Home Network Help Please

[Reefsmoka]

Hey all,

I want to share the broadband connection from my brothers bedroom PC upstairs to my PC downstairs. He has a Motorola SB4100 modem connected to his PC (running win 98) via USB. The modem also has a spare ethernet slot, just incase you didnt want to use USB. The PC i have downstairs is running win XP (home edition). I dont want to spend over £100 really, any more than that, and its just not worth it!

I want to know:

Every single bit of equipment I would have to buy.
Recommendations of equipment.
I would prefer wireless, but if its out my budget, i have no beef with wired .
And any tips, problems or anything that would help me on my way.

Thanks all ^^.

 

[psd99]

well how about getting hold of two wireless pci cards. there are different speeds availble. im sure that with your budget 22mbs is more than adequete 4 your needs..

then the other option is to buy a wireless access point connect this to your brothers pc. and get a wireless pci card for yours. the advantage with this is that should your brothers pc is off, u will still be able to go on his internet connection.

i woulndt go with a wired connection is just hassles, but im sure it will be a lot cheaper. go for wireless, just in case u want to move your pc u will be screwed. wired is just getting hold of some cable and two nic cards. then drilling holes and putting the wire thorugh it. prob cost u no more than 30-40 quid.but dont bother mate wireless all the way.

dont quote me on this though! just been reading articles.

 

[muckshifter]

Get a "Router" and enough RJ45 cable to connect to downstairs. Cost around £35 for the Router

You could go Wireless for under £100, one wireless router + one/two wireless network cards

 

[Reefsmoka]

Will i need network or ethernet cards (i aint sure) if i go for the wired option?

Do i connect the router directly to the modem, or to the computer the modem is attached to?

Does it matter where the router is? does it need to be close to the modem? or could i have it downstairs near the PC that has no modem?

I'm a complete and utter noobie to this networking busines, seriously, i didnt even know what a router was till today!

please be gentile .

 

[muckshifter]

network or ethernet cards are the same thing ...
... and yes, you'll need one for each PC

Do i connect the router directly to the modem

Yes! ... then all computers connect to the Router.
As an added bonus most good routers (if not all) have their own firewall

Does it matter where the router is?

Nope! ... as long as it can connect to the modem.

please be gentile

I'll try ...

 

[ChristopherP]

My uncle was explaining his wireless connection to me - and yes, you could go 802.11g for under £100, just. That means 54mb/ps a second transfer rates using wireless connectivity OR if you were going wired, then you would have a hardware firewall - this is on the Netgear wireless ADSL Modem Router with Hardware Firewall bla bla bla its about £88inc VAT and PCI thingys arent too expensive.

if you do it on the cheap, then get a brand named router - preferably Netgear. having used a generic router and a netgear router the netgear is FAR FAR superior.

I would assume also you could just grab a wireless access point - i THINK that you just plug that into the ethernet port in the modem then just connect with the PCI thing - would be cheaper and you do not have to have miles of cable.

Hmm...

 

[Reefsmoka]

ahh thanks alot muck's, a real gentleman .

Now do you have any recommendations of a router, and where to get it from? And the same with the cards?

 

[muckshifter]

Well, personally, I have my own suppliers, but one does sell to "the public" Here

At present I have the D-Link DI-604 Broardband Router £28.40 (my £70 Linsky died )
A couple of D-Link DFE-530 TX's will do @ £9.10 ... I prefer 3COM 905s, £16.12, a better quality card.

The "RJ45" (CAT5/6 Patch Lead) network cable would be best bought from the likes of Maplins, they will/should be able to supply you with the lenghth you need ... the length can be as long as a football pitch without the "signal" needing to be "boosted" ... though CCL does sell lengths upto 10m

You could always go to your local Computer Superstore and pay over the odds

 

[Reefsmoka]

Well i going to order the router you recommended from here and im going to order those 3 Com Pci cards you recommended from the shop you recommended . And i have a maplin not far form home (about 3 mile max), so i can just nip up there for the cable becuase i aint paying P&P for bloody cable!

Thanks again mucks, a real hero in the home network world .

 

[muckshifter]

Before ordering ... go to Maplins first, you may just find everything you need there, and no postage to pay. But don't be tempted to buy "a cheaper alternative"

If you do decide to order from CCL I suggest you get the Router there as well, the postage will be the same as it will still be one parcel ... and if anything "fails" their Returns are very good. The choice is yours.

Let us know when you get it all.

 

[Techy]

reef, what sort of net connection you got?

 

[Reefsmoka]

128 at the mo, but i will upgrade to 750 if thats too slow.

 

[Techy]

adsl or cable?

you need to make sure that you get the relavent router for the connection you've got

 

[Reefsmoka]

its cable, that router should be ok.

 

[Reefsmoka]

Well i've ran into a little trouble on the networking (suprising or not). I bougt one of them Artic VGA Coolers, and its stole 2 of my PCI slots! So theres no room for me to install a network card, becuase my soundcard has the last one.Theres no need to call Inspector Frost yet, because i noticed my Mobo has an ethernet port, so i'm guessing it has an onboard network card.

So my question is, Would it be ok to use the onboard network card with a different make PCI slot network card?

The onboard network card is instel Pro set, or something simular. (its made by intel)

 

[muckshifter]

So my question is, Would it be ok to use the onboard network card with a different make PCI slot network card?

Yes.


... note for Ian, how can the above mesage be tooo shooort?

 

[Reefsmoka]

Cheers Mucks,

Least thats saved me around £15, so now i only gotta buy 1 network card . I have another little question, which may or may not sound silly. Is it ok to buy cable that is 10 meters long even though i only need say 5 meters of it, and have the rest coiled up just incase i move it around? Or will it mess with my internet speed/connection? Or will there be no different what so ever?

 

[muckshifter]

Is it ok to buy cable that is 10 meters long even though i only need say 5 meters of it

Yes it is OK ... you never know when you may need the extra lenght.

Oh, and there is no such thing as a silly question.

 

[ChristopherP]

i have a network cable that goes from the router in the study up round the attic and down through the ceiling of my room to my PC and my speeds are normal.

Sods law says that as the cable can not be moved or replaced easily we get mice...

 

[Reefsmoka]

Hey all,

I fianlly got my home network up, and i can say it was alot of hassle! Even though i followed the instructions carefully, it still wouldnt work. I had a computer expert round here for around 2 hours to try and sort it, and he did to my delight . This home network malarky is not for the faint of heart i can tell ya now. Though he did say it was the hardest one to do that hes come across, im glad he was a friend and did it for free though (cheers mate ).

I used the router that mucks recommended, a D-Link DI-604, it was £25 from Savastore and i used a Belkin ethernet card i also got from Savastore, it cost me around £12.