Belkin Direct Connect

[oldgit]

Hi Chaps,
I've just spent several fraught hours networking my 3 computers together with 2x Belkin Direct Connect USB network hubs, so I can upload/download UD data quickly and efficiently without having to crawl under the table pulling and pushing plugs! My problem is that MS Internet sharing appears to change the fixed IP addresses of the comupters, promptly destroying the network connections! I've looked at a couple of downloads like "Proxy" from ActivX, but I'm scared to try it in case all my hard work so far goes down the tubes!
Has anyone a workaround for this please?
Sincerely,
Richard.

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice”

[AmStoned]

OG, I too use WinXP Pro for ICS. But it's nothing like you said. I don't think it's the USB hubs' fault. Have a look at this article, it's how I setup my LAN and ICS, very simple and easy to understand. http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=guide&dId=178

[oldgit]

Hi AmSToned, Thanks for your help! I have just spent nearly a week to make my little network of 3 computers talk to one another, and I guess I am very scared of losing it! The clincher for me was when I tried to enable Internet Sharing, I got a warning that if I went on, my TCP/IP settings might be lost.....at that point I chickened out!
I have read the tutorial at Tweaktown, and I must say it all looks very sensible and straightforward, but I think I will print it out and read it over a few times first. At the moment all 3 computers have internet connections ( I spend a lot of time plugging in and out of my ext. modem!) Am I right that I should remove the Internet connections on the 2 slave computers before I go ahead?
BTW I tried to join the Tweaktown forum, and used your handle as referer, I couldn't join as it said "referer not recognisd"...do you use a different name on that forum, if so, is it OK to use it for referer please?
Kind regards,
Richard

[AmStoned]

oops, sorry man, I'm not a member of Tweaktown. This is my only home (ok, maybe 3).

Ok, first of all, let me see your list of network components, such as NIC, Hub/Switch/Router, and modem. Are you using broadband modem, or just dial-up modem? What you want to do first is setup the system's hooked up the modem first. This is your gateway. Once you get this baby up and running, ICS will be very easy. And yes, I'd remove and restart the ICS process for the two slave computers.

[oldgit]

AmStoned,
My setup, at the moment is like this.......Desktop1 ( The one I'm using now) is connected to the Internet via an eternal 3COM ISDN modem, which connects at 64kbps, all working fine....TCP/IP settings set to automatic.
Desktop2 ( a primative machine made up of old bits, but crunching for UD) TCP/IP settings ....192.168.2.2
Laptop........old and slow, but also crunching......TCP/IP 192.168.2.3.......
Sorry, also the Desktop1 static TCP/IP is 198.162.2.1
As I said, as soon as I tried to enable Intenet Sharing on Desktop1 I was warned that my existing TCP/IP settings might be lost. Belkin Support had lead me to believe that I should not change these settings.............Hope this helps,
Sincerely,
Richard.

Website http://www.mvessexgirl.com

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice”

[AmStoned]

give me a sec here, I'm trying to clear my mind. I'm a bit confused about the sharing part. Why do you need 2 hubs to share three computers? It usually takes one hub/switch/router with multiple ports, and network card for each computer you want to share for LAN. BTW, since your modem is external, and I assume you don't have a DSL/Cable router, shouldn't you have 2 networks cards for the gateway computer, so you can connect the modem to NIC #1, and use NIC #2 to connect to the hub for sharing. Unless you're modem uses another way of connecting to the system.

[oldgit]

AmStoned,
Sorry I haven't been too clear.........blinkered view because of how my network is set up. 3 computers, networked with USB cables have a "Direct Connect"hub on each line, so you have Desktop1 USB cable, DC hub, Desktop2 USB cable DC hub- Laptop.

That is how it has to be to network via USB. I used this system because, while ordinary Network cards are cheap here in UK, PCMCIA cards (for the Laptop) are expensive......As I said, these hubs are allocated specific TCP/IP addresses, as per previous post, and I fear that MS Internet sharing, might just reallocate the addresses, and mess up the network connections. I've been talking to Belkin who say this isn't supported, which is really rich in view of the fact that they say in the User Manual "And you can connect your Network to the Internet" !!!
Hmmm, well any further ideas would be appreciated, I had hoped to be able to get away from all this plugging in and out!
Sincerely,
Richard.

[Grogan]

Can't you just use the 192.168.0.x private IP range for your home network? That's what the ICS service wants to use. Make the ICS host computer 192.168.0.1 (the default) and make the clients 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.3 (you say you're already statically configured so this should be no big deal).

To make this work, statically, on the client machines you want to change the IP addresses, you want 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask, and you want to enter 192.168.0.1 as the default gateway (the IP address of the ICS host). Do not enter a gateway setting on the host computer on the local network interface, for that is assigned by your ISP.

Now, for DNS servers I think it's best to specify the IP addresses of your ISP's primary and secondary DNS servers on the clients, rather than rely on the ICS DNS proxy agent. However, if you wish, you can enter 192.168.0.1 as the DNS server on the clients and it should work.

Edit: Damn, two days later I noticed a typo in this post. All addresses are of course 192.168

[prod]

Sorry, Im not familiar with ISDN. Couple questions for ya:
Does the modem have an external IP like a router, or does the computer have the external IP like an ADSL modem?

[AmStoned]

OG: The IP addy for your ISDN under TCI/IP Properties should be auto, this is different from your home LAN's IP. First of all, there should be 2 icons under Network Connections for each, representing the gateway and the network card. The gateway system that's attached to the modem should have the ISDN modem listed as the gateway. See attached pictures.

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic01.jpg
From the gateway computer that's attached to the modem

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic02.jpg
#2 for modem of gateway

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic03.jpg
#3 for modem of gateway

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic04.jpg
#4 for network card of gateway system

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic05.jpg
From the client systems

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic06.jpg
Just for each additional system, change only the last digit of the IP

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/~amstoned/pics/pic07.jpg
Run the network wizard on the gateway system first, and give it a work group name, in CAPs. Then run network wizard on the clients, and make sure you give it the same work group name.

Well, that's how I did mine. Methods may varie for other people.

[oldgit]

Grogan, Pro And AmStoned, Thank you so much for your very great help and effort on this. I will try what you suggest, and post back tomorrow. The reason, we've just come back from the pub..............it's my birthday today.......
Sincerely,
Richard

Website http://www.mvessexgirl.com

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice”

[oldgit]

Prod.........sorry I forgot to reply to you...........sorry there's a pink fog around here!..........Yes my external ISDN modem behaves and is configured just the same as an analogue dialup modem, the difference is in the telephone line itself, which is digital, so the configutration of TCP/IP is on the computer.
Hope this clarifies.
Sincerely,
Website http://www.mvessexgirl.com

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice”

[prod]

Ok so follow AS instructions. The main thing is to set the gateway on the clients to the IP of the computer with the modem. Hopefully all goes well.

[oldgit]

Prod. Thanks! I'll post later when I've had a go at configuring. I have to go out this morning to have my back jumped on by my Chiropractor............AGGGGGH!
Sincerely,
Richard.

Website http://www.mvessexgirl.com

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice

[AmStoned]

OG, you know you can put all that system info and quote in your sig next to the OG blink gif right. Just a heads up.

[oldgit]

AmStoned,
Thanks so much for the hard work you put in on the Network item. I still haven't plucked up courage to try the Internet sharing, mainly because I've been building a new computer for a mate, and it went quite badly, due to a faulty memory stick. It didn't pop, it just died slowly, leaving me bewildered, until it finally slipped into the sunset! Maybe I'll do it tonight!
PS I hear what you say about my Sig. I will sort it in time............Manana! sempre Manana!
Sincerely,
Richard.

[oldgit]

AmStoned, Grogan & Prod,
Just a quick note to thank you very much indeed for your advice.......IT'S WORKING!!! (sorry didn't mean to shout!) I am elated! This thing's been bugging me for days, I just couldn't get my senile old head round the relationship between the Gateway computer and the 2 client computers. I had established file and printer sharing quite easily, but had created separate Internet connections on the client machines.........hence all the gymnastics under my desk!!! It had not occurred to me that these should be removed, once they had gone, and I had run the Networking wizards on each then Bingo! I was thinking that it was much more complicated than it turned out to be.
So my thanks to you again, for your kind and prompt help.
Sincerely,
Richard.

Website http://www.mvessexgirl.com

Pentium 3 1.2GHz, 512 Mb Ram, 2x 30GB hdds, Jetway 694TAS motherboard with o/b sound, Hercules Prophet Video 64Mb ram, Philips CDRW, Toshiba DVD, 450w PSU, Win XP Pro.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice”

[AmStoned]

Sweet, glad it worked out for cha after all. ::thumbsup:

[whipat]

WTG,oldgit, It hasn't been too long since I went thru all that. and I remember thinking How simple it was after a week of making it so complicated:beer: :beer:

[oldgit]

Whipat,
Yes I'm sitting here quivering with relief, having just uploaded my 3 lots of UD work via one modem for the first time..........but its now 1.25am here so I think I'll turn in and try not to wake "She who must be obeyed"!!!
Sincerely,
Richard.