Help in setting up a home network

[jabongga]

hi im putting together a home network and i need some help in deciding the topology. Here is my current situation:

1 cable modem
2 IP addresses
3 computers (2 downstairs with cable modem, 1 upstairs)
1 hub with uplink port
lots of network cards and cables


basically ive decided to go with HPNA because i cant run ethernet wire up the stairs. However im not sure how i can set it up in the most affordable manner, and i dont know which products to use. Do i have to get a router or will the hub do? If possible, id like the computer upstairs to have one of the two IP address, for hosting online games. Also it would be great if it was independent of the other 2 computers, meaning i wont have to turn on the computer downstairs to access internet upstairs.

i dont know much about networking, i only use the wizards in winXP/Me which has worked fine in simple networks. thanks for the help

 

[WillyF1uhm1]

Am very curious why you cannot run a wire up the stairs. I've done it, over 2 floors (cablemodem on groundfloor, UTP wire going to 1st floor and then up to 2nd floor where pc is.)

Let's assume you reserve one of the IP addresses for the game computer (upstairs), run up the wire, and configure he pc, to get that IP address. Best done, when you put wire from cablemodem to hub, and from hub to upstairs computer.
Next you'll have to get the 2 downstairs pc's to work with the other IP address.
Easiest (and more expensive) is to buy a router/switch.
Run a cable from hub to the WAN port of routerswitch and configure the router switch to get the 2nd IP address. Also turn on the DHCP server on the LAN side (that's your side, not the internetside). Cables from router/switch to your 2 pc's downstairs. If your 2 pc's downstairs have a DHCP client, turn that on, the pc's will then request an LAN IP Address from the DHCP server that's in your router/switch.

Cablemodem
.I
.I
.I
HUB ----------------- PC Upstairs (with IP address 1)
.I
.I
.I
Router/switch(with IP address 2)--------------- PC 1 downstairs
.I
.I___________________________________ PC 2 downstairs

 

[Twilling]

You should try a wireless router from Netgear or Linksys. The router has a built in switch and DHCP server which can assign mulitple IP addresses and do isolated things for lan parties plus all of your machines will have ther own individual internet connection via router.

An economical solution is to build a linux box that can be set up as an router, install wireless cards, ethernet, and share the connection through the linux box. Also you can run it as a server or website using apache.... Which is much more versatile I think....

 

[jabongga]

thanks for the replies

unfortunately i really cant run wires up the stairs because itll be snaking all over the place which is a big issue.

i also need a very affordable solution, so i chose HPNA rather than wireless. I would also like to avoid buying a router if possible. And setting up a linux box is beyond my ablilites.

any other solutions?