Cable modem

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Hi, I connect to the net through cable. A coaxial cable comes into a Motorola cable modem and then the cable modem is connected to my computer using cat-5 cable /ethernet card.

I want to attach a second computer (from the kids room) to the current service. Is it as simple as connecting a hub to the cable modem and then running cat-5 cables to the ethernet cards of both computers? Does that efectively provide cable-modem service to both PCs? Can both PC’s use the net simultaneously? Does each computer have to have it’s own IPaddress? (whatever that is…or is the address assigned to the modem?)

I have no idea how this stuff works – but if it’s as easy as adding a hub and 100 ft of cat-5, I should be able to pull it off. Am I thinking right? Or am I headed for problems I just don’t know about yet?

One PC will be XPHome, the other XPpro.

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I have found that you may want to fit a second NIC to the machine currently connected to the cable modem, then fit a NIC to the kids computer. Connect the two via a crossover cable if you are using cat5.

I found that fiiting a hub between the modem and computer does not work. There are other ways, but the other works out significantly cheeper where only two computers are involved.

If you are in the UK and subscribe to NTL digital, you will find a cable modem built into the digibox, full instructions on how to activate this facility are available on the help pages at http://www.ntlworld.com

Tony

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What you need is a cable/dsl router/hub and two new cables. I use the LinkSys BEFSR41.

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I have a setup similar to the one Ian describes and love it. The only difference is the model router. I chose the Linksys BEFW11S4, which supports both wireless and wired connections. The cost of the router and a wireless card (802.11) are probably a couple hundred dollars more expensive to purchase than the wired approach, but adding wireless options has the following advantages:

1) I don’t have to run cable to my kids’ room at the end of the hall. Either I’d have to run the cable ( ) or I’d pay somebody a $100 (my guess, not a quote) to do it.

2) Allows me to use my work laptop anywhere in the house. We happen to have wireless at the office, so I just turn it on and I’m online. This is especially helpful when the other two PCs are occupied, since the room where the cable modem is located is too small for a couple of us to work comfortably. I can just plop down at the kitchen table, back porch, bed, sofa, etc.

While the kids go wireless, I use CAT-5 to my PC since it’s so close and provides greater bandwidth.

Chip

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Okay – I got the Linksys BEFSR41. Here’s what’s going on: The coax goes to the cable modem, a short cat5 goes from the modem to the WAN on the Linksys and I have two PCs cat5’ed to the Linksys.

My PC is an XP-Pro, the other is XP-Home. The router has been configured per the instructions and the result is both PCs have super internet access. So far, perfect! And that router is nice. Very simple to setup.

But for the life of me, I can’t get one PC to see the other PC so that I can do the file sharing thing. I’ve run both PCs through the “Setup Small Office / HOme Network” wizard countless times.

Any advice?

A local networking guy suggested that I run the cat5 from the modem to my PC and then use a second NIC to run to the router and then connect the second computer to the router????? Since I just have the 2 PCs, I could accomplish the same thing without using a router at all! Sounds like a crock – surely, this is not the solution…

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That suggestion would work, but you wouldn’t be able to expand, easily in the future.

Ensure that in your network properties, you’ve allowed file sharing. Also, if you’re using a software based firewall such as ZoneAlarm, make sure it allows a connection from the other computer(s).

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A few suggestions. Check your DHCP table in your router.(open an Explorer window and type the addy they gave you – like 192.168.1.1, go to status and scroll down. At the bottom will be the table. Click on it and make sure both machines have full IP and MAC address.[they do I am sure since you have internet access]. You could release and reset the table also). Make sure each drive you want to share is sharable. Open Windows Explorer and right click on a drive. One of the options is to share. Click on that and then another window pops up. Authorize sharing and if necasary rename the drive ( for example my “c” drive always shows as “$C”, I hit new share then type just “C” in the window to share drive C. Not sure why but always have to change that drives’ name). After you do that on both machines reboot and they should see each other. The only other thing I can think of is make sure they both have the same name for a workgroup. Hope this helps a bit and good luck. I have the same router and love it also.

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I hooked my Motorola SB4100 to the USB on my computer and then from my nic to the nic to my other computer. I then ran the Microsoft Internet sharing program. And Bang, everything works!
Mike

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So…I can connect my first PC to the External Cable Modem using a USB and then run cat5 from one PC-nic to the other PC-nic? That seems too good to be true – it would certainly be the least expensive of the choices. Does bandwitdth stay strong when using the USB and does the remote computer down line on the NIC share the same speed as the original PC or does performance take a hit on the second computer?

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It will work. You should make the XPPro system the ICS host and it must be on for the other system to connect. There will be some, but not a huge, performance hit on the host system.

I prefer the router approach as it simplifies my network and adds additional security. But purchasing a USB-Ethernet adaptor and a cross-over cable is fairly low cost and does not require opening a system to install a second NIC.

Your lowest cost approach is purchasing a second internal NIC and a cross-over cable. This will require opening the case of the Pro system to install the NIC.

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So as an alternative to using the USB connection: I could install a second ethernet cardin the main machine?

Cable modem to Pro PC using cat5.
Pro PC to HomePC using cat5.

You have used the word “crossover” a few times. Is all cat5 cable not the same? I see where I can by a 100ft patch cable for about $37.

Lastly, is there an NIC card made that has two holes; you know, like a 56k modem (incoming and outgoing)? If so, that would seem better than having two cards taking two slots!

BTW, I sure appreciate the responses from everyone – you all are saving me a fortune. I was prepared to let a company come in and network my home for hundreds of dollars but the responses to my original post have let me know that this is something I can do. Thanks, again.

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The crossover cable that Ian is speaking about is different from the standard CAT5 patch cable that you’d purchase at your local computer store. However, you can also purchase this cable at most of these said stores.

The crossover cable has (I believe) 2 of the wires “crossed” at one end of the cable. I believe, if compared end to end, the cables would look like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 6 3 4 5 2 7 8

In a standard cable, you’d have 1 –> 8 on both ends.

Can somebody confirm this for me? I wouldn’t want to steer Tricky wrong…

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Close. That would work for cat3. Spec for cat5 100Mhz cross over is here

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 6 1 4 5 2 8 7

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I used to use 2 NICs in a computer and use a sharing/proxy software but that is too much of a mess. I found that once I bought a Linksys Cable/DSL Router, plugged that in to the cable modem, then plugged a hub into that, everything was great. That is how a network should be set up and it will cause a lot less headaches in the end. You don’t have to worry about always having the gateway computer on, and you’re protected from outside intrusions with the cable router being a basic firewall. Just my opinion anyway.

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I have a RCA cable modem plugged into a NetGear Router with 4 computers connected to the router. All 4 share the cable connection at the same time. Once one uses a router with a cable connection one will never use ICS again.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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To reopen this thread from the ICS angle, I have two machines and a cable modem that hangs off the MAC address of one of the NIC cards. The two machines (both Win2K) liink via a crossover cable; firewalls and all.

The problem is that my ISP (unsurprisingly) requires me to have a non-static IP address and ICS requires my “front-end” to be static. At the moment, if email needs to be sent from the second machine, I have to switch the NIC cards. (Having all email going out from the same machine is not an option.) FTR the option of reconfiguring the current IP address lease to a static address temporarily disables the connection at the ISP server.

I may have missed something in my configurations. If not, is there a low-cost solution that will enable ICS without dragging me into a MAC address change with the ISP?

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I can’t answer that, but if you can afford another $100, you can do away with ICS. See Post #86021 for more info.

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Jefferson, your elegant solution struck me in my search prior to posting. The issue, however, is that I do not have a router (just an Network card – or two) – hence the issue about the MAC address. I’ll bear your problem-free performance to date in mind IF it turns out I have no serious alternative. Is the new sig trying to tell us you’re human after all?

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I’m pretty sure I’m human. The reason I added that note was that I only recently became aware that e-mail notifications contain the actual post, and only the original version is sent (I guess that makes sense, logistically). I tend to notice mistakes after posting, some of which make a big difference, hence the warning. But you probably figured that…

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Many months later, I stumbled over the low-cost solution by accident – while working in an XP Pro office with static IP addresses [don’t ask!].

• ICS is enabled.
• The first network card on the “hub” machine (attached to the Cable Modem) needs to be set for DHCP and shared.
• The second network card on the “hub” machine (attached to the crossover cable – or whatever) needs to have a static IP Address but NO Default Gateway.
• The network card on the “spoke” machine (attached to the crossover cable – or whatever) is set for DHCP. [/list]Net result somewhat cheaper than $100 – unless the situation involves several access-hungry family members!

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Ummm What is ICS?

Curious

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Ummm – Internet Connection Sharing?

as in HOW TO: Configure Internet Connection Sharing in Windows XP (Q306126)

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Just a note – you might find some of the info and references at http://www.zoneedit.com/doc/dynamic.html?%5B/url%5D useful – though to be honest I don’t know how dynamic IP would work with ICS

Cheers.

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My wife and I can be on the internet at the same time and I don’t notice any drop in speed.
I have my computer hook to the modem (usb) and so it has to be up and running for her to use the internet on her computer.
Since both of the computers already has NICs installed, I never had to open the cases, just plug them in, networked them and then ran ICS.
ICS also helps by becoming a ‘sort of ‘ firewall. When I go to Shields up, all my ports are closed or stealthed.
I suppose buying a routed would help with better security, But so far, no problems.

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