Re: Set up a home network with respect to joining Pipex

Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Hi there. I have been lurking in this group for a while, and have seen
> the many numerous references to adslguide. However, I still have a few
> questions as I am really very stupid.
>
> I am planning to join Pipex as a broadband supplier in a few weeks. In my
> house I have my PC, a laptop, and a Mac, which will all want connections
> to the broadband line. I am assuming it will be easiest to set up my
> computer as some sort of host once I have bought a network card. I
> currently have no network card installed.
>
> If I buy the Solo2Go package from Pipex, will they be able to install all
> three computers on a network, or will they set up a host PC, and we will
> have to make up the home network ourselves?
>
> Also, would any modem(s) installed be internal or external?
>
> Please can you reply in very basic english, as I am new to all this
> networking malarky. Thankyou very much.

Hi,
the connection you will get from pipes is wires only. This means that
all they do is supply the ADSL connection to your premises via your phone
line. You will then need to decide which equipment to use to connect your
local network to this link. You will need to build your own network, and
the solo2Go package is not ideal for this. The Solo2Go package comes with
an ADSL modem that would allow you to connect one PC directly to the
internet. This PC could be made to act as a gateway to allow all of your
networked PC's to connect, but the main PC would then need to be permenantly
turned on for the other machines to have access.

A better route would be to buy a router/modem. You would then buy the pipex
Solo package instead. You would need a network card for each of your PC's
to connect them to the router (you would be best looking for a router with
multiple ports to support this, most have 4 ports).

As one of your PC's is a laptop, you might want to consider a wireless
router, then connecting your laptop to the network by wireless allowing you
to roam aroung the house with it (ie. no wires needed for the network
connection) and connect your mac and PC directly using a standard network
card / cables.
The main advantage to using a network like this is that any machine would
then be able to access the net without the need to have a gateway PC running
at the same time. I would recommend the wireless route as your best option,
but it will cost more than using a wired network, so if price is an issue,
buy a standard router instead.
Despite all the jargon, actually getting everything working is relitively
easy, so don't be scared off by the apparent complexity of the network.

--

Martin


Martin Cooper

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Martin Cooper said

> A better route would be to buy a router/modem. You would then buy the pipex
> Solo package instead. You would need a network card for each of your PC's
> to connect them to the router (you would be best looking for a router with
> multiple ports to support this, most have 4 ports).

Thanks. I think I need to have a look at the router option, but the
laptop will be wired, as it will stay in one place whilst on the net I
think.

Thanks for your help.

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"Colin Wilson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> > > A better route would be to buy a router/modem. You would then buy the
pipex
> > > Solo package instead.
> > I suppose that <snip>
>
> I forgot to say i`d recommend a router / modem too :-) (solo2go customer
> with a USB modem that got ditched after 2 months !)
>
> --
> Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
> or you are likely to be spam filtered :-}

I am on Pipex XSolo, I got an ASUS ADSL/Modem/Router, I plugged this into my
LAN hub box and it has given access to upto 7 PCs and various laptops at
various time over wires and various stuff over wireless.

Pipex dont support networks on the Solo but hey I only bought wires only.

Do it as a proper network netgear switches or hubs are so cheap and PCI
network cards easy to install

Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

<snip>
>
> So, I sign up with Solo2Go. I receive a modem, which I plug into the
> wall, and the other end into my PC. After activation etc, etc, I have a
> fully working connection, correct?
>

Yes, that is correct for getting one PC to work with a broadband connection.
You could then use ICS under windows to allow that PC to be used as a
gateway to the internet, but the rest of your network will only then have
access when that PC is switched on.

> I hope so. Anyway. For the home network I require, presumably the only
> other piece of equipment I require is a router. The way I understand it,
> the phone line connects to the microfilter connects to the modem connects
> to the router, which then connects to the network cards of the 3
> computers, with extension wires as appropriate to reach all three floors
> of the house.
>
Basically correct, but there are several types of router. The two main
types are ADSL and standard. An ADSL router will normally have a built in
modem, so if you buy one of these the one from pipex is scrap. These
routers will normall come with either one or four ethernet ports, so if you
get one with four ports, that is all you need to connect the whole network.
The second type of router is used mostly for cable connections, but can also
be used with an appropriate modem. This is the standard router, and
contains no ADSL modem.

Now if you buy a standard router, you will need an external modem. However,
the solo2go package comes with a speedtouch 330 (see
http://www.dslsource.co.uk/product_d...p?idProduct=38 for more info)
which is a USB modem. Standard routers only have ethernet ports, so the
modem you have will not work with a standard router.
So either you have to buy a router with a built in modem, or you have to buy
the vigour 2200 USB (which will work with the speedtouch 330, see
http://www.seg.co.uk/products/a_vigor2200usb.html for more info). However,
this router is 119, which is not cheap. You could buy a dabs value four
port router for only 50.50 (see
http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-se...rice&stab=ref).

So in this example, you try to save money by buying a router to work with
the free modem, and it ends up costing you far more than an integrated
router, plus it is not as neat and tidy.

>
> I hope I have understood this correctly, as I have also been hearing fron
> people who have broadband already about things called hubs and switches.
> Do I need to buy these as well?
>

A hub is just a box with a number of ethernet sockets and some electronics
in it that allows you to connect together everal PC's via ethernet. It
works by echoing all data recieved onto all connected ethernet cables, so
that every PC see's the data from every other PC.

A switch is an intelligent hub that serves the same basic purpose, but it
keeps a list of which PC's are on which port. It then only sends data down
the ports that have PC's requiring that data. So in this way, it cuts down
network traffic.

If you buy a 4 port router, you will only need a hub or a switch when you
want to connect together more than 4 PC's.

> If so/If not, how much am I going to be looking at spending (ballpark
> figures) on the package, modem, router, and any extension cables I need?
> Plus, is there anything else I should know about, like max cable lengths
> inside the hosue, and power supply to the router?

Dabs value router would be 50.50.
Network cards are from about 3 - 10 each.
Ethernet cables vary in price depending on the length, but typically from
about 5 to 30.
Decent filters will cost about 8, but how many you need depends on how many
phones you have and how things are wired up. The maximum is one per device
that plugs into your telephone system (including fax machines and
digibox's).

The max length for any one ethernet cable is 100m, and all routers require a
mains power supply. If you do not have a power point near the telephone
connection you want to use with the router, you can run a standard telephone
extiosion cable from the routers location to the telephone point.

--

Martin

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Martin Cooper said
> Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
<snip info about routers>

Okay. I've decided to get a router, with a built in ADSL modem to use
with the Pipex solo package, and then buy all the wires and a microfilter
for the phone as well.

Can anyone recommend a good router/modem with ports to connect three
computers please?

PS. I'm assuming that the connection now goes phone socket > filter >
router > wires > computers.

--
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The Netgear DG824 from DSL-Warehouse is very easy to configure, good
quality and it looks great. It is recognised to be one of the best &
work with Macs & PCs.


Roderick Stewart <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Russell Codd
> wrote:
> > Okay. I've decided to get a router, with a built in ADSL modem to use
> > with the Pipex solo package, and then buy all the wires and a microfilter
> > for the phone as well.
> >
> > Can anyone recommend a good router/modem with ports to connect three
> > computers please?
>
> Draytek 2600 from www.zionmedia.co.uk $B!r(B120.
>
> > PS. I'm assuming that the connection now goes phone socket > filter >
> > router > wires > computers.
>
> That's right. Up to 4 computers without buying more boxes.
>
> Rod.

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Graeme said
> The Netgear DG824 from DSL-Warehouse is very easy to configure, good
> quality and it looks great. It is recognised to be one of the best &
> work with Macs & PCs.

Thanks. I have heard something about a switch. Do I need one of these, as
the three computers will be accessing the internet at the same time.
--
Always proof read carefully in case you any words out
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Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Begin secret code: <(E-Mail Removed) >.
> Graeme said
> > The Netgear DG824 from DSL-Warehouse is very easy to configure, good
> > quality and it looks great. It is recognised to be one of the best &
> > work with Macs & PCs.
>
> Thanks. I have heard something about a switch. Do I need one of these, as
> the three computers will be accessing the internet at the same time.

Hi,
A switch is just an inteligent hub. You use them to connect a number of
computers to a router and each other. Most routers come with a 4 port
switch (or hub) built in, so you only need an additonal one if you are
connecting more PC's to the router than it has ports available. So for
example, say your router has only 4 ports, and you have 10 PC's. Obviously,
you could not connect all 10 PC's to a 4 port router directly. Under these
circmstances, you would buy an additional switch, and connect that to the
router. This uses one port on your router, but you can then connect as many
PC's to that switch as it has ports available. The router would then allow
all of the PC's to access the net.

Martin
--

Martin

Begin secret code: <gemini.3f54f41700b9913f%(E-Mail Removed)>.
Martin Cooper said
> Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > Begin secret code: <(E-Mail Removed) >.
> > Graeme said
> > > The Netgear DG824 from DSL-Warehouse is very easy to configure, good
> > > quality and it looks great. It is recognised to be one of the best &
> > > work with Macs & PCs.
> >
> > Thanks. I have heard something about a switch. Do I need one of these, as
> > the three computers will be accessing the internet at the same time.
>
> Hi,
> A switch is just an inteligent hub. You use them to connect a number of
> computers to a router and each other. Most routers come with a 4 port
> switch (or hub) built in, so you only need an additonal one if you are
> connecting more PC's to the router than it has ports available.

Ah thanks. No, I am only connecting three PCs, so will only need the one
router/modem combined.

--
Always proof read carefully in case you any words out
Fish Head on a Stick:
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Begin secret code: <gemini.3f54f41700b9913f%(E-Mail Removed)>.
Martin Cooper said
> Russell Codd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > Begin secret code: <(E-Mail Removed) >.
> > Graeme said
> > > The Netgear DG824 from DSL-Warehouse is very easy to configure, good
> > > quality and it looks great. It is recognised to be one of the best &
> > > work with Macs & PCs.
> >
> > Thanks. I have heard something about a switch. Do I need one of these, as
> > the three computers will be accessing the internet at the same time.

More from me:
I have heard that this is a good router/modem:
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware...ink_dsl504.asp

Would this be good for me do you think?
--
Always proof read carefully in case you any words out
Fish Head on a Stick:
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