Broadband sharing options

[Patrick]

Currently Running WinXP Home Edition with a **USB Only** Broadband ADSL
Internet connection. I want to share this Internet connection with another
machine (a Windows 98 machine). How could this be achieved? I know the
easiest option would be to
1) replace the USB modem with a broadband ADSL Router
2) Install Network cards to the WinXP and Win98 machine
3) Plug the WinXP and Win98 machines into the router, and phone line into
the ADSL router

But I want the "economical" option of
1) Sharing Internet connections and
2) Optionally, sharing files/printers amongst the 2 machines.
(Note the 2 machines are going to be 10-30 metres apart)

 

[Alan White]

Go for a router for sure. If the modem is USB only, you might have a
problem. It should be exchanged for an Ethernet modem to allow a connection
with your router.
Generally (but not always) the modem and the router are separate pieces of
hardware.
Many ISP's supply the modem and if so, again I remind you to get an Ethernet
modem, not a USB modem.

 

[Kevin]

There are only two choices you have. Wired or wireless. That's about it.

 

[Patrick]

So I can't share a "USB Broadband " connection like I could with a 56K Dial
up connection? I would have to get
1) ADSL Router (£50 ish for a WIRED router)
2) 2 x PCI 10baseT LAN Card (£10 ish each)
Total costs- £70 ish- not very economical

And NO, the ISP does not supply additional modems.

 

[Kevin]

The only two ways I know of are wired or wireless. Either you have a cable
running from one machine to the other or you don't.

 

[Malke]

So I can't share a "USB Broadband " connection like I could with a 56K
Dial
up connection? I would have to get
1) ADSL Router (£50 ish for a WIRED router)
2) 2 x PCI 10baseT LAN Card (£10 ish each)
Total costs- £70 ish- not very economical

And NO, the ISP does not supply additional modems.

Actually, that *is* economical. I don't know about your local prices,
but here (US) a router is under $50 and NIC's are definitely under $10.
You need some ethernet cable, too. So for under $100 (USD, sorry) you
get a working network. Of course, you could always just *describe* the
webpage you're looking at to your friend instead. ;-)

I think what you are thinking about is Windows Internet Connection
Sharing (ICS), which you can definitely do. Look in Help & Support for
details. You will only save the cost of the router, though. You still
need the two NIC's and the cables.

BTW, you definitely wouldn't want a second DSL modem - no point to that
at all.

Malke

 

[Ron Sommer]

A 56K dialup could not share a connection without having a network installed
and using ICS.
Each computer could connect independently.

With the modem connected to one computer, both computers would have to be on
for the second computer to access the Internet.

There are routers with USB connections. I don't know about the cost.

The phone line would not plug into the router unless the router had a built
in modem.

 

[NobodyMan]

Currently Running WinXP Home Edition with a **USB Only** Broadband ADSL
Internet connection. I want to share this Internet connection with another
machine (a Windows 98 machine). How could this be achieved? I know the
easiest option would be to
1) replace the USB modem with a broadband ADSL Router

This won't work. A broadband router does not provide modem services;
it sits in between your computers and the broadband modem.

2) Install Network cards to the WinXP and Win98 machine

If you plan on using a broadband router, then yes, you will have to
install NICs in each computer. You can go either wired or wireless
for your NICs; that choice is up to you. I've never seen a router
that allowed USB connection for each computer. You either used
wireless connections OR a Cat5 ethernet cable.

3) Plug the WinXP and Win98 machines into the router, and phone line into
the ADSL router

This won't work. You can't give up your DSL modem and replace it with
a broadband router. The router doesnt act as a modem; it only allows
the signal to be shared to all computers connected to it. You will
still need you DSL modem!

But I want the "economical" option of
1) Sharing Internet connections and
2) Optionally, sharing files/printers amongst the 2 machines.
(Note the 2 machines are going to be 10-30 metres apart)

1. Keep your DSL modem. You still need it.
2. Purchase a broadband router. Here you have choices - wired or
wireless (or both). Some routers allows for a USB connection between
the modem and the router, but I've never used one like that.
3. Purchase and install NICs in each computer. There are many
choices and non-wireless NICs, using CAT5 cabling, are very cheap.
4. Set it all up. Your router will give you instructions on how.

 

[Patrick]

So I can't share a "USB Broadband " connection like I could with a 56K Dial
up connection? I would have to get
1) ADSL Router (£50 ish for a WIRED router)
2) 2 x PCI 10baseT LAN Card (£10 ish each)
Total costs- £70 ish- not very economical

And NO, the ISP does not supply additional modems.

 

[Ron Sommer]

How did you share a 56K dialup connection?

 

[Alex Nichol]

But I want the "economical" option of
1) Sharing Internet connections and
2) Optionally, sharing files/printers amongst the 2 machines.
(Note the 2 machines are going to be 10-30 metres apart)

The cheapest option would be a pair of cheap Ethernet Nic cards at $10
or less and a 'cross over' Ethernet cable. You can then set up a
stamndard LAN connection between them, and use Internet connection
Sharing to allow the second machine to get at the Internet through the
first. Downside is that the one connected to the Internet has to be on
at the time

 

[Patrick]

Nowadays, a lot of ADSL modem and routers are all-in-one combined, with
built-in basic firewall aren't they? Some even include wireless LAN? (e.g.
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=42664)

 

[Patrick]

How can you set up Internet Connection Sharing with a Cross Over LAN
Connection? What gateway to set up on the host/client PC? And how to set
up host PC to accept connection from client?

 

[NobodyMan]

The cheapest option would be a pair of cheap Ethernet Nic cards at $10
or less and a 'cross over' Ethernet cable. You can then set up a
stamndard LAN connection between them, and use Internet connection
Sharing to allow the second machine to get at the Internet through the
first. Downside is that the one connected to the Internet has to be on
at the time

The worst downside to Microsoft's Internet Crap Sharing...I mean
Internet Connection Sharing software is that is it so buggy. You can
rely on having to reboot the host often attempting to maintain the
connection. Use it for a while and you'll wish you just spent the
cash on the router.

 

[NobodyMan]

Nowadays, a lot of ADSL modem and routers are all-in-one combined, with
built-in basic firewall aren't they? Some even include wireless LAN? (e.g.
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=42664)

You really should learn to bottom post to make the thread easier to
follow.....

I have never seen a modem/router combo until tonight, and they are
rare compared to finding a regular broadband router. Since you
already have a DSL modem, why buy a router with a modem built in?
Just use your existing modem and buy a much cheaper router sans modem.

 

[NobodyMan]

So I can't share a "USB Broadband " connection like I could with a 56K Dial
up connection? I would have to get
1) ADSL Router (£50 ish for a WIRED router)
2) 2 x PCI 10baseT LAN Card (£10 ish each)
Total costs- £70 ish- not very economical

And NO, the ISP does not supply additional modems.

Even using ICS you would still have to buy the two NICs. If you just
go out and buy them and the router, then there would be no reason to
have to rely on the unreliable ICS crap and no need to worry about not
being able to obtain a second modem.

 

[Alex Nichol]

How can you set up Internet Connection Sharing with a Cross Over LAN
Connection? What gateway to set up on the host/client PC? And how to set
up host PC to accept connection from client?

You do it from the connection that goes to the Internet. Its
Properties, Advanced, check 'Allow others to connect through. . .'

That will then force the IP address used on the LAN to be 192.168.0.1 -
and the other machines connecting need to have 192.168.0.x with x some
other value

Note that some firewalls will get in the way. You should have the LAN
set as Trusted, or the Firewall off from the host machine, and even then
I am having trouble with the current Zone Alarm and have to turn it off
and fall back on the SP2 Windows Firewall, with the LAN turned off on
its advanced page

 

[Alex Nichol]

The worst downside to Microsoft's Internet Crap Sharing...I mean
Internet Connection Sharing software is that is it so buggy. You can
rely on having to reboot the host often attempting to maintain the
connection. Use it for a while and you'll wish you just spent the
cash on the router.

I have not had that experience (using it on a pair of WiFi 802.11b
adapters and SP2)

 

[Patrick]

Which Properties->Advanced are you referring to where I can set 'Allow
others to connect through. . .' (on the host machine).

Also, would I need to set up proxy server on the "client" PC (the one
without the USB broadband ADSL Modem)?

 

[Patrick]

First of all, just want to clarify it is an ADSL and not DSL USB modem I
have got.

However, if I were to get a Router, how could I plug the USB ADSL modem into
the router? The "intput" to the USB ADSL Modem is a phoneline, the output
is a USB connection? The intput/output to a router are Cat-5 connections,
right?