2 PC's to share one internet connection????

  • Thread starter Thread starter JSW
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J

JSW

Hi

I am about to build a new PC and put my old one into my son's room.
They both will be running Win XP.
What I want to be able to do is have them share one internet connection.
The main PC downstairs will have a USB Broadband Modem and both PC's have
network connections on the motherboards I think.
What will I need to do to set it up, what cables and what software.

Thanks JOHN
 
JSW said:
Hi

I am about to build a new PC and put my old one into my son's room.
They both will be running Win XP.
What I want to be able to do is have them share one internet connection.
The main PC downstairs will have a USB Broadband Modem and both PC's have
network connections on the motherboards I think.
What will I need to do to set it up, what cables and what software.

Thanks JOHN
Click to expand...

A hub, and a crosslink cable between the broadband box and the hub. This is
exactly how we have 47 computers running in our office. with all pc's
connected to the internet via the one router. The hub is central to the
network. There may be simpler ways of doing this for a home pc network!
 
One crossover RJ45 from lan to lan

TCP/IP network setup.

if your modem only supports one IP, then a router will most likey be needed
 
JSW said:
Hi

I am about to build a new PC and put my old one into my son's room.
They both will be running Win XP.
What I want to be able to do is have them share one internet connection.
The main PC downstairs will have a USB Broadband Modem and both PC's have
network connections on the motherboards I think.
What will I need to do to set it up, what cables and what software.

Thanks JOHN
Click to expand...

You CAN: connect the two machines via a crossover RJ-45 ethernet cable and
activate ICS on the machine connected to the modem via the USB connection.
But, if you care at all about security, you SHOULD: connect the two machines
to a hub/switch or to the equivalent in a combination unit, connect the
hub/switch to a NAT router, then connect the router to the modem. If the
modem doesn't have an ethernet connection then you will need to replace it.
There may be such a thing as a router that supports USB but I've never seen
one. Just my $0.02 of course....
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]

Return address will not work. Please
reply in group or through my website:
http://johnmcgaw.com
 
Hi

I am about to build a new PC and put my old one into my son's room.
They both will be running Win XP.
What I want to be able to do is have them share one internet
connection. The main PC downstairs will have a USB Broadband Modem and
both PC's have network connections on the motherboards I think.
What will I need to do to set it up, what cables and what software.
Click to expand...

Probably the easiest and safest would be to purchase a NAT router,
connect the modem to the router, then the computers to the router, all
with standard ethernet cable.

Two possible complications:
1) If your USB modem doesn't have an ethernet port, this won't work, and
you'll have to muck about with ICS built into windows, or buy a better
modem.

2) If your ISP only provides you with one IP address, you will *need* a
NAT router if you want all your home network computers to access the
internet.

Decent routers can be found for $50 or less, cost little more than hubs,
and provide additional benefits.

Unless you're going the ICS route, you shouldn't need any additional or
specialized software (firewall, AV, and adaware/spybot notwithstanding,
of course).

This page has a lot of hints, tips, tricks, and tutorials that will
answer your questions a lot better than I ever could:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/

HTH
 
John McGaw said:
You CAN: connect the two machines via a crossover RJ-45 ethernet cable and
activate ICS on the machine connected to the modem via the USB connection.
But, if you care at all about security, you SHOULD: connect the two machines
to a hub/switch or to the equivalent in a combination unit, connect the
hub/switch to a NAT router, then connect the router to the modem. If the
modem doesn't have an ethernet connection then you will need to replace it.
There may be such a thing as a router that supports USB but I've never seen
one. Just my $0.02 of course....
Click to expand...

I looked at a ADSL router/modem this morning that had USB on it from
www.scan.co.uk Link to the item is
http://web6.scan.co.uk/Products/Info.asp?WPID=70361 (hope that works).

Getting ADSL next month and I am intending to link two PCs via a ADSL router
as well

Adam S
 
JSW said:
Hi

I am about to build a new PC and put my old one into my son's room.
They both will be running Win XP.
What I want to be able to do is have them share one internet connection.
The main PC downstairs will have a USB Broadband Modem and both PC's have
network connections on the motherboards I think.
What will I need to do to set it up, what cables and what software.

Thanks JOHN
Click to expand...

Best and easiest is to get a broadband router and hook both systems to that.
Share the internet, networked together, firewall. I have used windows boxes,
linux boxes, etc to do that, but the easiest solution I found was when I
purchased my Linksys router....
 
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