sharing an internet connection?

zippy75

Hi folks, hope you can help me with what I hope is a fairly simple problem?

I will shortly be moving into my parents' house, where they have a PC with a broadband connection provided by Tiscali, and a single phone line. Also, my ISP is also Tiscali, so I have their software installed.

I will be bringing my PC, plus printer etc., and setting it up in an upstairs bedroom (their PC is also in an upstairs bedroom).

The question is, what is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way of having both computers sharing the same internet connection?

I don't really know anything about networking PCs together and whether I'd have to do that, but I'm not interested in sharing any files between them, I just really need a way of having internet access for both of them. So it's basically keeping two PCs independent.

I spoke to a guy at Tiscali and he said to get a wireless router, which would mean not using the modems that each PC has at the moment; he seemed to think that this was the easiest way of doing it, but I don't know if it would be the cheapest?!

If there are other ways of doing it, what cables etc. would I need, and would I have to have to have both PCs on at the same time if I wanted to be connected to the internet on one of them?

The specs of the two PCs are broadly the same (as follows)

Each PC has:

Windows XP Home edition
256 mb RAM
80 gb hard drive
ADSL modem (not wireless)
each has it's own printer installed, and I will be keeping it that way
Tiscali software installed

So any ideas gratefully received, also any ideas for (preferably online) suppliers of any equipment needed - I have a list of a few good 'uns that I regularly use, but suggestions welcome!

Thanks,

Zippy:)

jem16

The cheapest way would be to connect both PCs by a cross-over ethernet cable(assuming both have network ports) and then share the connection using ICS(Internet Connection Sharing). This would involve having the PC doing the connecting to Tiscali always being on for the other to share its connection.
A better was is to buy a router. You can the attach one PC by ethernet cable. The other PC could also be attached by ethernet cable if you are happy running a cable or wirelessly if you buy a wireless router and a wireless network card for the 2nd PC.

ManAtHome

Would agree with Jem. What ADSL modems do you both have - do they connect to the PC via USB or "network"?

zippy75

Thanks for the replies jem16 and ManAtHome,

The ADSL modems the PCs both have are both the same model and they are named "USB ADSL WAN Adapter" in network connections.

You can the attach one PC by ethernet cable. The other PC could also be attached by ethernet cable if you are happy running a cable or wirelessly if you buy a wireless router and a wireless network card for the 2nd PC.

Pardon my dopeyness, but what kind of cable is an ethernet cable and where (at both ends) does it connect? And does a wireless network card need to be installed inside the PC and how would I know if there was already one installed?

Sorry but I'm still at a bit of a loss about how to set up the whole thing!

Wonga

Forget the crossover method, it may be the cheapest, but is is not the easiest nor is it the most reliable. Main PC is the gateway and needs to be on for slave PC to work.

Get yourself an ADSL router (£30 ish) and connect both PC's via this, very easy, relatively cheap and far more reliable.

Wonga

zippy75 wrote: »

Pardon my dopeyness, but what kind of cable is an ethernet cable and where (at both ends) does it connect? And does a wireless network card need to be installed inside the PC and how would I know if there was already one installed?

An ethernet cable is a little thinner than a TV coaxial cable and has a plug on the end slightly larger than a modem plug. It is a typical 'network' cable. It connects to the socket on your PC, there will only be one that will accept it (if you have one at all). If there isn't one there, you can install a PCI ethernet card or even easier a USB to Ethernet adapter. You will need the ethernet card for my previous suggestion (also known as LAN adapter, RJ45 socket/port, network socket/port)

alanclose

A crossover ethernet cable looks like this



It attaches to the network card in each of your PC's. You could either have a look in the back of your PC's to see if you have a place it would fit but the easiest way to see if you have a network card installed is to right click on my computer icon - go to properties - then the hardware tab and then device manager. Look for network adapters and see if you have a card installed.

If the answer is yes for both PC's then you can network them with the crossover cable. Be careful buying the cable - make sure you ask for a crossover as the ordinary ethernet cable looks the same

albertross_2

If you don't want wires going everywhere, a wireless adsl router and a wireless usb adapter is the best option. It also gives your parents better security (providing you encrypt the wireless signal)

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/118010/rb/0

£42 if you use google checkout, there are cheaper ones available.

ManAtHome

It's similar to a dial-up modem cable and port (more PCs will have these than ethernet). A couple of piccies:
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/illus/3/36/30036.jpg
http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/dynaweb_docs/hdwr/SGI_EndUser/books/Tezro_Tower_UG/sgi_html/figures/A-1.Ethernet.loc.and.pinout.gif

The second one gives you a clue what to look for on the PC - little icon with a box above a horizontal line and 2 boxes underneath (between the small drawing of the port and the back of the PC base unit). Will be in the specs if you still have them - normally described as 10/100 network port (unlikely to have wireless networking built in).

zippy75

The ethernet cable method sounds a bit confusing and maybe not the right way to go...

Also,

Forget the crossover method, it may be the cheapest, but is is not the easiest nor is it the most reliable. Main PC is the gateway and needs to be on for slave PC to work.
Get yourself an ADSL router (£30 ish) and connect both PC's via this, very easy, relatively cheap and far more reliable.

... I wouldn't want the bother of my parents' PC having to be switched on for me to get online, (if it wasn't already).

Given the info on the computers that I've already supplied, can anyone recommend a specific product fro the ADSL router, or a router of the type that albertross recommended?

albertross_2

do you mean a wired or wireless router?