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Cheap Way to set up a Network to Share 1.5mb connection

H

Hessakia

Senior member
Eh, lets get this out of the way really quick--this network i'm goin to be setting up is for 4 college kids in student housing (so drilling holes, etc. for cabling isn't a good option--although it is viable).

We have 3 computers (maybe 4, depending) and want to share one Outside line to the net (1.5mb/sec). the connection alone will run us probably 60-75 a month.

the cheapest/fastest way would be to go with a hub, and setup an Internal LAN and just share the connection on the host computer (2000 or XP maybe?) with the other 2 or 3 computers (we dont really want to pay for extra IP addresses and/or a router). This would also be hands down the fastest way (although, not advised by the ISP).

Wireless is another viable option, but is looking to be quite expensive (less than 300 total for 4 computers would probably be acceptable).
what about Home Phone Networks? how do those work in terms of performance, etc?

I'm not new to Networking but I'll be the first to admit that I've been out of the loop for about 4 years.

Thanks a Lot
Hessakia
 
The info in the following links may be of help.

AT - FAQ: The Basic Options to Share Internet Connection (Internet Sharing 101)

AT - FAQ: Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

AT - FAQ: What do I need for wireless networking?

As for PhoneNetwork. All computers have be on the same line. The initial cost to connect few computers is low.

However, once you need a Router, or a Bridge, or any oher hardware past the regular PhoneNework card. The prices are higher then Ethernet. So, do not make your decision without pricing the cost of the whole system.


 
Well, lets say i hook the Cable Connection up to my PC via one NIC.. then i use another nic to hook to a 4port hub, then the other computers hook to the hub also--and use my computer (along wtih a proxy server) to access the net--from previous experience this would work great. if i want to leave out the CAT5 all together, and use a PNA network, wouldn't that just network my 3 computers together and i'd need to setup a proxy server (Ie: internet sharing) on my PC so the other computers could get net access (yes i know eveyr PC would use the same external IP--not good for online gaming, but just fine for instant messaging/web browsing).

Any ideas?
hess
 
just get a router and some nic's

nic's are $5.00 a piece right now - linky

get a wireless router (includes a 4 port hardwired switch) for cheap $141.00 - linky

drag some cat5 around the place - your done for $156.00 (plus cost of some cat5 cables)

this gives you the option of adding wireless usb adapters later, even "renting out" some bandwidth to your neighbors to help defray your monthly costs!
 
Agree with Heartsurgeon.

NIC cards are even free (PM Staples for a Belkin price off the net) and send in for a rebate making each NIC free so that you don't even have to pay the $5.00
Get a switch or a 4 port switch/router. Have seen a 4 port switch/router for about 50.00 after rebate.
Get some CAT5 Cable. Saw 1000' with ends and a crimper advertised somewhere for about 50.00.

Thus we have switch/router 50.00. NICS (4*5) 20.00 and Cable 60.00 for a total of 130.00. Still have plenty
of cable left over to wire 20 or 30 neighbors too.

Can't get much cheaper than this.
 
Well, we all already have NICs, so that cost is out the window, and I have plenty of CAT5--but could just get a cheap hub instead of a router and get basically the same results?

 
bump for some help

I've found that D-Link DHN-120 (Phone line network) might be suffecient for my needs, it wouldn't require a whole lot of cabling and max speeds of upwards of 5mbs (a little slow for a lan, but suffeicent for sharing and internet connection) would suffice great. just hooking up all the computers in an internal lan, then enabling internet sharing on my computer--how well would that work?

Hess
 
just hooking up all the computers in an internal lan, then enabling internet sharing on my computer--how well would that work?
Click to expand...
You can go to a good restaurant, or you can go to your local chain of Burger and fries. You will not starve either way.

Food is food ha!

Good restaurant = Router, and CAT5 (or Wireless).

The other is HPNA.
 
well, we are all college kids, so we dont even know what a good restaurant is... eh, actually, dropping 200 or 300 into the project would be acceptable, but a few limiting factors prevail:

1. If we go the wired route, we'd have to leave the wires all laying around somewhere because we can't drill holes in the walls/floors of our apartment or we would lose or deposit (we're still hopin no to trash the palce).

2. If we go the wireless route, we'd have a network that we could use anywhere int he apartment (but none of us have laptops so its not that big if a deal) and the initial investment would be much more than any other option.

3. We don't all want to chip in on something that will be really expensive, then at the end of the year, we go our separate ways and end up with something we paid a great deal of money for and basically have no use for it anymore (IE: Wireless, etc.)

that is where HPNA comes in, each adapter ~30 dollars (we all have NICs already, so that wouldn't have been a cost to add in for other forms of networking) we could have a working network with a valid shared internet connection.

any other sugggestions?
Hessakia

thanks for your timely reply's
 
This is a first for me ?self-Quoting?.
As for PhoneNetwork. All computers have be on the same line. The initial cost to connect few computers is low.
However, once you need a Router, or a Bridge, or any oher hardware past the regular PhoneNework card. The prices are higher then Ethernet. So, do not make your decision without pricing the cost of the whole system.
Click to expand...
I doubt that all of you are on the same Telephone line.

Make sure that you can use a Free software NAT that supports HPNA.

Otherwise, you can find a Cable/DSL Router for less then $100 (That is $33 per Kid).

Each one should buy a nice Wireless USB Card (Desktop do better with USB), price is less then $100.

At the end of the year, each one has a Wireless USB Card to take home, and you can give the Wireless Router as a gift to the nicest kid. He in turn can take all of you to Burgers, and fries j/k.
 
there is no "nearly free" way to do what you want with a result that you will actually be happy with.

you can either do it right (which by the way seems to fall well within the budget you mentioned before),
or you can do it in a manner that will result in your replacing it shortly after you buy it.

if you follow my proposal, your joint outlay is only for the wireless router (~150.00). This router comes with 4 wired 10/100 ports, and a wireless connection which will handle up to 32 other computers.

your roomies can then decide if they want to get a wireless adapter (recommend USB), or string a cat5 cable to the router (if they have the bucks - ~40.00, wireless adapter, if broke - cat5 cable)

if you guys all break up later - sell the router on Eb@y - get some money back.
each person keeps their own adapter.

you can "rent-out" wireless bandwidth to your neighbors to defray your ISP costs (think outside the box!, make money dude!)

heck, there is a thread here somewhere about some guy being offered wireless internet access in his apartment building for $33.00/month! no reason you can't do it to. heck, get 1 person to pay $15.00/month - end of the year, the wireless router has been paid for!

802.11b wireless technology is mature, the market is flooded with options (driving prices down), this represents an excellent technology with cheap prices. the equipment is all interoperable, can be easily resold.

going with the combined wireless/wired option is your safest/best bet for a satisfying LAN/internet experience. the price is modest, and worth what you get. you can recoup your costs in a number of different ways (rental, Eb@y), down the line.

doing it with a hub (ugh) and ICS using your personal machine as a "server" is fraught with reliabilty problems - your machine must be on all the time, your machine crashes or needs to rebooted, everyone else loses their connection. makes you the "goat" if anyone has problems getting on the net. using your computer as a server turns you into an unpaid complaint desk/LAN administrator.
using current router technology makes networking ROCK stable, and pain free. -

but don't believe me..

find out for yourself.
 
heartsurgeon: you do prove a strong point
what options are out there for cheap(er) wireless DSL/Cable routers? also, aren't DSL/Cable Routers the ones that clone a MAC address from the network so the cable company thinks its just 1 computer on it--the last thing we want to do is pay for the extra IP's. Also, what are some good choices for wireless NIC's? is USB the way to go? or should each spring fora PCI card?

thanks your help is greatly appreciated
Hessakia
 
all the consumer level routers use NAT, which requires only one internet connection/ip address for multiple computers to share - your isp will have no
way of telling how many computers are hooked up.

generally, the two most popular routers are also the cheapest (surprise!)

smc barracade (or d-link) wireless, linksys wireless router - each in the 135-150 dollar range (check newegg, amazon, buy.com, etc, even best buy and circuit city have specials on these)

i recommend usb 802.11b wireless adapters - run about $60 each. - i have the linksys wireless usb adapter and have found it to exced my expectations.

usb adapters - easy to install, and more importantly - they come attached to a 6 foot usb cable which allows you to position the adapter antenna in the optimal position to recieve the signal from the router. PCI card adapters place the antenna in the worst possible location for good reception - behind a computer, low down.

to get the best reception (and distance) of your wireless signal - you may find that placing the antennae higher up in the room will improve your performance.

good luck

finally, if you need the cheapest alternative around - get a 4 port router (non-wireless), and string cat 5, you can get the non-wireless router for $50.
 
DLink Wireless Router for 120 (before 30 dollar rebate) sounds like it would be a decent choice for the money.

then just pick up a couple wireless NICs for the PCs (802.11b) and would be all set?

also, would any USB 802.11b adapters work with any 802.11b wireless router or do you have to match namebrands? and how well would an off brand (such as Proxima, ECS, or Phoebe) work as opposed to a Dlink or Linksys?
I'm just curious because i was thinking that the USB connection would be the limiting factor on the wireless network wouldnt it?

 
don't go cheap with networking otherwise you're not getting the full benefit of your internet connection. i dont know too much about networking but i'm also in a house full of college guys and gals. we share dsl upstairs and cable internet access downstairs (12 people, 8 upstairs, 4 downstairs). this is only because cables can't reach downstairs. =)

anyhow, we got a cheap four port router for around 50 bucks and we all already had nics and cables. basically that's the only expense i see you running. the router automatically assigns you a sub IP address or something so i think we all share one IP address. no need to get that wireless stuff ... just go cheap. =) and if theres more than 4 of you, just hook up a hub to a four port router. it'll slow things just a bit but its a hecka lot cheaper than getting an 8 port router.
 
dont want to leave cables drapped all over the place and we can't drill holes in the walls/floors so wireless is the easiest way to go without clutter.
 
Amazon has the D-Link DI-711 router for $69.88

After looking up reviews on this router, the only downfall i can see (given, i'm new to the whole wireless scheme) is that it only has 1 ethernet port. Now assuming eveyrone gets a wireless USB card, this would be more than sufficient (and if someone doesn't want to front--they can have the router and cable modem at their comptuer and use the hardwired ethernet port). Are there any downfalls to a setup like this? I know if more 10/100 ports are needed, a simple switch is all that is need, which can be had for around 20 dollars.

Also, how bad are PCI wireless cards as compared to USB cards? no matter where at in our apartment there will never be more than like 60 feet between the router and the computers.
 
get this - wireless router - $149

get this - USB wireless adapter - $69

JUST DO IT- your getting good advice.

the items mentioned above WILL WORK, and are worth the money

whoever has their computer near the router can just hook up using a cat5 cable (cheap) and their NIC - they won't have to buy a wireless adapter.

having extra hardwired ports is a blessing (networks always seem to grow, not shrink) - forget single port routers (oxymoron) - you will end up upgrading later.

do not get PCI based cards - i am convinced that USB based solutions are better (and easier!)
 
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