What's best for me?

I have two new Dells I'd like to have share a cable internet connection.
They're pretty much side by side. I don't really care about file sharing -
if I have to, I can either e-mail the file or use my little memory stick -
so I really just need the lowest cost option to have both connected to the
internet (with independent navigation, of course).

I bought a 4-port router off e-bay that doesn't work (my first bad buy on
ebay out of like 100) and now wonder if there isn't just some kind of
splitter or something I could get instead? Or connect the two computers with
something other than an RJ 45 (each comp only has one port of this type) and
have one computer access the internet through the other. If that's
possbile, what other connection cable would work between the two systems?

Ugh - whoever said ignorance is bliss wasn't necessarly right!!

Thanks for any guidance!

Mary

ME Hill wrote:
> I have two new Dells I'd like to have share a cable internet
> connection. They're pretty much side by side. I don't really care
> about file sharing - if I have to, I can either e-mail the file or
> use my little memory stick - so I really just need the lowest cost
> option to have both connected to the internet (with independent
> navigation, of course).
>
> I bought a 4-port router off e-bay that doesn't work (my first bad
> buy on ebay out of like 100) and now wonder if there isn't just
> some kind of splitter or something I could get instead? Or connect
> the two computers with something other than an RJ 45 (each comp
> only has one port of this type) and have one computer access the
> internet through the other. If that's possbile, what other
> connection cable would work between the two systems?
>
> Ugh - whoever said ignorance is bliss wasn't necessarly right!!
>
> Thanks for any guidance!
>
> Mary

If you have Comcast they don't allow a network to connect.

--
Travis in Shoreline Washington

Since when does Comcast not allow you to have a LAN?

Richard

"Travis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:LnjCd.33077$h.4424@trnddc04...
>
> If you have Comcast they don't allow a network to connect.
>
> --
> Travis in Shoreline Washington
>



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Hi Mary. Do both computers have NICs? I assume they do since you said you
got a router. There are a couple of ways for you to share your internet
connection but none is absolutely free or super cheap.

1. Get a 4 port hub or switch. This will allow you to share your
connection but your ISP will have to let you get more than one DHCP address.
Most ISPs do not allow this (you'll have to check).

2. Get a 4 port router. You've already done this and judging from your
post it doesn't sound like you are interested.

3. Install a 2nd NIC in one of your PCs and have that pc route the internet
connection via ICS. You'll also need a crossover cable for the 2nd
connection (the one between the two PCs). I have to admit I've never done
this with a broadband connection but I have made it work with dialup. It
should work in theory. Anyone else is free to correct me on this.

4. A variation of number 3 is to get a hub/switch and a 2nd NIC. By now
you are getting closer to the cost of a router though.

To be honest the best way to connect your home PCs is with a router. If
offers the most flexibility and shouldn't cost every much especially if you
are not getting a wireless model.

Richard


"ME Hill" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Fa6dnb5OYe8FKkTcRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have two new Dells I'd like to have share a cable internet connection.
>They're pretty much side by side. I don't really care about file sharing -
>if I have to, I can either e-mail the file or use my little memory stick -
>so I really just need the lowest cost option to have both connected to the
>internet (with independent navigation, of course).
>
> I bought a 4-port router off e-bay that doesn't work (my first bad buy on
> ebay out of like 100) and now wonder if there isn't just some kind of
> splitter or something I could get instead? Or connect the two computers
> with something other than an RJ 45 (each comp only has one port of this
> type) and have one computer access the internet through the other. If
> that's possbile, what other connection cable would work between the two
> systems?
>
> Ugh - whoever said ignorance is bliss wasn't necessarly right!!
>
> Thanks for any guidance!
>
> Mary
>
>



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http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

"Travis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:LnjCd.33077$h.4424@trnddc04...
>
> If you have Comcast they don't allow a network to connect.

I have Comcast and they don't give a flip if its a home LAN. In fact I am
running two private servers for my own use behind my firewall/router too.
I've done a port scan of part of their network a couple of days ago and you
would be surprised by how many HTTP and FTP servers I saw running, several
of which I could log in to. As long as you're not doing anything illegal, or
hogging a lot of bandwidth, they ready don't care. The legal jargon is just
to cover their butt.


--
Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO

Wireless Network
Mobile computing
on the go brought
to you by Micro$oft

"Richard Forester" wrote...
>> 1. Get a 4 port hub or switch. This will allow you to share your
>> connection but your ISP will have to let you get more than one DHCP
>> address. Most ISPs do not allow this (you'll have to check). <<

I believe the ones that do allow a second IP address will charge you for it,
so this option would end up costing more than the others.

>> 2. Get a 4 port router. You've already done this and judging from your
>> post it doesn't sound like you are interested. <<

These aren't that much at Wal-Mart or anywhere, and I agree with Richard
that it's your best bet.

>> 3. Install a 2nd NIC in one of your PCs and have that pc route the
>> internet connection via ICS. You'll also need a crossover cable for the
>> 2nd connection (the one between the two PCs). I have to admit I've never
>> done this ... should work in theory. <<

I have done this (running cable access over Internet Connection Sharing to
PC #2 through PC #1). Once you get that second ethernet card in PC #1 and
the crossover cable, it's easy to set up and worked great. Only reason I
left this setup was because I wanted wireless access and went the router
route.

No cheap splitter or magic cable (as you were hoping) will do the trick,
since there has to be something at the split point that's smart enough to
know which PC was asking for what internet page. Both the router and the
Windows ICS are exactly that smart.

Richard Forester wrote:
> Since when does Comcast not allow you to have a LAN?
>
> Richard
>
> "Travis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:LnjCd.33077$h.4424@trnddc04...
>>
>> If you have Comcast they don't allow a network to connect.
>>
>> --
>> Travis in Shoreline Washington
>>

My bad. They do now but only five. They didn't use to.

--
Travis in Shoreline Washington

"Travis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:LnjCd.33077$h.4424@trnddc04:

> ME Hill wrote:
>> I have two new Dells I'd like to have share a cable
internet
>> connection. They're pretty much side by side. I don't
really care
>> about file sharing - if I have to, I can either e-mail the
file or
>> use my little memory stick - so I really just need the
lowest cost
>> option to have both connected to the internet (with
independent
>> navigation, of course).
>>
>> I bought a 4-port router off e-bay that doesn't work (my
first bad
>> buy on ebay out of like 100) and now wonder if there isn't
just
>> some kind of splitter or something I could get instead? Or
connect
>> the two computers with something other than an RJ 45 (each
comp
>> only has one port of this type) and have one computer
access the
>> internet through the other. If that's possbile, what
other
>> connection cable would work between the two systems?
>>
>> Ugh - whoever said ignorance is bliss wasn't necessarly
right!!
>>
>> Thanks for any guidance!
>>
>> Mary
>
> If you have Comcast they don't allow a network to connect.
>

They wouldn't even know that you have a network if it's
behind a router, right?

"Don Jennings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:hYCdnRFJM-cHdUTcRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Richard Forester" wrote...
>>> 1. Get a 4 port hub or switch. This will allow you to share your
>>> connection but your ISP will have to let you get more than one DHCP
>>> address. Most ISPs do not allow this (you'll have to check). <<
>
> I believe the ones that do allow a second IP address will charge you for
> it, so this option would end up costing more than the others.
>
>>> 2. Get a 4 port router. You've already done this and judging from your
>>> post it doesn't sound like you are interested. <<
>
> These aren't that much at Wal-Mart or anywhere, and I agree with Richard
> that it's your best bet.
>
>>> 3. Install a 2nd NIC in one of your PCs and have that pc route the
>>> internet connection via ICS. You'll also need a crossover cable for the
>>> 2nd connection (the one between the two PCs). I have to admit I've
>>> never done this ... should work in theory. <<
>
> I have done this (running cable access over Internet Connection Sharing to
> PC #2 through PC #1).

"Internet Connection Sharing" - ? Is this one of the network setup options
or am I way off on that? Both comps have the NIC. "Crossover Cable" -
meaning like what type/port?

Thanks very much...

Internet Connection Sharing is something you can turn on in the Advanced
properties of the connection you want to share. For instance, in the 2nd
NIC + crossover cable scenario you would connect your internet connection
(from your DSL or Cable modem into the 1st NIC on the 1st PC). You would
then connect one end of the crossover cable to the 2nd NIC on the 1st PC and
the other end to the NIC on the 2nd PC. On the 1st PC you would go to
Control Panel -> Network & Internet Connections -> Network Connections ->
Right-click the connection for the 1st NIC, choose properties, click
Advanced, then check the box "Allow others to access..." in the Internet
Connection Sharing area. You may also have to choose which connection will
do the actual sharing part and this would be your 2nd NIC.

A Crossover cable looks just like a standard Cat5 RJ-47 cable but it has
it's DTE and DCE lines "crossed". This allows for the two computers to
communicate with each other without a hub.

I hope this helps.

Richard


"ME Hill" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:e8ednbPUbeboCkfcRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Don Jennings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hYCdnRFJM-cHdUTcRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> "Richard Forester" wrote...
>>>> 1. Get a 4 port hub or switch. This will allow you to share your
>>>> connection but your ISP will have to let you get more than one DHCP
>>>> address. Most ISPs do not allow this (you'll have to check). <<
>>
>> I believe the ones that do allow a second IP address will charge you for
>> it, so this option would end up costing more than the others.
>>
>>>> 2. Get a 4 port router. You've already done this and judging from
>>>> your post it doesn't sound like you are interested. <<
>>
>> These aren't that much at Wal-Mart or anywhere, and I agree with Richard
>> that it's your best bet.
>>
>>>> 3. Install a 2nd NIC in one of your PCs and have that pc route the
>>>> internet connection via ICS. You'll also need a crossover cable for
>>>> the 2nd connection (the one between the two PCs). I have to admit I've
>>>> never done this ... should work in theory. <<
>>
>> I have done this (running cable access over Internet Connection Sharing
>> to PC #2 through PC #1).
>
> "Internet Connection Sharing" - ? Is this one of the network setup options
> or am I way off on that? Both comps have the NIC. "Crossover Cable" -
> meaning like what type/port?
>
> Thanks very much...
>
>
>



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