What do you call it?

Currently I have three home PC's networked via a D-Link DE-805TP,3x10/100
MBS Fast Ethernet PCI Adapters (RJ45). The network runs great, me and the
kids have loads of fun utilising the network for playing games, sharing the
printer and ultimately internet access. The only drawback is that my PC
being the gateway computer means it must be booted up and connected to the
net before the kids can. It's a waste of resources and not a very green
option. Ultimately I would like it so if my son requires net access from his
room he only has to start his PC, if the daughters need access they can also
start theirs without the need to have mine constantly running in the
background. I've discussed the topic with a couple of lads at work but came
away more confused, they tell me I need a "router" or "switched hubs" or a
"4 way switch with broadband router built in", all I need is advice from
somebody in laymans terms, or an address or person who can supply me with
the hardware.
Thankyou all who took the time out to read my posting.
Dennis Co Whitehaven Cumbria

 

What type of internet connection have you got?

 

Sorry for not stating, I am using ADSL broadband to connect to the internet
via an internal PCI device with "Pipex" as my ISP, thankyou for the prompt
guys.
Regards
Dennis

 

Something like this would give you an all-in-one solution - it replaces
your existing PCI modem and 10baseT hub:
http://www.lanshop.co.uk/dsl504.htm
Like most of this type/price it only has four ethernet ports - if you're
using all five ports on your existing hub you'll need to spend a bit
more:
http://www.lanshop.co.uk/ro318.htm
I just picked these as examples of the sort of kit that would probably
best suit your needs, there are other solutions. If you're only using
four ports in your hub you could get a modem/router that doesn't
incorporate a switch and plug it into your existing hub - this probably
won't be much cheaper, but could be useful if you want to locate the
modem some distance from the hub. You can spend considerably more to
get routers that have powerful firewalls that allow things like VPN, but
it's quite possible that would be more than you need.
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware/reviews/ has reviews of some of the
more popular hardware, and might give you some idea of the
prices/features that are available. The basic functionality of most of
the kit is much the same, but there are variations in ease of use and
the level of support that you can expect from the manufacturer - if you
buy something that no-one's ever heard of you'll likely be out of luck
when it comes to upgrading the firmware, for instance, and you might be
happier with something that's easy to configure rather than something
with powerful features but an impenetrable user interface.

 

Agree with Rob's response.

1) The type of device you need is generally called an "ADSL
Router" or ADSL Gateway Router". Beware of the similarly-titled
species "Cable/DSL Router" which doesn't contain an ADSL modem.

2) Mainstream brands to look at include: D-Link, Netgear, Linksys,
Eicon, Belkin.

3) Your existing hub is a 10Mbps unit: a 4-port ADSL Router would
boost your local network speed to 100Mbps, but it won't change your
Internet connection speed.

 

Thankyou for your kind advice Rob & BRG, I've ordered the D-Link DSL-504
ADSL Router from the Lan shop this afternoon.
Thankyou again
Regards
Dennis