Newbie: How do I network PC's using a Linksys router and DSL?

[Joe Donaldson]

Newbie: How do I network PC's using a Linksys router and DSL?

I have about 3 PC's now. One is a laptop.
Have a DSL connection from BellSouth. I might change to Roadrunner

My PC's are running Windows 2000, Windows XP Home and Windows ME. I
can upgrade one or more of the PC's to Windows 2k Pro and Windows XP
Pro if needed.

I would like to perform the following and being in marketing have
little knowledge of computer networking. My male computer user friends
who I thought might know a little more - do not know how to do this
either.

I would like to:
1. Be able to share the DSL line for Internet purposes
2. Be able to print from any PC to either of my 2 printers (not
Ethernet connected but locally connected to 2 PC's)
3. Be able to share files across all PC's if possible. If not possible
then, be able to store PC's locally on the local machine and also on
the server.


I have heard terms like Internet Connection sharing, remote printers,
WAN connected printers, File Shares, Network Mapping, Administrative
Rights, Computer Names, NAT, Ports, Firewall protection, IP addresses,
and on and on...

I did cal Linksys with no luck. I called a local Networking Firm but
they wanted a lot of money which I do not have, and I have even joined
Experts-Exchange.com but thought I would start here first.

Where do I start?

Are there any tutorials on line?

Any decent book that is easy to read and can get me up and running in
a day?

Thanks so much in advance.
Please be kind in your replies.
Respectfully
Phyllis

 

[Al Dykes]

Newbie: How do I network PC's using a Linksys router and DSL?

I have about 3 PC's now. One is a laptop.
Have a DSL connection from BellSouth. I might change to Roadrunner

My PC's are running Windows 2000, Windows XP Home and Windows ME. I
can upgrade one or more of the PC's to Windows 2k Pro and Windows XP
Pro if needed.

I would like to perform the following and being in marketing have
little knowledge of computer networking. My male computer user friends
who I thought might know a little more - do not know how to do this
either.

I would like to:
1. Be able to share the DSL line for Internet purposes
2. Be able to print from any PC to either of my 2 printers (not
Ethernet connected but locally connected to 2 PC's)
3. Be able to share files across all PC's if possible. If not possible
then, be able to store PC's locally on the local machine and also on
the server.


I have heard terms like Internet Connection sharing, remote printers,
WAN connected printers, File Shares, Network Mapping, Administrative
Rights, Computer Names, NAT, Ports, Firewall protection, IP addresses,
and on and on...

I did cal Linksys with no luck. I called a local Networking Firm but
they wanted a lot of money which I do not have, and I have even joined
Experts-Exchange.com but thought I would start here first.

Where do I start?

Are there any tutorials on line?

Any decent book that is easy to read and can get me up and running in
a day?

You're asking a lot, at once. take it one step at a time.

If you got a new router, follow the steps in the "quick start" page
that came with it to get your best computer running and browsing the
internet. I assume you've got an ethernet card in all 3 machines,
already. It should take about 15 minutes, once you've hooked up all
the wires. Read the email or paper that came from Bellsouth for some
information, like a user ID and password. Keep this paperwork, make
notes on it if you change your password.

Before you try to hook up any other equipment get one machine running
on the Internet. If you have to call the ISP tech support they won't
want to talk to you about multiple machines on a home LAN, but you
already found that out. Live with it for a few days so you know it's
solid becore youi add anything else. (When you're an expert having
several machines is a big help for troubleshooting, but not now.)

Go to update.microsoft.com right away and apply all critical updates
on this machine.

Make sure your anti-virus product updates itself daily now that you
have a full time connection. (A friend of mine just converted from
dialup to DSL and his symantec AV kept trying to dial a connection
until I told it to use the LAN.)

Then, pne at a time, plug each of the other PCs into the router. It
should be just like the first. (Win/ME might need a little tweeking,
but try it.)

You won't be ready to talk about file and printer sharing until you
get the above done.

Win/ME throws a slight complication into the file and print sharing.
Someone else can comment on that, when you get to it. I've never
worked with ME.

 

[hawk]

There are several ways to do what you want. Try
practicallynetworked.com for a start. Since you already have a router
I suggest that you connect the DSL modem to the router and establish a
network with Internet access first. You didn't say if your router was
wireless or what kind of network adapters you have in any of the
computers.

I assume that one of your computers has a wired network adapter
connected to the DSL modem with a standard ethernet cable. If yes, all
you should have to do is to power down the DSL modem and the computer,
then connect the DSL modem to the router WAN port and connect the
computer to one of the LAN ports. Then power up the DSL modem and wait
about a minute while it connects to the ISP. Then power up the router
and wait about a minute while it connects to the DSL modem. Then power
up your computer. You should now be able to connect to the internet.
Most routers come from the factory configured to work with a DSL or
cable modem. If it doesn't work, you will have to check further for
either router configuration changes or for some procedure required by
your ISP.

hawk