Hi,

I want to setup a home network, connecting two computers (both running Windows XP Professional). One of my computers has a network adaptopr built into the motherboard, "Ethernet 1000 - RJ-45" to be exact.

I wish to be able to share files and my broadband connection between the two. Do I just need a network card on the other computer and some cable? Can I definetly share my internet connection doing it this way, as I've heard you may have to have a router...


Thanks in advance,

You have a choice of 3 setups:

Computer A (internet connected, with internet connection sharing enabled) ----> Computer B

This works fine, however computer A has to be running and working for computer B to have internet access. If you are downloading something on B and A restarts, you will get disconnected. Can't add more machines. Great for IP over FireWire (Mac OS supports this, and with XP, windows does too)

Computer A ----> Router (internet connected) <---- Computer B (can also plug in computer C, D etc.)

The best solution. Only the router has to be on to share your internet connection (and routers basically never crash). Very easy to add more machines at a later date, has added bonus of security.

Computer A (internet connected) ----> Hub <---- Computer B (can also plug in computer C, D etc.)

Will work, same problems as the first method though. Allows for more machines to be added easily.

you can do it a couple of ways

first and easiest is to buy a 10/100 network hub or switch aome catagory 5 (cat5) cable and some ends or premade cable to the exact length you need and another network card in the other computer.

or

purchase another network card for the other computer and get a crossover cable to connect one computer to the other...this way is the worst in my opinion as it tends to have negative results when sharing internet.

Thanks for your advice - that's cleared a lot of confusion!

What I was thinking of doing is having two connections, one that accesses the internet through the other machine (switched on), and one that just connects using my normal broadband modem, so I'll be able to connect whenever, whether the other machine's turned on or not! Would this work, and is it a good idea?



Thanks again.

Originally posted by NewtSys
you can do it a couple of ways

first and easiest is to buy a 10/100 network hub or switch aome catagory 5 (cat5) cable and some ends or premade cable to the exact length you need and another network card in the other computer.

or

purchase another network card for the other computer and get a crossover cable to connect one computer to the other...this way is the worst in my opinion as it tends to have negative results when sharing internet.

I don't believe you need crossover cable anymore? Regular Cat-5 should do the trick

if the cards are Nway or autosensing compatible I believe you wouldnt need a crossover, but if they arent, you would need one if I am not mistaken.

Originally posted by jonathanbull
Thanks for your advice - that's cleared a lot of confusion!

What I was thinking of doing is having two connections, one that accesses the internet through the other machine (switched on), and one that just connects using my normal broadband modem, so I'll be able to connect whenever, whether the other machine's turned on or not! Would this work, and is it a good idea?



Thanks again.

I'm not quite sure what you mean there.

If the internet access is routed through any machine, it will only work if that machine is on. Without some kind of router or gateway, when the computer with the modem connected to it is switched off, no other computer will be able to access the internet.

Originally posted by NewtSys
if the cards are Nway or autosensing compatible I believe you wouldnt need a crossover, but if they arent, you would need one if I am not mistaken.

I never ran into this problem when I hooked my powerbook to my iMac with regular cat5 (because i only have a 10mbit hub which is used as a mini-lan to save on the number of wireless cards needed)


Wireless, by the way, is another solution. No cables :D

Originally posted by phision.com
I'm not quite sure what you mean there.

If the internet access is routed through any machine, it will only work if that machine is on. Without some kind of router or gateway, when the computer with the modem connected to it is switched off, no other computer will be able to access the internet.
Sorry, I didn't explain myself very well.

I have two computers, and another member of my family occassionaly uses the other computer. Normally though, it is turned off.

When they are using the internet on the other computer, I obviously can't connect using my machine. To get round this problem, I have decided to network the two computers so I can connect 'through' the other computer. But, *normally*, the other computer is turned off, and not connected to the net. Because the network would not work in this case, I would have to connect to the internet using another connection, through my own broadband modem. Is this a good solution?


I hope I've explained myself a bit better!

Well, if you had a setup like:

(internet) ----> Your computer ----> Family member's computer

then that would work, although your computer would have to be on for them to get access.

A router is probably the best option however. added security and reliability, as well as the flexibility it gives you. People trying to hack in can't unless you have explicitly forwarded that port (e.g. someone tries to FTP into your computer, but instead they're actually sending all the data to the router, which has no FTP service running and doesn't have the FTP port forwarded anywhere, so the intruder fails). If you ran a webserver etc., you can make the router forward port 80 tcp to the computer running the webserver. So much more security. Kiss goodbye to trojans.

Wireless routers are even better. Just plug the router into your modem and put them both in a cupboard or something. Then get wireless access points (you can get literally everything now. USB "sticks", USB "blocks", PCI cards, PCMCIA cards etc.) for $30-$100 each. Adding new computers to the setup is easy - just ensure you have a wireless card and basically that's it. enter your router's password when it prompts you and you're good to go.

Originally posted by phision.com
Well, if you had a setup like:

(internet) ----> Your computer ----> Family member's computer

then that would work, although your computer would have to be on for them to get access.
My computer isn't on all the time either, so this wouldn't be ideal. Can't I just connect using the network, when the internet's in use by the other computer, and connect using my modem when the other computer's off?

Thanks.

Ok.. so now you say you have 2 modems??

This is getting weird.

Ok.. so now you say you have 2 modems??

This is getting weird.
Correct! Each computer has it's own broadband modem.

OK, this is getting too complex. it seems like you're looking for some kind of excuse to use the second modem, which isn't needed.

buy a router and be done with it.

i'm surprised your ISP hasn't caught on to what you're doing (sharing the connection with 2 MAC addresses) and terminated your contract.

Over here (UK) 99.99% of ISPs forbid this practice completely. Some will allow you to do it with a premium/business DSL account.

Originally posted by phision.com
OK, this is getting too complex. it seems like you're looking for some kind of excuse to use the second modem, which isn't needed.

buy a router and be done with it.

i'm surprised your ISP hasn't caught on to what you're doing (sharing the connection with 2 MAC addresses) and terminated your contract.
What?! I have two computers, and depending on which I want to use, I use that computers modem. They both use the same line.

I never knew that that was illegal!

You'll most likely find that in the terms of service, one connection is for one modem and one computer (or one router). Additional modems will require you to pay for the service again for that modem.

Originally posted by phision.com
You'll most likely find that in the terms of service, one connection is for one modem and one computer (or one router). Additional modems will require you to pay for the service again for that modem.
Why on earth is this illegal? Do you have to pay for two services if you use more than one phone!?

Because the ISPs want your money, of course.

Just buy a router (you can get one for about £40-£50 on dabs.com) and get over it.

My ISP actually supplied me the extra modem, when I rang them up over the phone, so I don't think they mind!

It's much cheaper to use a network card so I've decided to do this. Is it possible to do it the way I've described?!!

IF you are going to be going form one machine directly to another you should always do a cross over for best performance :)

It will be a bugger to "switch" between connections. Simply not worth it.

Seriously, get a router.

Originally posted by phision.com
It will be a bugger to "switch" between connections. Simply not worth it.

Seriously, get a router.
I think that I will now.

But, theoretically, couldn't I just have two connections and connect using either, without unplugging/plugging anything in?!

You could theoretically. A router is just so much simpler though, and now they are so cheap it's no excuse not to have one, especially with all the added security you get.

Isn't it much cheaper to just buy a network card though?

I give up.

lol, sorry, but I thought that a router will cost me about £50, and a network car, about £9.

If they both do fairly much the same thing, does it matter?