it an internet server. More difficult but just as effective and no network work around for dsl isp's.
Brian
Linksys makes a pretty good 4 port dsl router that is extremely easy to connect and configure. the newest one even allows you to give it the mac address of what ever nic the isp asks for when building your account.
For 3 machines you will need 3 NIC's, cat 5 cable (most pc stores can cut and make the sizes you need. one hub or dslrouter. If for some reason you are unable to use the dsl router the other choice would be to take the smallest machine and set up with a second NIC (total of 4 now) a hub and make it an internet server. More difficult but just as effective and no network work around for dsl isp's.
Brian
#7
networking
checked the pc911 site and found a great printable article that really helped. Showed it to hubby last night and he thinks that we should be able to connect the two computers downstairs with the one upstairs (that has the DSL modem) using only telephone wire. The article I found, and everything said here makes me believe that you must run the cat 5 cable from the hub or router to the other computers... right?
I also have three other questions
*should we go with the hub or the router? Or is there any difference? We have DSL and will have to configure proxy software since we cannot get an individual IP address.
*The main computer has Win98, as does one of the others. The new computer will be using Windows XP, is this going to be a problem?
*I was told to quote "Make sure the computers have open PCI slots, older ones may have ISA slots" --- HUH?? I must be a total dunce, how can I tell the difference?
Thanks again for all the wonderful help!
I also have three other questions
*should we go with the hub or the router? Or is there any difference? We have DSL and will have to configure proxy software since we cannot get an individual IP address.
*The main computer has Win98, as does one of the others. The new computer will be using Windows XP, is this going to be a problem?
*I was told to quote "Make sure the computers have open PCI slots, older ones may have ISA slots" --- HUH?? I must be a total dunce, how can I tell the difference?
Thanks again for all the wonderful help!
#8
Telephone wire no will work. If you wish to "network" you must use cat 5, (in some cases you can use cat3, but will not save enough to justify it). For more then 2 pc's you must have a router or hub. If you go router get the dsl router, if you wish to use the pc already connected to dsl as the center of your network, then you need a hub, 4 port will work fine. you will also need 3 nic's: 10baseT or 100baseT (10Mb or 100Mb transfer). The Dsl pc if is using a usb or seriel modem will need to use internet sharing so the other two pc's can use the dsl connection.
The Dsl pc would then be your server, allowing the other 2 pc's to access the internet. If you use a nic to dsl modem set up you can network the other nic's to use the dsl nic instead of internet sharing and get better speed. this is the more complicated route.
Brian
p.s. look at these sites for more info with pictures.
http://www.homenethelp.com/connection-sharing.asp
http://compnetworking.about.com/libr.../aa121700a.htm
http://www.speedguide.net/editorials/easy_lan.shtml
http://www.netsimple.co.uk/users/mer...ToSetUpLAN.htm
http://chronator.ch/ngg/inside/howto/homelan/
that should give you something to gnaw on for a while.
Brian
Have not used XP yet, but from what I understand its cake to set up networking on it. ISA network cards may be difficult to find. 98% of ethernet cards are PCI, can still get token ring cards for ISA, but then you only have a speed of 4Mb between machines. If you pc's are over 3 years old you may have a shortage of PCI, but now days its harder to find a mobo with an ISA slot then anything.
The Dsl pc would then be your server, allowing the other 2 pc's to access the internet. If you use a nic to dsl modem set up you can network the other nic's to use the dsl nic instead of internet sharing and get better speed. this is the more complicated route.
Brian
p.s. look at these sites for more info with pictures.
http://www.homenethelp.com/connection-sharing.asp
http://compnetworking.about.com/libr.../aa121700a.htm
http://www.speedguide.net/editorials/easy_lan.shtml
http://www.netsimple.co.uk/users/mer...ToSetUpLAN.htm
http://chronator.ch/ngg/inside/howto/homelan/
that should give you something to gnaw on for a while.
Brian
Have not used XP yet, but from what I understand its cake to set up networking on it. ISA network cards may be difficult to find. 98% of ethernet cards are PCI, can still get token ring cards for ISA, but then you only have a speed of 4Mb between machines. If you pc's are over 3 years old you may have a shortage of PCI, but now days its harder to find a mobo with an ISA slot then anything.
Last edited by BSB; 12-20-01 at 02:13 PM.
#9
You will need a router.
You have one "account" with the ISP. That is, the ISP only wants to see one IP address at a time from you. It will not accept more. The ISP's solution will be for you to contract for more account$.
What the router does (and a hub cannot do) is to intercept signals from each computer on your network, substitute its IP address and MAC for that of the requesting computer, send the request to the ISP, and when a response is received from the ISP, return the response to the original requesting computer. So no matter how many computers are on the network, the ISP only sees the router.
You have one "account" with the ISP. That is, the ISP only wants to see one IP address at a time from you. It will not accept more. The ISP's solution will be for you to contract for more account$.
What the router does (and a hub cannot do) is to intercept signals from each computer on your network, substitute its IP address and MAC for that of the requesting computer, send the request to the ISP, and when a response is received from the ISP, return the response to the original requesting computer. So no matter how many computers are on the network, the ISP only sees the router.
#10
need help
We picked up a DSLRouter (Netgear Websafe router) today, 3 10/100 cards and cable. Looking at it now we are wondering how to connect out internal modem to the router. Our phone line runs from the wall jack into the modem..... now what??
#11
What I meant to say is that our phone line runs from the wall jack into the internal modem, there is no out-put jack on the modem..... Is there anyway to work around this or are we going to have to go to an external modem? If so, what kind would be best without laying out tons of money?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#12
[blue]This is my router connection!! I'm on cable though. I'd think that there is a way to go from your pc to the other two. Not sure though. Have you researched wireless networking? Prices are really coming down.
#13
If it's an internal DSL modem, you just need to set up the router
as a hub, and use ICS on the computer with the DSL modem.
(It will have to be on if you want to do internet on other machines). You can also exchange the router in for a hub.
You can also beg for an external DSL modem from your DSL provider.
as a hub, and use ICS on the computer with the DSL modem.
(It will have to be on if you want to do internet on other machines). You can also exchange the router in for a hub.
You can also beg for an external DSL modem from your DSL provider.
#14
.... I have checked with our DSL provider, the only way they will send us an external modem is if we cough up $160.00 for a alcatel ethernet modem.
I have been looking at modems on ebay. I found out that I need a modem that we work with the service my provider has. I have done some checking and have found that we have Point to Point (PPP) service, and that our IP address changes.
Now I have to find out which external modem will work with what we have.... Any ideas? Is there a list somewhere that tells a person what is out there?
Thanks for any help.
~ Pigfanatic
I have been looking at modems on ebay. I found out that I need a modem that we work with the service my provider has. I have done some checking and have found that we have Point to Point (PPP) service, and that our IP address changes.
Now I have to find out which external modem will work with what we have.... Any ideas? Is there a list somewhere that tells a person what is out there?
Thanks for any help.
~ Pigfanatic
#15
Goto Alcatel's website and your DSL provider, and get specs on
the sort of DSL modem you need.
the sort of DSL modem you need.