DSL and two computers

Factual Questions
1

I don’t so much expect anybody here to answer this question as I hope they’ll point me in the right direction…

I’m getting a DSL connection. I have two PCs in separate rooms, and they’re not going to get connected via a hard wire except for (possibly) over the phone or electrical wiring lines. Any suggestions as to how I can get both PCs to access the Internet via my soon-to-come DSL modem?

2

What i did is buy a Linksys 4 port DSL router.It took me about 15 mins to get everything running.It was a little over $100.They have wireless ones now too .

3

Wireless DSL Router. Best prices at buy.com

Very simple to set up. If you only have one printer get one that also functions as a print server.

4

Thanks for the tip. Will this allow us to have different e-mail addresses (the service provides up to 11) on each PC on the network?

5

Yes you will probably get a user name and e mail for both computers.One thing usually unless you buy the router from the server company they won’t give you any help with setting up equipment that isn’t theirs.But will gladly charge you some crazy ammount to sell you their own stuff.

6

FYI, wireless routers are quite expensive and can be unreliable. It’s much cheaper to just buy a wired one and a few 50’ lengths of Ethernet cable, if there is any conceivable way to run the wire between the computers.

7

while you stated they will not be connected, it is very easy to make the connection.

you will have a router [the dsl provider will offer one].

all you need to add are a network card for each computer, a hub, and three straight-through network cables. [one from the hub to each network card, and one from the hub to the router.] the router should come with configuration instructions. it’s a quick and easy job, the hardest part being running the actual cable if the computers are distant. i did it with pieces found round the house. ymmv.

8

Ha! Getting DSL to your location is the tricky part. Your phone lines have to be clear & often there is a loooooong wait.

Why not read http://www.dslreports.com/ ? There is so much information there that no mere human could write it all.

I like the idea of two way satellite modems, though. Then I can tell the phone comp to kiss off.

9

My boyfriend and I are trying to link our computers so that we don’t have to get a second DSL connection. We have two DSL modems, four ethernet cards, several ethernet cords, and a hub. Do we definitely need a router, or can we somehow use the stuff we already have? Also, do we need to download any software and does one computer need to be the server?

Thank you in advance for any advice or links to useful pages (we have searched for web pages that explain it, but nothing seems to work, and the wingate software we downloaded won’t even run).

10

Two DSL modems? How did you end with with that?

Anyhow - assuming you have one phone line, and assuming that you are using DSL with a single dynamic IP address (like about 90% of DSL users), what you need is something called a NAT box, or Network Address Translation. What it is is an all-in-one switch, router, firewall, and hub, designed to allow several (normally up to 4) PCs to all use the same DSL connection, and be able to talk to each other, share printers, etc. Mine that I use is the Linksys Etherfast DSL/Cable Router, which I highly recommend and you can get for between $129 to $169 mail-order. It is a standard name-brand piece that does everything for you. Netgear makes a competing product that claims to do everything the Linky does, but is about $20 cheaper. You can find reviews of both items on http://www.dslreports.com, but I still only recommend the Linksys.

When you have the Linksys, what you do is plug your DSL (or Cable) modem into its uplink port, and plug your other PCs into the remaining 4 ports. The Linksys pulls down the dynamic IP from your DSL provider automatically, and then acts as a switch, allowing all of the PCs at your home to share the same IP. It sounds like magic, and in a way it is, but it sure works damned well. The firewall on it is excellent as well - no need to ever run ZoneAlarm again - your PCs are completely invisible to the outside world. UNLESS - you want them to be. The Linky also allows you to set a PC outside of the firewall, and/or to forward specific ports if you need them for things like IRC or Quake Arena.

And no, I don’t work for Linksys. I’m a very picky person, and when something works good, I tell people about it - as much as I flame things that don’t work good (like the 2 Tripp-Lite UPS systems I’ve had not work in 2 days - what a fucking worthless product!)

11

Yea they told me it would take 2 weeks but they called back the day before and told me it would be delayed another week but in exchange they would credit me 1 month for the inconvienence.

with all due respect to Anthracite, you have what you need to hook up both computers (with the possible exception of a crossover cable). You would set up one computer as a DHCP server and install 2 network cards (dsl modem cable to one NIC and the crossover cable to the other). The other computer gets one card. The 2 computers are connected by the crossover cable. This is not a easy way to go but it does work. Also the computer connected to the dsl modem must be on for the second computer to get internet access.

12

This topic has been discussed here before, Ariadne, so you are going to see two very different opinions presented during today, I imagine.

People often seem to think I am stupid for relying on a hardware solution to what I see as a hardware problem, as I have this debate again and again in many forums and seem to be consistantly out alone in the woods.

Here are the advantages as I see them of my solution:

  1. No other PCs are required to be on.
  2. No PC needs to be set up as a DHCP server.
  3. It works with PCs that are virtually any operating system - 95, 98, NT, 2000, Linux, OS/2, etc.
  4. It provides a very good, very fast, no-CPU load firewall.
  5. It allows connection of 4 PCs.
  6. It autoswitches between PCs with 10 Mbit and 100 Mbit connections.

and my personal favorite,

  1. It is pretty much fire-and-forget. No additional software needed. My Linksys was plugged in and all three PCs were webbing within 180 seconds out of box.

Here are the disadvantages, as I see them:

  1. You have to buy a Linksys Etherfast router for $129-$169 (plus tax, plus shipping, etc.)
  2. You have to plug it in to the wall, and it uses electricity. About as much as a night-light.
  3. It takes up valuable shelf/desk space - about 7 by 6 inches worth.
  4. It has pretty lights that might hypnotize you and make you start reading Scientology literature.

So…you have a couple options presented in this thread. I obviously prefer my option. Whatever you do, choose wisely.

13

Thank you both for your advice :slight_smile:

I think I’m going to try to set it up with one computer as the server for now, because it’s cheaper. The Linksys router sounds like a good idea though for later in the summer when we can afford it. Especially because of the firewall. I had always though hardware firewalls were more expensive than that, but for that price it will be well worth it. I’m amazed at how many “‘Default Block Backdoor/SubSeven Trojan’ blocked” the Norton firewall accumulates up each day.

14

:confused:

4 port DSL router? Whuffor?

I have two computers at home, and one DSL modem. The computers have 30$ ethernet cards in them, connected to a 35$ four-port hub. One line from the hub goes to the DSL router.

Works juuuuust fine.