Cable Modem Router Query-Netgear??

[BigDady92]

Ok folks I reccomend alot of stuff for SOHO's here but it's budget crunch time for my sister who is in college and she needs a cable modem router to help her and her roomates cut down on the cost of their cable bills (plus i look like a hero to them and her sororiety sisters, for helping my lil sister out ). So here goes:


3 cpu's all connected behind a RR cable modem, running AOL IM, napster, and ICQ. Here's my quandry: I saw a netgear 4port cable modem router(nt314?) and have heard it was a quality one to buy and setup. It comes with a 5yr warranty on it so that is good as I will not always be around to help support it(conversely any answers that come back with FreeBSD"my favorit" or Linux, freesco, or any other "buy a 486 box and stick it there" will be discarded). The only problem I have with the netgear is will it allow multiple AOL IM sessions, ICQ, and napster, and god knows what else these girls have on their computer to operate by going out to the internet and "sharing" that port.

Will this work? Comments concerns and questions would be much obliged

 

[BigDady92]

one more thing. If you reccomend another one please try to include information in your post or point me to a source that shows more info.

If you recommend another router please keep the prices under $120(these are college girls and don't have tons of daddy's money to spend).

 

[cipher00]

I think you're referring to the Netgear RT314. Quality product, I'm told, by some who actually know, but I've not set up one myself. (Actually, I'm curious if anyone has had any experience setting this up with @home, since I understand that it's a pain....though the only one available where I'm moving soon.) I believe but can't verify that you can share *one* port for gaming, etc. but just one. If true, perhaps it can be disabled?

 

[cipher00]

I've also heard the Maxgate Ugate 3000 is good, dynamic DNS is included, and has exactly 1 exposed host. Maybe try www.practicallynetworked.com for a few other answers? Good luck, and I'd still like to hear about login difficulties for @home.....:frown:

 

[Pnklytnyng]

go with the netgear rt314. ..i just got one myself and set it up. . .i have @ home . . .and it took me about 2 minutes by http://. . no joke. . .and another 2 mins to upgrade the firmware by the ftp client from DOS. . .config is real simple, and you can do advanced stuff from telnet. . .YES, they will be able to use the net seperately and at the same time, that's what a router's for. . .the way it works is that each comp on the home network is assigned an IP completely independant of the RR IP. . .then, when comp A makes a request for a packet of info, the router will remember that comp A made the request. . .when the packet comes back, it will know that the packet belongs to comp A. . .likewise with comps B C and D, all at the same time. . .basically, a server somewhere else sends a packet to your RR IP, which doesn't change, and your router will discern which IP on the home network it goes to. . .so RR has no idea. . .netgear is very good with the instructions, and there is an added step for users of RR, but dont worry. . .they have this step for pretty much every router out there for RR . . .

good luck . .

 

[BigDady92]

ok i scoped out www.practicallynetworked.com and they gave the netgear RT314 a clean bill of health. Said it was decent and relatively fast compared to the other brands out there ie linksys, dlink, zyxel.

Just of curiosity how is the port allocation setup for these bad boys. Reason being there is one chick there that plays eq, q3, halflife etc. I just want to make sure that she is able to play her games as they open up ports. Do i have to open up all those ports statically or do it dynamically? Better question: Is port allocation dynamic or statically asigned?

 

[BigDady92]

bump