Advice: hardware for ICS, cable modem, 3 PCs on wireLAN, 1 PC onwireless spur?

[Dan Seur]

(New to this ng; if this has been covered, a pointer to such thread(s)
would be appreciated. I'm looking now thru almost 1800 posts here.)

Perhaps some kind soul can save me some time. I want to move up
from 56K dialup access to cable, and share the cable access
among 4 machines that do not now share net access.

The current config is described below, and I'd like to do this
upgrade in the simlest/cheapest way possible. It must involve
one wireless connection, and I know I could spend a day or two
on the net and get the info I need but for many folks here it
would be a trivial reply. I'm just a few years behind the times.

I have 4 machines in 2 buildings about 90' apart. All 4 machines
were on a wired ethernet until a few months ago I moved my 3
office machines into my new backyard office, and all still have
those NICs/software in place. The new office is a building
about 60' (unobstructed) from the back of the house. My wife's
machine is still in the house.

In my office my 3 machines (HOM1/HOM3/HOM4) are all W2k WS SP2,
wire-LAN connected, and HOM1 has a dialup modem. HOM3/HOM4 are
file backup machines, mostly; net access would be welcome.

In the house my wife's machine (HOM2) is NT4 SP6a (easily
converted to W2k WS, just haven't done it yet), and has a
dialup modem.

I can easily bring cable access into the office, with the
cable modem on HOM1. I'd like to just leave the other 2
machines on the current 10/100 wire LAN.

I'd like to connect my wife's HOM2 machine in the house via
wireless to the LAN in the office, and provide cable access
to that machine from HOM1 also.

The cable deal displaces one of 3 phone lines; it works out
to about $3/month more. It offers 5 USERIDs, ample for us.
I would of course do the sharing part myself, quietly, after
the cable modem access on HOM1 is operational.

I should mention I have the W2k Server CD also. Haven't used
it and don't particularly want to, but could if it's needed
(on HOM1, I assume.)

The config I hope to install might look like this (the cable
modem should show as connected via HOM1):

[cable modem]
|
|
[HOM4]--wire--[HOM3]--wire--[HOM1]--wireless--[HOM2]


Any quick advice about good gear for this would be great. I'm
not even certain whether an external or internal cable modem
on HOM1 would make a difference, or whether some external or
internal hub or router is really required. Or what wireless
protocol might be best. (The house is old wood frame, little
radiofreq damping, and the office transceiving antenna would
be windowsill facing the house. 90' is a max throw antenna to
antenna, and I could always boost/focus antenna outputs a bit.
Residential neighborhood, but little EMI from phones/microwaves
etc.)

TIA...any guidance much appreciated.

 

[Phillip Windell]

[cable modem]
|
|
[HOM4]--wire--[HOM3]--wire--[HOM1]--wireless--[HOM2]

That looks fine if you want to use your HOM# machine to do the sharing of
the conection.


You could also go with a Cable Router (instead of modem) and use it to do
the sharing. They usually have a hub or switch built into them with 4 or
more ports. If you need more ports just add additional switches/hubs to it.
All the machines and the one wireless connection point device would all just
plug into one of the switch ports.

So you can pretty much go which ever way you like.

 

[Dan Seur]

Thanx much, Phillip. I can't go with a cable router; local cable outfit
requires they install cable modem. So I'm off to track down what
specific gear (more NICs? What/which wireless products?) to buy/install.

[cable modem]
|
|
[HOM4]--wire--[HOM3]--wire--[HOM1]--wireless--[HOM2]

That looks fine if you want to use your HOM# machine to do the sharing of
the conection.


You could also go with a Cable Router (instead of modem) and use it to do
the sharing. They usually have a hub or switch built into them with 4 or
more ports. If you need more ports just add additional switches/hubs to it.
All the machines and the one wireless connection point device would all just
plug into one of the switch ports.

So you can pretty much go which ever way you like.

 

[John]

Get a wireless router. Linksys has one with 4 ports for wired connections as
well as the wireless transmitter. Check alt.internet.wireless.

(New to this ng; if this has been covered, a pointer to such thread(s)
would be appreciated. I'm looking now thru almost 1800 posts here.)

Perhaps some kind soul can save me some time. I want to move up
from 56K dialup access to cable, and share the cable access
among 4 machines that do not now share net access.

The current config is described below, and I'd like to do this
upgrade in the simlest/cheapest way possible. It must involve
one wireless connection, and I know I could spend a day or two
on the net and get the info I need but for many folks here it
would be a trivial reply. I'm just a few years behind the times.

I have 4 machines in 2 buildings about 90' apart. All 4 machines
were on a wired ethernet until a few months ago I moved my 3
office machines into my new backyard office, and all still have
those NICs/software in place. The new office is a building
about 60' (unobstructed) from the back of the house. My wife's
machine is still in the house.

In my office my 3 machines (HOM1/HOM3/HOM4) are all W2k WS SP2,
wire-LAN connected, and HOM1 has a dialup modem. HOM3/HOM4 are
file backup machines, mostly; net access would be welcome.

In the house my wife's machine (HOM2) is NT4 SP6a (easily
converted to W2k WS, just haven't done it yet), and has a
dialup modem.

I can easily bring cable access into the office, with the
cable modem on HOM1. I'd like to just leave the other 2
machines on the current 10/100 wire LAN.

I'd like to connect my wife's HOM2 machine in the house via
wireless to the LAN in the office, and provide cable access
to that machine from HOM1 also.

The cable deal displaces one of 3 phone lines; it works out
to about $3/month more. It offers 5 USERIDs, ample for us.
I would of course do the sharing part myself, quietly, after
the cable modem access on HOM1 is operational.

I should mention I have the W2k Server CD also. Haven't used
it and don't particularly want to, but could if it's needed
(on HOM1, I assume.)

The config I hope to install might look like this (the cable
modem should show as connected via HOM1):

[cable modem]
|
|
[HOM4]--wire--[HOM3]--wire--[HOM1]--wireless--[HOM2]


Any quick advice about good gear for this would be great. I'm
not even certain whether an external or internal cable modem
on HOM1 would make a difference, or whether some external or
internal hub or router is really required. Or what wireless
protocol might be best. (The house is old wood frame, little
radiofreq damping, and the office transceiving antenna would
be windowsill facing the house. 90' is a max throw antenna to
antenna, and I could always boost/focus antenna outputs a bit.
Residential neighborhood, but little EMI from phones/microwaves
etc.)

TIA...any guidance much appreciated.

 

[Dan Seur]

Thanks, John. That's the 2nd response advising that. Glad I asked!

Get a wireless router. Linksys has one with 4 ports for wired connections as
well as the wireless transmitter. Check alt.internet.wireless.

(New to this ng; if this has been covered, a pointer to such thread(s)
would be appreciated. I'm looking now thru almost 1800 posts here.)

Perhaps some kind soul can save me some time. I want to move up
from 56K dialup access to cable, and share the cable access
among 4 machines that do not now share net access.

The current config is described below, and I'd like to do this
upgrade in the simlest/cheapest way possible. It must involve
one wireless connection, and I know I could spend a day or two
on the net and get the info I need but for many folks here it
would be a trivial reply. I'm just a few years behind the times.

I have 4 machines in 2 buildings about 90' apart. All 4 machines
were on a wired ethernet until a few months ago I moved my 3
office machines into my new backyard office, and all still have
those NICs/software in place. The new office is a building
about 60' (unobstructed) from the back of the house. My wife's
machine is still in the house.

In my office my 3 machines (HOM1/HOM3/HOM4) are all W2k WS SP2,
wire-LAN connected, and HOM1 has a dialup modem. HOM3/HOM4 are
file backup machines, mostly; net access would be welcome.

In the house my wife's machine (HOM2) is NT4 SP6a (easily
converted to W2k WS, just haven't done it yet), and has a
dialup modem.

I can easily bring cable access into the office, with the
cable modem on HOM1. I'd like to just leave the other 2
machines on the current 10/100 wire LAN.

I'd like to connect my wife's HOM2 machine in the house via
wireless to the LAN in the office, and provide cable access
to that machine from HOM1 also.

The cable deal displaces one of 3 phone lines; it works out
to about $3/month more. It offers 5 USERIDs, ample for us.
I would of course do the sharing part myself, quietly, after
the cable modem access on HOM1 is operational.

I should mention I have the W2k Server CD also. Haven't used
it and don't particularly want to, but could if it's needed
(on HOM1, I assume.)

The config I hope to install might look like this (the cable
modem should show as connected via HOM1):

[cable modem]
|
|
[HOM4]--wire--[HOM3]--wire--[HOM1]--wireless--[HOM2]


Any quick advice about good gear for this would be great. I'm
not even certain whether an external or internal cable modem
on HOM1 would make a difference, or whether some external or
internal hub or router is really required. Or what wireless
protocol might be best. (The house is old wood frame, little
radiofreq damping, and the office transceiving antenna would
be windowsill facing the house. 90' is a max throw antenna to
antenna, and I could always boost/focus antenna outputs a bit.
Residential neighborhood, but little EMI from phones/microwaves
etc.)

TIA...any guidance much appreciated.

 

[Phillip Windell]

Thanx much, Phillip. I can't go with a cable router; local cable outfit

Make them verify their terminology. Even though the Router and Modem are two
different things many incorrectly use the term interchangably.

requires they install cable modem. So I'm off to track down what
specific gear (more NICs? What/which wireless products?) to buy/install.

If you must use a Modem, then the HOM3 machine would have two NICs and would
do the connection sharing. It would connect to the Modem via a
"crossover-cable" with its "Internet NIC". The other machines along with the
other LAN Nic of the HOM3 would connect to a common Hub or Switch.

 

[Dan Seur]

Thanx for this followup, Phillip. You're absolutely right about precise
terminology; that's a real bugaboo in every experience I've had in a
lifetime of nosing around a number of disciplines. I've been
researching, and it looks like I can after all buy/use my own
DOCSIS-certified cable modem with the local cable provider
(BrightHouse), so:

(1) LinkSys WCG200 WirelessG 802.11g Cable Gateway (USB on HOM1) with
4xRJ45 Cat5e ports gets me cable access on HOM1, wireless to house,and
2xCAT5e connectivity to 2 other ofc machines (HOM3-4).

(2) LinkSys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge on NIC on HOM2 in house gives
me decent reliable connectivity to ofc across 70-90'. (Fingers crossed.)

(3) 2 RJ45 ports remain available on WCG200 in ofc.

(4) 31 wireless device (of 32) capacity remains available on WCG200,
handy in case some guest arrives with 30 laptops.

So far I'm assuming all machines on this net will have simultaneous
cable connectivity; I'm pinning that down before buying. Softlee softlee
catchee monkee...

 

[Phillip Windell]

All sounds fine to me!