Home network, what to do?...

[JMW123]

I am painfully unfamilar with networking stuff...
OK, here is what I need: I will be hooking up three computers, a WinME Desktop, a Win98 desktop, and a Win2k laptop. The computers are on different floors, so phonline networking is what I want to use.(mainly of cost, unless I could get wireless cheap enough) The main purpose of the network will be to share a DSL connection. The DSL will be installed on the computer upstairs (WinME desktop), the other two computers are downstairs. What do I need? What are the best products for what I need? How much will it cost? I would like to keep it as cheap as possible.
Thanks

 

[MrChicken]

I cant say for anything except for the Diamond 1mb/s and Netgear 10mb/s cards.

The Diamond cards wroked perfectly.

The Netgear cards dont. In less than month I have had two of them fail where they cause problems with the phone line. I didnt have that problem at all when I was using the Diamond cards. Netgear support is the absolute worst, they are virtually unavalable until after midnight Central time. they will not RMA via email even though their web page encourages you to use email support.

As for how well it works, both sets of cards run at the advertised speed.


Look here for some reviews.
Practically Networked Phoneline Reviews page

 

[Eug]

My Netgear Ethernet to HomePNA 2.0 bridge works great, hooked up to my Linksys router (Ethernet side) and to my Linksys NIC and MP3 receiver (network side).

 

[JMW123]

If I went standard ethernet... what will I need to connect my DSL to my comp... Do I plug the modem directly into my comp (via USB) and then connect that computer to hub and the other comps to that hub... OR do I connect my DSL modem to a router (via ethernet cat5) and then all the computers into the router via ethernet? Or maybe something else?

And how would that work out for phoneline?

Thanks again.

 

[JackMDS]

USB DSL modem, and Internet Network Sharing, are not good friends.

If you have a USB DSL Modem, you will not benefit from a DSL/Cable Router.

You will have to use Software Solution for Internet Sharing (ICS etc.).

The first important step is to convince you DSL Telco, to give you Ethernet DSL modem.

 

[JMW123]

Well supposedly the DSL modem can connect three ways... USB, ethernet or parrallel. (I don't have it yet -- it should be installed soon, damn phone company!

 

[JMW123]

Ok, I double checked, and the DSL modem can connect to a computer using either ethernet, USB or parallel. So I am thinkin I will get a Netgear RT314 router and 3 NIC's, this would work, right? I read some good things about the Netgear, but I am also looking at the Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router. Which is better? Maybe a different one? I would need at least 4 RJ-45 ports (right? 3 computers + modem), but 8 would be nice as I may have a LAN party now and again.

Thanks again