Peer to peer network plus broadband

Existing network here has a hub and three PCs sharing files and a couple
of printers (on separate PCs).

Wish to continue these facilities when broadband arrives (soon), but
have not given it much thought, leading to incipient panic.

Looks as though broadband configuration will be based on a router/modem
with four ports, connecting to network cards on the PCs. Our current
requirements centre on improved web browsing and the occasional megabyte
or so of downloads. The rest can wait.

Much of the information I've found on the web includes a variety of
possible configurations, none of them so far dealing with broadband
access merging with file and printer sharing.

Is it straightforward? Another network card all round and keep using the
hub? Sounds too simple to be believable.

Pointers to relevant info would be appreciated.
--
Michael J Kingston - Researching Family History
News of surname DIGWEED always welcomed
< Remove my initials from the "To:" address field when replying >

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 19:47:12 +0000, Mike Kingston
<(E-Mail Removed)> strung together this:

>Is it straightforward? Another network card all round and keep using the
>hub? Sounds too simple to be believable.
>
Nope, simpler than that. Connect a patch lead between the router and
hub and away you go. The existing PCs will access the t'internet via
the existing network.
There is the issue of IP addresses but as you've already got a network
I assume have some understanding of how to set this up?
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mike Kingston <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Existing network here has a hub and three PCs sharing files and a
> couple of printers (on separate PCs).
>
> Wish to continue these facilities when broadband arrives (soon), but
> have not given it much thought, leading to incipient panic.
>
> Looks as though broadband configuration will be based on a
> router/modem with four ports, connecting to network cards on the PCs.
> Our current requirements centre on improved web browsing and the
> occasional megabyte or so of downloads. The rest can wait.
>
> Much of the information I've found on the web includes a variety of
> possible configurations, none of them so far dealing with broadband
> access merging with file and printer sharing.
>
> Is it straightforward? Another network card all round and keep using
> the hub? Sounds too simple to be believable.
>
> Pointers to relevant info would be appreciated.

I'm slightly confused as to whether you 3 PCs or 5 - depending in whether
the printers are on additional PCs not used for applications/sharing files.

Assuming there are 3 PC's, you can throw away your hub! A 4-port ADSL
modem/router will also act as your hub. In other words, when you unplug the
ADSL connection, it will behave exactly like your existing setup. Plug in
ADSL, and you then have a connection which will be shared by all your PCs.

You will, of course, have to tell the PCs to get their browsing and emails
from the LAN (rather than a dial-up connection if you have one at present).
You will also have to decide how you want to handle IP addresses for the
network cards in your PCs - presumably you are using fixed IP's at present?
You can carry on doing that. You just need to give the router an IP address
and subnet mask in the same range, and set the gateway address on each PC to
point at the router. The alternative is to tell each PC to obtain an IP
address automatically, and use the router's DHCP capability to provide this.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Lurch
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 19:47:12 +0000, Mike Kingston
><(E-Mail Removed)> strung together this:
>
>>Is it straightforward? Another network card all round and keep using the
>>hub? Sounds too simple to be believable.
>>
>Nope, simpler than that. Connect a patch lead between the router and
>hub and away you go. The existing PCs will access the t'internet via
>the existing network.
>There is the issue of IP addresses but as you've already got a network
>I assume have some understanding of how to set this up?

Thanks. Prompt and helpful response much appreciated. Better get a
switch to replace the hub, I guess.
--
Michael J Kingston - Researching Family History
News of surname DIGWEED always welcomed
< Remove my initials from the "To:" address field when replying >

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Tiscali Tim
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>Mike Kingston <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Existing network here has a hub and three PCs sharing files and a
>> couple of printers (on separate PCs).
>>
<snip>
>
>I'm slightly confused as to whether you 3 PCs or 5 - depending in whether
>the printers are on additional PCs not used for applications/sharing files.
>
>Assuming there are 3 PC's, you can throw away your hub! A 4-port ADSL
>modem/router will also act as your hub. In other words, when you unplug the
>ADSL connection, it will behave exactly like your existing setup. Plug in
>ADSL, and you then have a connection which will be shared by all your PCs.
>
>You will, of course, have to tell the PCs to get their browsing and emails
>from the LAN (rather than a dial-up connection if you have one at present).
>You will also have to decide how you want to handle IP addresses for the
>network cards in your PCs - presumably you are using fixed IP's at present?
>You can carry on doing that. You just need to give the router an IP address
>and subnet mask in the same range, and set the gateway address on each PC to
>point at the router. The alternative is to tell each PC to obtain an IP
>address automatically, and use the router's DHCP capability to provide this.

I see the ambiguity there. It's 3 PCs, two of which have a printer.

My anxieties much reduced. I'll proceed to order kit with greater
confidence.

Many thanks.

--
Michael J Kingston - Researching Family History
News of surname DIGWEED always welcomed
< Remove my initials from the "To:" address field when replying >

Mike Kingston wrote:
> In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Lurch
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 19:47:12 +0000, Mike Kingston
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> strung together this:
>>
>>> Is it straightforward? Another network card all round and keep
>>> using the hub? Sounds too simple to be believable.
>>>
>> Nope, simpler than that. Connect a patch lead between the router
>> and hub and away you go. The existing PCs will access the
>> t'internet via the existing network.
>> There is the issue of IP addresses but as you've already got a
>> network I assume have some understanding of how to set this up?
>
> Thanks. Prompt and helpful response much appreciated. Better get a
> switch to replace the hub, I guess.

No need; just connect the router to your existing hub and reboot the PC's.
They will pick up their IP addresses from the router and all will be well.
The difference between a switch and a hub isn't really relevant in this
case.

Ivor