Network

[Pikefish]

Hello everyone. I am looking into setting up a peer to peer LAN connecting my wife's PC and mine. Her PC is a PII 400MHz with 128MB RAM (intend to upgrade to 256) running Windows98, while mine is a PIII 800MHz with 128MB (again, intend to upgrade to 256) RAM running Windows98 SE.

I am a bit confused as to which type of cable to use. What I had in mind initially was 100baseT (category 5) connecting the two NICs to a hub. But I understand from a book that computer systems running Windows on EIDE disk drives will not support such data transfer rate. Is this right? It goes on by saying 10baseT using category 3 cable is more than sufficient.

Also, our intention of this network is such that we can both access the Internet together. I learned that the software, i.Share 3.0, will provide us with this facility. Is there any other software on the market serving the same purpose?

Lastly, any recommendations on the makes of NICs and hub? Thanking you all in advance for your help and advice on this.

[YODA74]

If your going fast ethernet 100Base-tx----CABLE:Cat 5 UTP, and every thing you hook it to will also have to be category 5.

The category 5 is the norm as far as 3 slow
unless your running a buisness i wouldn't think you would need a real high transfer rate but i don't network either HE HE
some others will have some opinions. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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[Rick]

For Hubs Look at the 4 and 8 port 10/100 auto switch type.
I prefer Netgear units.

The Nic you use may as well be 100 or 10/100
The reason for the auto switch hub will allow you to connect a cable modem Many are only 10's
Or a print server again I also prefer the 10/100 modems. ( My Laptop only has 10 in it)

If you want to share the inter net connection I have found that Internet share from win98 isn’t worth the hassle.
I use All Aboard http://www.internetshare.com/index.htm

It will allow you to share your connection and only require 1 nic in each system.

Going with the 10/100 and cat5 will be better suited for future use

I also have eide drives and have never had any problems with it.
Transfer speeds between the two systems is unimpeded by using the 100 and cat5

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To ERR is HUMAN
To REALLY screw things UP, YOU NEED a COMPUTER !

[Pikefish]

Thanks guys. Yes Rick, I think I'll take your advice of using the setup which you mentioned for future upgrade purpose. You never know, I might be able to afford cable one day, hehe. I have never heard of All Aboard before, but after visiting the link, the spec sounds good to me. I'll also look into Netgear hubs too. Hope they do them in my local store.

Thank you once again guys.

[rond36]

Go to Wal-Mart and buy Linksys Fast Ethernet 10/100 Network in a Box it should have everything that you will need to network 2 PCs
2 NICs
2 CAT 5 crossover cables
1 5 port ethernet hub
plus SyGate software with 5 user license for sharing files and an internet connection. It also sets up a DCHP server to asign IP addresses to client PCs and a firewall between your intranet and the internet

[rond36]

Sorry didn't notice you are from the UK till it was to late you can also get it online at http://www.us.buy.com/retail/category.asp?loc=7060

[bassman]

Hello Pikefish,
If you plan to ever go with more than 2 computers, the switching hub is a good idea. If you only plan to have 2 machines, then you can go with a crossover cable between the 2 nics with no hub. When using a hub you need to use patch cables. The difference is, 2 of the wires switch position in the RJ45 plugs. This creates the input to output/output to input effect needed when not using a hub.
Not sure about prices in the UK but, over here you can get either for around a buck a foot. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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Please let us know if what we suggest helps. This helps us help you better.

[Pikefish]

Thank you for your replies, guys. I have since looked into a few starter kits, SMC, 3Com and Netgear. And if I remember correctly, they do the Linksys one too. They include all the bits which you mentioned, rond36. Price wise, they range from around US$150 to $250.

Rond36, you put down crossover cables as part of the Linksys bundle, but according to Bassman, the way I have understood is that crossover cables are only used to connect the two nics in the absent of a hub. Since a hub is included in the Linksys box, should they not have given patch cables instead? I am not saying any one of you is wrong, perhaps it is just my misunderstanding. I'll like to be sure what I am buying. Please clarify. Thank you.

[rond36]

sorry they are 15 foot patch cables
I only paid $78 US for mine
if you are using a broadband connection you will need a crossover cable from the second NIC in the server PC to the broadband MODEM or the MODEM to the ethernet hub depends on if you use two NICs or three

[This message has been edited by rond36 (edited 10-21-2001).]

[This message has been edited by rond36 (edited 10-21-2001).]

[Pikefish]

OK Rond, thank you for getting back. That's good price what you paid for the kit.

[jrosenboom32]

Did you think about using a router instead of a hub?

[Jixxer]

I use a router myself because I wanted to use my high speed internet connection on all computers connected to it. Setup is fairly easy and all information to setup the router is usually provided to you on the receipt of your ISP like DNS numbers, Gateway numbers and so forth. I use a 4-Port router from Linksys because it also has a built in firewall. Just one disadvantage to having this firewall is that you can't have a voice chat over the internet. Hope my input helps.

[Pikefish]

Hmm... I can't say I know what a router is supposed to do exactly. I checked the meaning of a router, but only confusions set in. I always thought a router was just an extension off a hub, e.g. using a router to connect a printer to the hub. Is a router a little unit like a hub too? And based on what Jixxer was saying, there seems to be a lot of messing about with the settings. Perhaps, I just don't know the functions of a router that highlight the confusions in me.

[Ghost_Hacker]

There are little Routers and there are big ones. (same for hubs)

Here's how they work.


Whenever your computer talks to another computer over the network it sends
out a "packet". The packet goes down the wire till it comes to a hub,router or a switch. This applies to an ethernet network. There are others kinds of networks but ethernet is the most common. (I have never heard of a home user using a token ring network for instance http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif )


Anyway....If it's a hub the packet will be sent out all the other hubs ports. Think of a hub as a repeater of packets sent to it.


If it's a router ( and the packet was sent to it) the packet will be opened and the IP address of the designation computer will be compared to the addresses of other networks in the router's routing table. Based on the table the router will decide what port to send the packet out of. A router routes packets to other networks.


If it's a switch the packet is opened and the mac address (hardware address) is compared to the switches MAC address table. Based on that table the switch will decide to either send the packet out one port only (unicast) or ,if needed, send the packet out all ports (broadcast). Some switches can even send the packet out several ports if needed (multicast).A switch switches packets to other ports much the way trains are switched to other tracks.


By the way there are also switches which have the functionality of routers (IE: they can read IP addresses.) These are called level 3 switches.

Confused yet??? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif




[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 10-29-2001).]

[scroatbagg]

As you are in the UK why not look into PC World (would not normally shop there) as they have had a deal on recently where you get 2 Netgear cards and 5 port hub for around the £50 mark. Depending on how far apart your PC's are you will get a small supply of cable in the kit. Otherwise go to a local PC shop and buy the Cat 5 cable and ask them to put on the connectors. I can tell you that the kit is good, I am running 2 PC's and had no problems setting the whole thing up.

[Jixxer]

...like what Ghost was explaining in Lamen's terms, a router is just a high speed traffic cop for data transfer and a Hub would be less efficient at directing data over the network. Kinda think of it as the old days when you had to make a phone call and the operator on the other end would have to remember which plug to take out and which one to replace with this or that plug versus today where a computer would automatically direct (route) the call instantly without any lag. Hope that helps.