Cable modem / router
 

All right, I'm having a stup*d moment:

If I get cable internet, and they come and install a cable modem, and I want to share the connection with multiple PCs, I add a router, right?

Why am I seeing routers that include the cable modem?

You do not "NEED" a router. You can use ICS or a proxy server. But the computer with the main connection will always have to be on. I would get a router and a modem seperate. Never been a fan of having to replace both if one goes bad.

Personally I went with a router with a built in 4 port switch. Mostly because after rebate it ended up being 40 cheaper.
Moving from 10Mbp hub to a 10/100switch shure made a difference. Now if I could just figure out the delay crap between win2K and anything else.

Right... now I'm looking at this Linksys unit.

I don't know if the tech is going to show up with anything other than a standard cable modem. I should call them (RoadRunner).

Hope it is not a USB modem! :p If you have a network card then all they will install is the modem..

I also went with a router with a 4port switch. Now all I need is cable or DSL. :( It was only $50 at CompUSA though. I think cable became available here last week. Going to call and find out!

WooHoo, will be installed this Friday! :)

No I think I explained it clearly. Anyways, I don't have a USB post:p

I was just wondering if I could just get a router, since I'll already have the cable modem.

Or even more simply, a Switch.

(Dealing with WANs was much simpler...)

With a switch only you will need ICS or a proxy server for multiple computers. I am running a proxy server to hook up my 4 computers right now through that routers switch. Works rathert well, but i don't have the hardware firewall of the router as the router part isn't being used......yet. :) So glad to get back to cable! I got real spoiled on it at my old Apt. Moved here and was promised DSL was available. But they where unaware the differences between DSL and dialup. :rolleyes: Turned out DSL nor cable was available. :( Long time to live without cable after using it for a year or so. :D

That's what I thought, thanks!

I knew something had to assign a new IP address for each PC, and that only a router can do that.

DHCP here I come...:mad:

Hehehe. You can also use an old computer and turn it into a software router.

Technically that would be a hardware router.

Thats exactly what I use, an old P-166 using the LRP (linux router project) Its extreamly easy to build and configure one, even if you know nothing about Linux. http://pigtail.net/LRP/index.html
Using this setup, you have DHCP server, firewall, extreamly configurable, etc. etc... you can run it from a floppy, an old hard drive or a compact flash card with an IDE to CF converter. This is the option I use.
Those low cost Linksys and other brand routers are just that, low cost crap. you get what you pay for. The LRP machine out performs them hands down and is very inexpensive to make. Most of use have old systems laying around. Once its up and running you don't need a monitor, keyboard or mouse connected.

just my 2 cents....

scott

It would also have the advantage of being the firewall, in a single point, instead of running some shareware on each machine, right?

That is EXACTLY what I was thinking. The linux router. I wasn't sure if it would be a hardware firewall ot not as I couldn't remember. I was about to set one of these up on an old P166 with a Evergreen P233 CPU but I moved and didn't need to. Got a good deal on this little CompUSA router with 4 port switch so I bought it as I needed a 4 port switch and it was on sale for the same price as a stand alone 4 port switch. :D I don;t have room for a 5th computer anyway. :D

here is the linky. http://www.linuxrouter.org/

I went to the Linux router after my Linksys router took a dump. I looked around at quality routers and they were a bit pricey. My only expense for the linux router was the IDE to CF card, and the CF card itself. And I actually had it up and running using a floppy before I went to the CF setup, so cost was nothing. The instructions on the link on my above post are the best I found, and he includes links to any file you might need.

scott

Thanks to all.

This will also serve for my wife's VPN connection, so it should work flawlessly.

Personally, I'm looking forward to using one firewall, instead of using it on all the computers.

Thanks for the links!


So now here's a twist: my wife asked me if I could setup one of our PCs in one of the kid's bedrooms. Of course she's not too technical (read: not at all) and as I tried to explain it to her, I'd have to route a network cable, from the router to that room. That means running a cable outside. (Now what kind of cable am I gonna use?)

Alternatively, the cable provider might be able to hook up a second cable modem, since that bedroom already has cable, but that would be an extra expense. Of course I'm assuming that this is possible. Anyone?

Otherwise, she also asked me if she could go wireless, for her office laptop, and I said "Sure! $200", so she's dropped that, but not before asking if she could use her laptop at Starbucks...:rolleyes:

Personally I was amazed at how flexible Cat5e is, and how much you can stuff under base boards.

To run cable from my work room to the bathroom across the hall I ran the cable along the baseboard edge of the outer walls. It ended up being over 100ft (instead of the 10ft it could've been), but it works until I get aroud to accually running the cable. The hardest part was hiding it around a few of the door frames. A little semi gloss black paint cured that. (the cable not the door frame.)

Now why would you want a connection in your bathroom:D

I remember doing the same with coax net cabling (another sign of my age!).:rolleyes:

Now I'd still like to know, for my own curiosity, if it's possible to hook up two cable modems...

My wife has Rhuemitoid arthritis and dairy and wheat allergies, she spends a lot of time in there.

I don't see why not, just not linked together.

For surfing the internet while having a dump?

The bathroom is the first place that users with notebooks and wireless LANs go to check out :)

You would have to have another account setup. They will not let you run 2 modems off the same line. Last I checked anyway.... And they will only supply one modem, so you would have to drop $100+ for a new modem. Better just buying/setting up a router and running some cable.

Our system up here does not require a log on. My neighbor isn't very comp savy, he has a modem upstairs and one downstairs. Same account

Well I went with RoadRunner (through Time Warner). I could have picked Earthlink, but they don't allow more than 1 connection, versus 5 for RR.