anyone have experience networking three pcs without a hub?

[Fatum]

Since I had so many extra ethernet cards and crossover cables laying around, i decided to put together a third computer from old parts, and try to network it to my other two (which are using win98/winME, with internet connection sharing).
It seems like i've tried every combination of tcp settings, and hardware configs (like 3 ethernets in one computer, or 2 in each of the main 2 comps) but I just cant get it to work.

Anyone have any links to info about networking like this? I sure cant find any....everywhere I look, it just says get a hub. Is it even possible? or does the crossover cable setup only work with 2 computers?

Any help at all would be much appreciated

 

[Oaf357]

Well. I don't think ICS was designed to across a PC onto another.

There are a couple things you could try.

1) ICS PC#1 to PC#2 and then ICS PC#2 to PC#3
2) Setup a PC with Linux and a butt-load of NICs and then you'd have a firewall, web, mail, etc. at your fingertips.
3) Buy a networking device (hub, switch, router, etc.)

The third way being the easiest way.

 

[rayster]

Even if it's possible, why would you want to? Even if you get it to work, troubleshooting problems with it would be a nightmare, and any time you asked for help the first thing you'd have to do is explain your setup, like 5 times until someone understood it, and everytime, I guarantee you, everytime, the first thing they''d say is, 'Why didn't you just get a hub?', and eventually you'd snap and strangle someone. And you don't want to go to jail, do you?

You can get a hub for, like $20 these days. Or this handy dandy Switch Card for a few bucks more.

 

[WarSong]

Well if you were using a different OS on one of those machines you could set up routing. Otherwise, you could multi-home each box and network each one individually to each other with a cross-over cable. Sounds like a nightmare... get a hub/switch

 

[scorpioLP]

Another vote to get a hub.

At this point, we're throwing away old hubs here in my office.

Just finally upgraded 3 hubs for one SMC 24 port switch. I'm getting ready to trash those now.

 

[JackMDS]

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[Fuzznuts]

you need to trun on ip forwarding what your suggesting will work what you will need to do is place the 2nd nic on a different subnet then enable ip forwarding to do that its

something like this....
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters

If the IPEnableRouter doesn't exist, create it using REG_DWORD type
and set it to 1.

of course this 2n card would need to be thast one before the router and the other machines would need to see the 1st card in the box as their default gateway.

Not tired it but in theory it should work fine.

However a hub/swtich would be a damm sight easier

 

[WarSong]

that works in 98 and/or ME?

 

[Oaf357]

Originally posted by: WarSong
that works in 98 and/or ME?

I don't think it does. But I'm not 100% sure.

 

[ScottMac]

Yeah, and you can jump off a cliff too, most people probably wouldn't stop you.....so it must be OK.

This is a dumb idea. There was a similar post on Expert's Exchange, the guy was gonna do it (try it) no matter what. If you're gonna do it no matter what, then do it. It's stupid. It's ignorant. It's the biggest wase of time (networking wise) anyone could come up with. There's no practical application. There's no reason. It's just plain stupid (IMHO, of course).

JFC get a stinkin' hub. At least you'd be gaining some practical, usable information.

Sell three of the NICs and buy a hub. Noone here has mentioned it, so, just for giggles, look up "Routing Loop" somewhere.....

I'm not ranting at you. But it's like a swarm of folks standing around yelling "JUMP!" to the guy on the ledge...Y'all should be ashamed of yersef's

So, in summary, "Bad Idea, get a hub/switch." If you preceed with this - keep it to yourself and don't come here whining about stuff going wierd.

Man ...Kids these days!...

FWIW

Scott

 

[rayster]

Originally posted by: rayster
...and everytime, I guarantee you, everytime, the first thing they''d say is, 'Why didn't you just get a hub?'

Ya' see?

 

[ScottMac]

Well now, to be fair, I didn't say "Why didn't you just use a hub:"

The subtle implication in my previous post was that a mentally challenged amoeba has more brain power than a person that would pursue this kind of endeavor for any practical reason. Not that operating on less than one brain cell is a bad thing or anything (my apologies if I offended any mentaly challenged amoebas).

I'm sorry if my waffling on the previous post left you uncertain on my position ( ) I'm working on being more firm in my declarations.

(I'm mostly just kidding (well, except for the amoeba apology, that was sincere))

FWIW

Scott

 

[Fatum]

thanks for all the replies guys especially your ideas fuzznuts.
I AM trying to make this work, simply because i have the stuff here, and I was just curious how this would work. I consider it a learning experience ....though so far, a very frustrating one.
I'm sure I'll go out and buy a hub this weekend, but it was something different to do LOL

 

[Fuzznuts]

Originally posted by: Fatum
thanks for all the replies guys especially your ideas fuzznuts.
I AM trying to make this work, simply because i have the stuff here, and I was just curious how this would work. I consider it a learning experience ....though so far, a very frustrating one.
I'm sure I'll go out and buy a hub this weekend, but it was something different to do LOL

Im with you mate you learn a damm sight more by trying than by listening to someone say simply "you cant" if you cant and you try it you soon learn why you cant and you would have had a bit of fun + probably learned a bit about the basics becasue you have been surfing and reading articles. also a routing loop would not be hit as the box acts a router (albeit a very basic one) and the 2nd NIC is on a different subnet. Its ver similar to having ICS work over cable that requires a NIC rather than usb.


Later and ignore what the rest say if you can get this going let me know cause you have made me curious now

 

[BurnItDwn]

I used to use coax networking. I had 2 pcs, and 2 of my friends had pcs and wed lan. This was in like 96 when the cheapest hubs were still several hundred dollars. You don't need a hub for coax.

Get a switch or a hub ... it will make your life easier

 

[heartsurgeon]

get a switch

if your a real cheapo get a hub