Cable/DSL routers

[blazer2boy]

I'm looking to see what would I have to buy in order to get a connection to go to all the computers in the house.

I see DSL/cable routers so would I just have to connect the cable modem to the router than from the router to the network cards in each machine?
Would this work?

Or is it more complicated than that?
I currently have 4 computers and once we get cable or dsl in our area
would like to connect all 4 machines to the 1 line.

I have these computers networked together now using a Hub.

[Ghost_Hacker]

If your hub has a crossover port then you can just connect the hub to your modem using any port on the modem and the crossover port on the hub. ( this port is sometimes refered to as the uplink port and depending on the hub might disable another port when in use.) If your hub doesn't have a crossover port then you'll need a crossover cable to do the same thing.

With this setup you'll need a seperate PUBLIC IP address for each computer.This will also open up your network to the outside world so be wary. Some modems come with a hub builtin so you can connect your computers directly to it. Again the same public IP addresses will be used.


Another option with cable is the ISP will give you a modem with NAT software which you can connect to your hub as mentioned. Only now you will use private IP addresses assighed by the ISP to each of your computers. The modem will translate your private IP addresses to a public IP address that allows you to surf the web from all computers on your network and at the same time prevent any one from the outside from accessing your computers. (depending on how it's setup. Normally for home use outside access is restricted. This option may also be offered by DSL though I have never seen a DSL line setup this way.)

There are other options for doing what you want. But they require that you purshase additional software and/or hardware.

Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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"It's just a whisper in my Ghost"



[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 02-21-2001).]

[hiredgoonz]

But to access the internet with all the machines, you're still going to need to use a router or use internet sharing software (comes with 98SE and ME)

As far as I've seen there are two ways that cable companies provide access to their service: 1) by assigning your computer a username along with the other network settings so that you essentially log on to their network and access the internet from there and 2) by registering the mac address of your network card and modem, and allowing the computer with those devices to access their service

In the first case, if you buy a linksys router, you just have to assign the router all the settings of the machine that the isp connects to the internet (they probably won't hook up your router for you and certainly don't like or tech support them)

In the second case, you have two alternatives: 1) you can either change the mac address of the router to that of the network card that is registered with the isp so that they think your router is the network card, but if you do this, you cannot use the network card you have "borrowed" the mac address from in any computer connected to that network. or 2) call the company and tell them you bought a new network card, give them the mac address of the router and have them register that mac address in their system (a little white lie, but far easier than getting them to cooperate when they know you're setting up a router)

In any event...when all is set up, the router will connect to your isp and then act as a server for the computers connected to it either as a DHCP which will allocate ip addresses as needed, or, if you want to use the more advanced features of the router, you can set the computers up with static ip addresses...these options are addressed in the linksys manual which I HIGHLY recommend you read before starting the project...

As far as which router, I like the linksys and have yet to hear anything bad about it...since you already have a hub, you can purchase the one-port version and save yourself a few bucks, although you'll probably get better performance out of the 4 or 8 port version since it has a built in switch...

The reason you need the router or internet sharing software and why you can't just hook all the computers up to the hub is that in order to access the service, the computers have to provide some specific unique information (like a computer bname or mac address) and no two computers on the same network can have this same info...

The routers are faster than internet sharing software and don't place a huge load on the "gateway" computer that is connected to your isp...sorry it's so long, I tried to anticipate any other questions...

MY DISCLAIMER: Is it wrong to lie to the cable company? Yes, but no worse than their desire to force you to pay more money to connect more than one computer to an account...you are not using ANY additional bandwidth from your connection by sharing it (unlike the case if you use a dialup account multiple times as opposed to sharing it by having one connected computer) You're paying the cable company for an internet connection, it is your business how you use it (as long as you don't break the law) and if you want to divide the speed of your connection among your computers, there is no reason they should try to stop you.

[Ghost_Hacker]

Hmmmmmm......I would stay away from any ISP which needs a MAC address to authenticate your internet access. Because if you changed your NIC card for any reason your ISP would need to reconfigure their hardware to your new MAC address.(causing an interruption in service)

Most ISPs that I have dealt with will concern themselves with just the IP address.


Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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"It's just a whisper in my Ghost"



[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 02-21-2001).]

[blazer2boy]

Thanks for the replies Ghost and Hired. I have printed this out and will keep it in my Networking Essentials book for future reference, when we get cable or DSL. However Hired brings up a point I did not concider.

Is it illegal to do what I have proposed? Or just not recommended?

Thanks http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Blazer

[Ghost_Hacker]

Hmmmm....Most ISP are concerned with the bandwidth your connections uses. So some of them will not allow you to host a web server or FTP server for instance. They will not support your using a proxy server or router to add "boxes" to the connection but I have never seen one try to stop someone from doing so either. I guess it depends on the ISP and how "hungry" they are.

In fact, now that I think about it. They may not care how many boxes are connected. If you can do it yourself fine may be what the ISPs are thinking. But if you can't, they'll hit you with additional fees to do it for you.

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"It's just a whisper in my Ghost"

[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 02-21-2001).]

[hiredgoonz]

No, it is not illegal...you are paying for one connection and using one connection...but it doesn't make them particularly happy that you can connect more than one computer for the same cost...

Comcast, for example, charges $6 per month for each extra ip address...without a router or internet sharing software, you would need to pay them for each extra computer you wished to connect...this way, they don't see any extra cash...

Truthfully, most techs you talk to at the isp don't care either way, but the policy is to only support a connection on one computer, the one they hook up at installation (or the one you do yourself if you get a self-starter kit) aside from greed, their other main concern is having to provide tech support for something that they don't sanction and can be quite tricky...

I was surprised the first time I saw the mac address thing myself...but fortunately it only took a few seconds for the cable company to update the info and the service worked immediately...you CAN do it yourself as long as you're using a device that allows you to change its mac address (like a linksys router), if you're willing to sacrifice a nic so you can use it's mac...

[kenja]

AT&T@home Security pings my system several times a day; looking for web servers, I assume. Fine with me, I don't want my neighbors clogging up the bandwidth.

P.S.: I've been totally satisfied with my D-Link 701 "Gateway" router connected to four computers on a hub. I read a review that criticized it for not being resistant to "denial of service" attacks, but that's the least of my worries.

[sea69]

hi kenja,

I am not suggesting anything 'illegal' here, however if you were to go and get ZoneAlarm™ (http://www.zonelabs.com/), for (free) you can be 'unpingable' to even your ISP, and they won't be able to scan you period.

checking the user agreements from @ home, roadrunner, and verizon, they do not say that they must have access/ knowledge to what you actually are doing with your connection. Obviously they will not allow you to be a 'server' run FTP's or the like, (if they can see you doing it).

So you can block them access to your machine (even though) they are the ISP.

food for thought http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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"Remember your 'unique'... just like everyone else!"