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| Thread ID: 59619 | 2005-07-07 17:20:00 | Sharing a home internet connection: "Newbie" query (well, I'm new to this) | argus (366) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 370346 | 2005-07-07 17:20:00 | During a temporary absence, I was unwise enough to let my partner get used to the 256K bit/s cable (Paradise/Saturn) internet connection which has hitherto been "my" property. Now she doesn't want to give it up, and since I have an equivalent one in the office and she works mostly from home, she requires me to switch the Ethernet lead from my computer to hers every morning. I'm looking for the simplest possible way of permanently sharing the connection. At a hardware level I presumably just get a hub and a couple of extra leads and connect both PCs to the hub and run a lead from the hub to the cable modem. But I get the feeling we'll be up for a bit of network address translation to allow both connections to use the same fixed IP address at the ISP. How easy/difficult is this? Do I really have to define a whole new private internet space in my household? Should I do this anyway whether I "have to" or not as a "future-proofing" measure against some day wanting a fully-fledged home network (it'd be nice to share the faster printer too). Can I trust the Windows XP "wizard" to do it all for me (having read Harry Potter and a deal of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld books and experienced the Microsoft breed, I'm not very confdent about wizards' capabilities). Thanks Argus Both machines are Windows XP with SP2; the connection, as I say above is a 256Kb/s Paradise/Saturn cable. |
argus (366) | ||
| 370347 | 2005-07-07 19:33:00 | >>your pc cable modem > hub > >>wifes pc this should be pretty easy really....... |
drcspy (146) | ||
| 370348 | 2005-07-07 21:22:00 | Ideally I would fess up with some dollars and buy a modem/switch (about $120+ for ADSL, not sure if cable modem/switches are similarly priced) That way you just plug each computer into the modem/switch with a normal ethernet cable I have 4 port switch, it'll do me for a while to come |
Myth (110) | ||
| 370349 | 2005-07-07 21:51:00 | I think that you have to get a seperate router for cable connections. There wouldn't be much point to buying the all in 1 anyway if you already have the modem. If your printer uses USB, take a look at ascent.co.nz - it shares your internet connection and your printer. |
Greven (91) | ||
| 370350 | 2005-07-07 22:03:00 | But what about the addressing question? Two PCs trying to occupy the same IP address (and particularly using the internet at the same time) would surely create a conflict and need to be "translated" in some way. Thanks for the replies, but could we just clear up this side of the question? Argus |
argus (366) | ||
| 370351 | 2005-07-07 22:04:00 | I think that you have to get a seperate router for cable connections. There wouldn't be much point to buying the all in 1 anyway if you already have the modem. If your printer uses USB, take a look at ascent.co.nz - it shares your internet connection and your printer. Even though it's a DLink and not my favourite brand, those wee units work quite well, Ive set 3 of them up. Eezy Peezy |
bartsdadhomer (80) | ||
| 370352 | 2005-07-07 22:28:00 | But what about the addressing question? Two PCs trying to occupy the same IP address (and particularly using the internet at the same time) would surely create a conflict and need to be "translated" in some way. Thanks for the replies, but could we just clear up this side of the question? Argus It will use NAT, but that doesn't cause any problems unless you want computers outside your network to initiate the connection (most people don't). If you are running a web server or something like that, you can set up the router to forward specific ports to the computer that is running the server, or you could set it up to forward all ports to one of the computers (for that computer, you could do everything you could do if it was directly connected to the modem). |
Greven (91) | ||
| 370353 | 2005-07-08 00:15:00 | But what about the addressing question? Two PCs trying to occupy the same IP address (and particularly using the internet at the same time) would surely create a conflict and need to be "translated" in some way. Thanks for the replies, but could we just clear up this side of the question? Argus I'm technically illiterate but I've managed to network three PCs at home through a Dlink hub modem. Using Windows XP, each machine found and configured the internet connections by themselves. I had expected to specify addresses but it was automatic. Sounds like you need a hub - why not get one from Dick Smith on trial and try it. |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
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