Cable internet has come to my dirt road in New Hampshire, and I want it! I called a local networking company, and they were sure they could do it for less than $1000, so I've been looking into how to network my family's 3 PC's and one Apple iBook. I've been learning a lot, and there are still questions, if anyone can help.
Seem clear from what I've been told, that networking won't get the Apple to work with the PC's, but they can share the internet fine. The iBook has a port built right in, which is nice.
I understand that the cable company will bring the cable into the house, hook it to their modem, and run to one computer. If I want to network the rest, that's up to me. My understanding of the configuration I'll want is this -- the modem would run straight to a router, and from there I would run cable to each of the machines. Seems to me that if I leave it hooked to the first one and network from there, all the computers would depend on the first one for the internet. If it freezes or reboots or goes down, the others would be off?
I've been to Staples and looked at their array of products. Two questions :
I see a card from Linksys for $20, and one from 3Com for $80. The sales guy and a customer who knew more than he did both told me the cheap card would do fine, 3Com's price is the name value. True?
Linksys had 2 products, a 5-port hub for $60, which said on the box something like "Connect it right to the internet via cable/DSL". And a router, with 4 ports on the back, for $180. What does the router do that the hub doesn't, or vice versa? I sort of thought a hub just connected computers together, so the result would be 4 computers on the same internet connection, and a router would be needed to keep 4 separate internet connections separate from each other, so to speak. The sales guy admitted he was not the networking jock that day, the real jock was on his day off.
I expect to buy cable and run it from the hub/router through the house to wall jacks and then use patch cables to the computers. I went to Radio Shack, and there the networking guy was gone for the day, too, but I got to see Cat 5 cable and see what RJ45 connectors look like. I read somewhere that the connector takes a special crimping tool, which is hideously expensive for a one-time use, but they can be put on "by hand" if you want. Any advice on this? I expect the wall jacks will be hand-wired, but at the router end I'd need to put on connectors.
I know nothing of what will be needed on the software front. Will the cards need drivers, and are there Control Panel things I'll need to do right?
Any help will be appreciated. I've seen cable internet, and I'm thrilled that I could get it here before the end of the decade! And stop the squabbling over who's on the internet at my house. Teenage daughters!
Thanks
Seem clear from what I've been told, that networking won't get the Apple to work with the PC's, but they can share the internet fine. The iBook has a port built right in, which is nice.
I understand that the cable company will bring the cable into the house, hook it to their modem, and run to one computer. If I want to network the rest, that's up to me. My understanding of the configuration I'll want is this -- the modem would run straight to a router, and from there I would run cable to each of the machines. Seems to me that if I leave it hooked to the first one and network from there, all the computers would depend on the first one for the internet. If it freezes or reboots or goes down, the others would be off?
I've been to Staples and looked at their array of products. Two questions :
I see a card from Linksys for $20, and one from 3Com for $80. The sales guy and a customer who knew more than he did both told me the cheap card would do fine, 3Com's price is the name value. True?
Linksys had 2 products, a 5-port hub for $60, which said on the box something like "Connect it right to the internet via cable/DSL". And a router, with 4 ports on the back, for $180. What does the router do that the hub doesn't, or vice versa? I sort of thought a hub just connected computers together, so the result would be 4 computers on the same internet connection, and a router would be needed to keep 4 separate internet connections separate from each other, so to speak. The sales guy admitted he was not the networking jock that day, the real jock was on his day off.
I expect to buy cable and run it from the hub/router through the house to wall jacks and then use patch cables to the computers. I went to Radio Shack, and there the networking guy was gone for the day, too, but I got to see Cat 5 cable and see what RJ45 connectors look like. I read somewhere that the connector takes a special crimping tool, which is hideously expensive for a one-time use, but they can be put on "by hand" if you want. Any advice on this? I expect the wall jacks will be hand-wired, but at the router end I'd need to put on connectors.
I know nothing of what will be needed on the software front. Will the cards need drivers, and are there Control Panel things I'll need to do right?
Any help will be appreciated. I've seen cable internet, and I'm thrilled that I could get it here before the end of the decade! And stop the squabbling over who's on the internet at my house. Teenage daughters!
Thanks
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