Cable Modem/Router/AT&T ICS Question

[olds]

Cable is supposed to be availble to me next month. I want to connect 4 machines and share the internet connection. I also want the other machines (clients?) to share the printer without the primary (server?) being turned on. So, if I understand what I have been reading here on my searches, I need to do this: connect the cable modem to a router (Barricade? 8 Port 10/100 Mbps Broadband Router ) and configure ICS. Is this the right router to use? If so, since the router has a built in print server I don't need to leave the primary machine on? Also, is it true I can buy my own modem to use with AT&T's cable service? Can anyone recommend one? Thanks.

 

[olds]

Anyone?

 

[cleverhandle]

I wouldn't say "configure ICS" - that usually refers to the Windows component that tries to share connections without a hardware router. Basically, you just run Cat 5 cable from each PC to the router and tell the NIC's to autodetect their settings. So if you have the router and 4 cables, you're set.

I don't know about the print serving or modem purchase, sorry.

 

[Paladin]

Having a Cable router and doing ICS are 2 different things that are never done together. You just want the router, with all PCs getting their IP addresses from the router, which acts as a DHCP server.

As far as the printer, not sure, but I think you have to get a network ready printer, that you can just plug the CAT5 into. then that would also be plugged into the router. don't quote me on that though.

 

[thevillageinn]

I have a similar set up at home.

I have 3 machines, Cable Internet from RoadRunner, a cable modem, and an SMC Barricade Broadband Router.

If you only have 4 machines, you can buy the cheaper 4 port SMC Barricade, and if you want to add more machines use a 10/100 switch, the SMC has auto-sensing uplink ports (there's a name for that feature...can't remember it right now), and you can add as many as 253 total.

The print server built into the SMC is very handy. For two reasons that I can see. 1. No system has to be on all the time to serve print jobs. 2. The SMC has a parallel (RS232?) port on the backside, so you don't have to have a network ready printer (usually reserved for Laser printers and some higher end Ink Jets).

To set the whole thing up, you simply plug the Cable Modem into the WAN port on the back of the SMC and then run one end of a cat5 patch cord into the SMC, and the other end into the NIC card on your system...set the network connection properties to Auto Configuration (basically that's it) and you're set.

There are a few nuances that need to be dealt with. You should configure the SMC to your liking, using the web interface this is easy...with newer models you surf to http://192.168.2.1:88 and go...the first time you log in there is no password so you would want to set one and then configure to your liking.

When I signed up for cable internet I got a deal from Road Runner offering free setup and free hardware (cable modem and NIC) so I have the modem they supplied. It's a 3COM 'Home Connect' or similar, it offers cat5 and usb for ease of use. I haven't had any issues with it, but it's ugly...like a sharks fin, silvery with bright green lights. It's hidden behind my systems.

Hope that helps a bit..

-Dan

 

[olds]

Hope that helps a bit..
That helped a lot, thanks to all who answered.