Home Networking HELP

[Blayze]

Im setting up a home network next week to share files and internet access with 3 computers
The computer that is connected to the net is running Windows 2000 Pro.
The other 2 computers are running Windows ME

What I want to do is to setup a network that will allow me to share files and use the internet on all 3 machines

Only bad thing my internet is on a 56k modem (NO Cable or DSL here yet )

What would be the easiest way to connect these machines and get everything up and running?


-Blayze

 

[PistachioByAzul]

You might want to pickup one of those home networking kits (Netgear's is probably the best). You'll also need an extra nic, since those kits usually only come with two.

For internet sharing, use Sygate
http://www.sybergen.com

 

[Blayze]

ok Im planning on getting a hub, cards, and cables next week as well.

I currently have one of the machines connected to my Win2000 machine now
with old network cards and a BNC cable
I can only get them to connect using netbeui
will I still be able to use ICS with this?

the reason I have to use netbeui is because when I have it set as TCP/IP the Win2000 machine and see itself but not the WinME machine
and the WinME machine says that it can't browse the network at all.

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Yeah, ICS should work fine over NetBEUI.

 

[Blayze]

thanks
now if I could only fix the TCP/IP problem with the ME machine

 

[cot]

ICS works over NetBEUI?

That's the first I've heard of any flavor of NAT working over a non TCP/IP protocol.

cot

 

[Blayze]

ok I got it ICS and everything to work with Netbeui

but the WinME machine want work with TCP/IP at all
hmmm............ any ideals on why it want work?
the machine worked fine when it did have Windows 98 on it but when I upgraded it to ME it want work with TCP/IP at all
I have already reinstalled ME and that didn't fix the problem either.

UPDATE: I can ping both machines using either machine, but if I uninstall netbeui and just leave TCP/IP the ME machine can't see the network and the Win2000 machine can only see itself. The windows 2000 machine can ping itself but the ME machine can't ping itself or the Win2000 one

 

[java2]

I have 3 computers networked. My ICS gateway box is dual boot, SE and Win2k. I set up SE first and used TCP/IP only and got everything going. When I went to set up the 2K side it was totally different. To get it going I had to add netbeui before it would see the other boxes. Then I had to redo my dial-up from the add network connections icon. After that there appears a tab for sharing in the connection manager properties. Enabled sharing and ICS was running. The clients did'nt require reconfiguring.

 

[Blayze]

thanks for everyones help
I disabled Netbeui on the ME machine but left it installed on the Windows 2000 machine along with TCP/IP
everything seems to be working great now.


-Blayze

 

[BCYL]

I would suggest getting a switch instead of a hub, especially with the minimal difference in price.

 

[Blayze]

why a switch instead of a hub?
also what are some good brands of switches or hubs?
I was looking at a netgear 10/100 4 port hub.

 

[BCYL]

A switch is full-duplex, which means you can send and receive data at the same time, while a hub is not. Also for a hub, all the computers share the same bandwidth. So if you are running 100Mbps, and you have 2 computers connected, each computer only gets 50Mbps. While in a switch, every computer gets it's own bandwidth, so they all run at 100Mbps no matter what. Switch also reduces data collisions.

All these combine for greater performance compare to a hub, and a switch is only a little bit more expensive than a hub. So that's why I suggest getting a switch... If you look around, a switch is only around $10-20 more than a hub, it's well worth it.