i am new to networking, pls help to share internet connection

[galaxyboy]

hi everyone,

i want to share my cable internet connection with my 2 computers.
what hardware do i need to do that.the ISP provider had installed an ethernet card in my computer .
and also if i share the connection ,will my internet provider know about it. as they charge for each computer ,i dont want to pay for both my computers.

thanx in advance .
bye

 

[rw120555]

Basic Options for Internet Connection Sharing

Option 3, the router, is simplest and best. Routers go in the $50-$100 range. I recommend Netgear but others are fine too. Your provider is unlikely to know or care, but won't support you if you run into problems getting your router to work.

 

[Schnieds]

I would go the router route.

I personally like the 4 Port Switch / DSL Cable routers by Linksys (BFSR41 or something close to that.) There is a deal in the Hot Deal forum that has this router for a dirt cheap $45. Go take a look. They are well documented, easy to configure, and work great (I have used over 1/2 dozen of them.)

The reasons to get a router are:

-DHCP management handled by the router (nothing to set up with the Linksys... it defaults to handling it.)
-Nothing to set up in Windows.
-Built in Switch.
-Easy Sleazy.

Good Luck!

 

[galaxyboy]

thanx both for the good advice,

but what if i try the crossover cable .i am sharing only with one computer .do u thing even between only 2 computers router is required ?.
if router is a must then i will have to go for it i suppose.

 

[rw120555]

You can always do the crossover bit and then switch later if you don't like it. The biggest downside to the crossover approach is that it requires one machine to be an always-on server. If that machine is turned off, locks up, needs to reboot, or whatever, the other machine will lose its internet connection too. Also, I found that when I switched to a router, the internet sharing was far faster and more reliable than when I used a server pc. It is like most things in life, if you spend more, you'll get something better, but whether you want to spend your money that way is up to you.

 

[Schnieds]

rw120555 answer is right on the money... to add to it... Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) can be a bit of a pain. Some people can get it set up without a problem, but most people find that something goes wrong with it....

If you are super tight on cash ICS may be the way to go... although if you can spare the $50 for a router I would HIGHLY recommend it.

 

[pwass]

router is the way to go. never had a problem with my linksys pretty much just plug and surf.