Hi everyone!!!

Here's my situation. I'll be moving to a new house (not build yet) in about a year and my wish is to have a home network (Fast Ethernet) so I'm going to run all the cables and everything now not when it's all finished. I have two computers about 100 meters (330 ft) apart (2 floors) and a notebook. Win 2k Pro on all.

My question is what exactly do I need for a Fast Ethernet connection. I'm REALLY A NOVICE in this field so be as precise as possible. Cables CAT5?, cards (which ones – manufacturer exact type) and everything else (don't know what), hub maybe – do I need it?!?! I’m also thinking about having an ADSL connection what kind of card do I need for that (a different one?) I plan to share the ADSL on both computers.
I don’t know if I made any sense but any help would be appreciated http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

http://www.geocities.com/thegorx/Windows/Help/Modem.htm http://www.helmig.com/ http://www.bos2.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=how+to+install+home+network&exec=FAST+Search http://www.bos2.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=how+to+install+usb+home+network&exec=FAST+Search http://www.annoyances.org/win98/features/ics.html http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/lan.htm http://www.practicallynetworked.com/ http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/troubleshoot_index.htm http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking.htm http://www.putergeek.com/home_network/ http://hdallen.home.mindspring.com/ http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/troub-331.shtml http://www.hildrum.com/network1.html http://winfiles.cnet.com/connect/ http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa042500a.htm http://www.speedguide.net/ http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dcc.htm

CAT 5 cable will be fine. I recommend getting a router for sharing your internet access. Its easier to setup than putting two NICs in one computer and some have a built in switch. In addition some now include a built in print server. Check out Linksys or netgear. Both are good and inexpensive. As far as NICs go I'd go with 3com, but they tend to be a little more expensive. If you are having someone install this, I'd put the router in a central location, and obviously near a phone jack if you are using DSL. Perhaps next to the fuse box in a pantry?

[This message has been edited by JL275 (edited 06-19-2001).]

I already pretty much decided on Linksys's EtherFast Switched 10/100 Network in a Box http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=15&grid=12 (I might go with D-Link's DFE-910 Switch 10/100 Network in a Box http://www.dlink.com/products/kits/dfe910/ but I'm leaning towards Linksys)
Any thoughts, experience from anyone about any of the boxes?! Or manufacturers.

I have the LinkSys switch kit Mike.....

I like it!..... I've used other equipment from LinkSys though that I wasnt really all that happy with, so in general Im not a big LinkSys fan, but that switch Kit werks very well.........My X-fers average between 2300-3000 kb/sec, and I really havent done anything to try to make them any faster, that was right out of the box with supplied drivers and default windows settings etc and 1 of the HDD's involved in alot of the X-fers is a fairly slow one to boot.......

I hear NetGear hardware is beter then LinkSys, but I really dont know...... at any rate the LinkSys kit isnt a bad deal, and Im pretty happy with it. Just make sure its the "switch" kit. They have another kit that comes in the same box, but its not the same kit. When Looking at the boxes (some of them anyways) its very easy to mistake the FESWSK5 for the FENSK05.....Slight price difference, big hardware difference.....

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What I meant by what I said is hopefully less confusing then the contemplation of the question that led to the confusion in the 1st place.......

[This message has been edited by AwARe (edited 06-19-2001).]

Thanx for your input Linksys is still my No. 1

well perhaps "it is" number 1 hehe,
like I said I really dont know......

friend of mine uses netgear and says the hardware is great, and never had a problem. As compaired to my "one" bad experience with LinkSys, so thats where that comes from......

at any rate the LinkSys switch kit is kewls http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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What I meant by what I said is hopefully less confusing then the contemplation of the question that led to the confusion in the 1st place.......

I posted a similar question on www.tomshardware.com (http://www.tomshardware.com) and one guy said "Be warned though that both the D-link and Linksys Ethernet cards might have compatibility issues with your hardware (slim chance, but problems do occur, and it's most likely a driver issue (Intel and 3Com are much more devoted to producing a rock-solid driver set for their products)"

Something to think about!!! I'd really like to buy from 3Com or Intel but just couldn't find anything like the offering from Linksys. They just don't sell those kinds of kits or I wasn't able to find them?
I don't mind paying a couple extra $ as long as it WORKS!!!

Do you know of any other similar kits (esp. 3Com & Intel but also from others)?

Yeah I dunno Mike,

Ive never seen a 3com kit either (they may have them but Ive never seen one)
You can get a 3com switch for under $100 but I really don't know if the $100 one is any good or not.....I would imagine it's at least as good as the LinkSys, but you're going be spending maybe close to twice the money by the time you get done buying NIC's etc. Id really doubt it be worth "twice" as much as that LinkSys Kit.

I have a good 3com NIC in one of the comps here at my house, and I really cant tell the difference between the LinkSys card and the 3com card as far as performance, so I wouldnt worry about it much.

I have that switch kit, and I have a whole pile of comps hooked to this netwerk here all over my house (Practically in every room), and havent had any compatibility problems etc. so no worries as far as that goes. (I bought the kit and then got some more NICs out of an open box and they are installed in lots of different types of comps all the way from a 166 to a PIII, No compatibility issues whatsoever) EDIT: This might have been the problem with that "other" LinkSys kit I had.........I got mad at it and it got disappeared haha so I never really figured it out..........but this kit Ive had zero problems

If I had it to do over again, Id take a little more time and see what I could find out to verify or not if the NetGear was a better way to go, and then buy whichever one of those turned out to be the best. Im not sure what price "you're" paying, but the price "I" got on the LinkSys is gonna be hard to beat.......

Good Luck!

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What I meant by what I said is hopefully less confusing then the contemplation of the question that led to the confusion in the 1st place.......

[This message has been edited by AwARe (edited 06-19-2001).]

Thanx for your help I'll take a harder look at NetGear