Setting up for networking

[Ladypcer]

I'm running two pcs and would like to share a DSL modem and network the two together.

Both run XP. One dual boots XP and Linux. Both have one network card. Each has an available PCI slot.

What do I need to share the modem and share files?

Btw, I also have these set up sharing one monitor, keyboard and mouse via a KVM switch, at the present, but at some point I'd like to move one tower to another room, and set it up as a separate pc.
I'd also like to add a second monitor to pc 1 and run dual monitors. Is that all possible?

[Pigflipper]

I can answer the part about what you need to share the connection, but I'm afraid you will have to turn to someone else for the dual monitor thingy (hehe, I love being technical like that)

The easiest way to share the connection would be to purchase a router. Unless you plan on getting more than four computers a four port router would be your best bet. Personally I would recommend the Linksys 4-port Cable/DSL router. Here is a link to it: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=23

and here is a link to the unit @ newegg. should give you a good idea of the price of the unit.
http://www.newegg.com/app/Viewproduct.asp?DEPA=&submit=Go&description=linksys&searchdepa=0&srchFor=Linksys%20BEFSX41%20Broadband%20EtherFast%20Cable/DSL%20Firewall%20Router%20with%204-Port%20Switch/VPN%20-%20RETAIL

Actually that price on the router seems a little high to me, might want to shop around some if you end up going with this particular one.

[whipat]

A 4 way router was the easiest way for me to go. If I remember correctly a cat 5 cable between the 2 pcs will work. Like Flipper, don't know about the 2 monitor thingy :)

[026TB4U]

What modem are you using to connect to dsl?

If it's only a usb modem, then that makes thing a little difficult.

[Ladypcer]

Originally posted by 026TB4U
What modem are you using to connect to dsl?

If it's only a usb modem, then that makes thing a little difficult.

SpeedStream 5260 Ethernet ADSL Modem. Not USB.
Supplied by my DSL ISP (the local phone co.)

I was planning on getting a router, and was looking at a Linksys 4 port DSL router. So I guess I'll go ahead and get it.
I was also looking at Linksys Networking Kits that contain the hub, two nics and some cabling. It seems the deeper I dig into networking, the more complicated it gets.
Even if I don't get them networked, I want the router. I'm tired of plugging and unplugging the ethernet cables to switch which tower is online.

I might mention that one tower is a Dell(P4) and one is HP (Celeron). Don't know how much that matters?

[026TB4U]

Since it's not usb, then the easiest way to go is a router. You could connect the two using an additional nic in one of the machines and use internet connection sharing, but that's sometimes a pita. Also, if that machine goes down, so does the other.

In addition to the linksys, you may also want to lood at the SMC barricade router. They both work well and either one will do. I have had an SMC for about two years now and it works flawlessly with my dsl.

Good luck.

[whipat]

Lady
Here's a plug for Big Cheez' new forum u will see some familiar faces there.

http://www.networkstoday.com/forums/index.php?s=

Tech

Thanks for monitor info, always wondered and since I don't have the room, never asked.

[Grogan]

The best part about getting one of those routers is, they handle the PPPoE connection. No need to mess with client software. (Actually, in XP that's not a problem... you just configure the connection to use PPPoE very much like configuring a dial up connection but for Linux, you may not have such a good time getting that "roaring penguin" software and dhcpd cooperating)

When my DSL line is activated (soon, I hope... I've got all the shit, just waiting on the remote end to do their part), I'm going to have three computers plugged into my router's switch ports. I'm just going to configure them statically, specifying the router's IP as the gateway, and the DNS servers of the ISP entered on each computer. It'll have no choice but to work for such a small network, and that will save me having to mess with the dhcp client on my Linux systems.

For all those NAT routers cost nowadays (even in Canader they are only around a hundred bucks) I don't think you could pay me to dick around with multiple network interfaces and software.

The other thing I'm going to like is, none of these computers are going to be directly connected. There are networking services I'd really like to run on my main computer (e.g. Samba, NFS) that I keep disabled until needed because this PC has the dialup connection.

[Techvillage]

I have my network setup in a similar way Grogan.

Becuase I'm running a MS domain with active directory, and active directory didn't like the routers DNS service, I set up an MS DNS server, and DCHP server off same box, I switched off DNS and DCHP on the router.

On each workstation, I the workstation getiing IP address from DCHP, have the gateway pointing at the router, and DNS entries pointing at my DNS server and the ISP DNS server - it works very well. Incidentally I switched DCHP from static, purely for Acronis True Image - but more about that in my True Image article, that I'm working on...

As overkill, I also run software firewalls on each pc, with it setupso that there is s trust to each pc, but not to the router.

I monitor logs fairly regularly, and the NAT on the router is doing an excellent job of keeping unwanted peeps out as I have no logged attacks or prbs on certain ports that I used to get what I had a PC setup as a proxy server and gateway to Internet.

[Techvillage]

Sorry Folks - anybody who posted in this thread after Grogans above, it has not been deleted, I have been splitting and merging and have moved to an invisible area - once Tech gets to grip with splitting and merging :hhead: , normal services will be resumed.

[TJM4FUN]

LadyPCer,
The make of the pc is almost never an issue.

All you will need is the router, 2 cat 5 cables to connect to the pc's, and a few moments to set it all up. If you are functioning fine now with one connection, just shut down, power everything off, cable it up, power up the modem, the router then the pc's
and you should be off and running. Only possible problem is if you provider assigns your pc a static address that you had to setup in tcpip properties, if you were set to DHCP, you should justcome up
and run.... (famous last words).
Sharing thru the router between the 2 pc's will need a little more work, but that would be a whole nother thread.

[Ladypcer]

Ok, I plan to get a router and try to get it set up this weekend.
I hope it's as simple as plug in and power up.

;)

Yep, I have a static IP. Only instructions on DSL ISP sheet is
"Linksys router users: Make sure PPPoE and Connect on Demand are both disabled".

So.. we'll see.

[TJM4FUN]

Well, almost,,, read thru the manual, it will show you how ot set your pc's up for dhcp, and how to set the ip address in the router.

Aquick overview of xp would be: right click on network places, properties, lan connection right click, properties, scroll down to tcpip, hit properties button. there is your assigned ip address, write it down along with the subnet mask, but I think you would have all that information supplied from your isp.
Click obtain ip address automatically.
you may need to reboot the pc if you are unsure of how to start and stop networking in xp. before rebooting, plug your new cat 5 cable from the pc to the router, and plug the cable from the cablemodem into the router's wan port.
After the pc comes up, use internet explorer to access the router setup and follow the instructions from the manual to set your ip address. (http://198.162.1.1)
While you are in there I strongly suggest you change the password for the router from admin to something you will remember and is not obvious.
After you do the setup steps, power the modem and router off, power on the modem, wait til it is active, power on the router
and you should be set to go. You may need to enter the commands:
ipconfig /release
then
ipconfig /renew
to reset the pc to router connection. after that you should be able to access the net. Set the other pc to obatin ip address automatically and connect to the router and restart the pc and you should be good to go.
I'll let Grogan explain linux settings for ya since my track record is not good right now on linux setups.

[poqal]

Originally posted by pigflipper
Personally I would recommend the Linksys 4-port Cable/DSL router. Here is a link to it: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=23
Hi Lady

Do you have a Best Buy near you? I just bought the Linksys mentioned above and it's in their flyer this week $79.99 - $15 instant rebate - $15. mail in rebate. I actually bought mine at Circuit City for $79.99 and the next day went back in with the Best Buy ad. They gave me back the difference, + 10%. I got something like $37.+ back, bringing my net cost way down. This is the third one of these routers I've purchased and I've been happy with the ease of installation. I installed one at my boss's house, and one at our office.

Good Luck with your networking! :)

[Case]

WAIT WAIT WAIT - correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't need a router, a switch or anything. If both computer have NIC card, just use a cross-over cable to connect them. Can't use a cat 5 straight through cable, won't work. Just plug in the crossover cable, run the XP networking Wizard, and you're done. Setsup is a breeze, with no problems. XP isby far the most automated networking OS there is, imo.

Just seemed like you guys are making this way overly complicated . . . .

[TJM4FUN]

No, Case, she wants both pc's to share one connection, not just talk to each other. A router is the easiest way, setting up a second nic in one machine and ICS is not always the best way,especially with dual boot machines.

With the price of a router dropping it's well worth the money for both the ese of setup and the extra level of security.

[BobGuy]

Originally posted by ladypcer2
I'd also like to add a second monitor to pc 1 and run dual monitors. Is that all possible?

Yes it is. :D

Just exactly what did you have in mind here with the KVM switch part?

I could not see the back of your KVM switch from here, so it is hard to tell if it supports 2 video jacks so that the second monitor could be used with both boxes at the same time. :)

[Case]

Originally posted by tjm4fun
No, Case, she wants both pc's to share one connection, not just talk to each other. A router is the easiest way, setting up a second nic in one machine and ICS is not always the best way,especially with dual boot machines.

With the price of a router dropping it's well worth the money for both the ese of setup and the extra level of security.

Right, I hear you - I know that is what she wants to do - my point is, for a long time before I got more than my computer and my wifes, that was my network - just a crossover cable, and the modem was in my wife's computer. Her system was dual win98/winxp and mine was win98/winxp/linux (mandrake 8.0). never had any problems with it at all. Dial on demand, we could both surf the net at the same time. Just seems simpler to me. And cheaper.

But, then, I've never had a router, I use a Linksys switch now, so it may very well be better, easier and more reliable the way you say :beatsme:

You do have an excellent point about the security though, and that would be reason enough to suggest a router. In fact, concerns for security was the reason I setup a Linux firewall on my network . . . .

[TJM4FUN]

The linksys router, like the brfsv42, it does swith and routing with firewall. since I put mine in, my zonealarm logs are almost empty.

And if you run zonealrm pro, it really integrates with the firewall in the router to make overall controll easier.

I hear what you say about ICS, but it has alot of drawbacks too.
for 50$, you get the router/switch, a hardware firewall, 4 10/100 ports, one of which has a crossover connector to allow another hub/switch/router to cascade from it.

[poqal]

Hi Ladypcer

I'm just checking in to see if you got your network up and running smoothly. Sometimes they go so easy.....and you know about the other times.

Let us know how you're doing.

[Ladypcer]

Pogal, my plans were to do it yesterday, but I'll have to wait another week. (until after payday) ;)