Home networking

marco_79

Hi

I currently have 1mb blueyonder broadband coming in to one pc in my house via an external cable modem. I have recently purchased another pc and would like it to share net access with the other one. I know I need a router to do this but don't know much else. I would prefer it to be wireless. Can somebody please recomend one at a reasonable price and tell me how i go about connecting them up. Also do the two computers share the bandwidth or would they both get 1mb each.

Thanks in advance

Marco

culpepper

The bandwidth is how much is coming in to the house so they will share the bandwidth.

Joe_Bloggs

The bandwidth would be shared if both computers are downloading simultaneously. This will not be the case in most circumstances. The 1Mbps rate is a statistical rate that relies on the other 49/19 users not downloading stuff all together from a probable 10Mbps source from the ISP.
@marco_79
Does the hardware you got with your ISP have a name and model number ?
J_B.

Toxteth_OGrady

You don't necessarily need a router. You can use Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). It's effectively a software router built in to the Windows OS. You would set it up on the PC the cable modem is connected to.

Yuo can then connect the second PC to the first with wires or wireless. If you want to go wireless the easiest way is to set up an ad-hoc connection between the 2 PCs, after fitting either a wireless PCI card or wireless USB dongle to each. You may not even need these if your motherboard(s) have integrated WLAN.

The limitation of ICS is that the ICS PC has to be left on when you want the second PC to connect to the internet, even if you are only using the second PC. With a hardware router you only have to have on the PC you are using.

If you want a hardware router, you could get on without a built-in modem and plug your existing cable modem into it. Or you could sell your cable modem and buy a router with a built in modem.

If you go for a wireless router, you will still need one or two wireless PCI cards/dongles depending on whether you want to connect one or two PCs wirelessly.

hth

:cool:

TOG

marco_79

Guys

My current cable modem is a Motorola SB4200 Surf board.

I think i would like to go down the route of connecting my current modem on to a router. Then put a wireless dongle on the other pc. Is the transfer speeds ok with these wireless dongles and are they affected by televisions radios etc.

Would there be much to configuring this system my technical knowledge of networking is some what limited.

Marco

BenL

Marco

There is a wireless network guide on the blueyonder.co.uk website with details of what kit is suitable.

You'll be able to get the model numbers from there and shop around ir use the blueyonder shop at netgear I think. (Netgear is a hardware manufacturer)

Ben

Toxteth_OGrady

Your modem has both USB and Ethernet connectors. To connect to the router you would use the ethernet cable. You would then have a second ethernet cable from the router to PC 1.

For the router take a look at the D-Link DI-624+, Netgear WGR614 or Buffalo WBR-G54.

Buy the same brand of wireless USB dongle as your router for maximum firmware compatibility.

WiFi is not affected by nor does it interfere with television/radio etc.

With the kit I've suggested you will get up to 54 Mb/s which is 54 times faster than your ISP internet connection, so the choke point is your modem.

All fairly easy to set up but if you get stuck just ask on here.

:cool:

TOG

marco_79

Thanks folks, this board makes life so much easier.