Router,hub,Proxy,switch,Wan/Lan,firewall, The more I know the less I know

[Toro 45]

I just got cable hooked up & I'm loving it, now I'm ready to spread that lovin to my other comps.I have no experiance with networking but I've been studying up.

The more I read, the more choices I see for setting it up ,maybe some of you can help me out here. I'm looking for ease of hook up & afford ability.

Netgear seems to be a good price/performance option.There net starter kits look like a good choice but when you get into the different specs on them it gets confusing(switch,hub,10/100,router,etc.)

I have 3 comps I want to network
#1.Has the Cable Modem(USB).936mhz.
#2.Sits on nearby table.896mhz.
#3.In living room 35 feet away.200mhz.

Not worried about running cable just how to set up,so they can all access the web through the cable modem without detection from cable company(File/sharing scanner would be nice but not a priority).

None of my comps have nics so I'll need 3 I assume.Do hub ,switch ,routers have a usb conector,Or will I be leaving that plugged into #1 & running that comp to the hub, switch?

Can someone reccomend one of the Netgear packages that might work well for me? I'd like to stay under $150.00 give or take $25.00. Price is important but the ease of setting it up is worth it for me to pay a little extra if I have to.

I just don't want to buy the wrong setup only to find out I don't know how to setup a proxy/firewall/etc. or just plain end up with the wrong setup for my needs.

Thanks, Toro

 

[(Chanse)]

The Netgear RT314 is a good one. A couple of friends use it. I just got a Linksys BEFSR41. The Linksys and Netgear are both fairly easy to set up. A little more configuration is necessary with a cable connection over dsl, but still pretty easy. This had all the info i needed on getting it up w/ cable

 

[Toro 45]

Thanks for the link Chance, I've been there & that is an excellent site for networking.

Lets see if I can simplify my setup for now.
I'll skip comp #3 & just network 1 & 2 since there right next to each other.I recently tried this with a couple of 3com905-TX cards,but no luck.

I'll get two new cards(Netgear)install & plug in crossover cable.I set my box with the cable modem, to 192.168.0.1
Subnet 255.255.255.0

Box#2 set to 192.168.0.2, same subnet as 1.Then after rebooting I should be able to see the other computer correct?

It sounds real simple but I could'nt get it working over the weekend with my 3com cards(pulls no drivers & 3coms driver off the web would'nt work).

Now if this works I'll move on to sharing internet acess, do I have to buy a router/switch or can I do it with software?
Toro

 

[TheBigZ]

Remember too that wireless lan is here, and becoming a serious consdieration now that prices are dropping. Linksys seems to be leading the way as far as agressive pricing goes. Be careful not to buy something you'll wish you hadn't a month from now because you want to go wireless.

 

[Toro 45]

Anyone one else?

 

[andri]

Probably the easiest way:

1) get a 4-port hub, they go fairly cheap nowadays
2) get 3 NIC cards, one for each machine, then run cables from each comp to this box
3) assign IPs from the private range... 192.168.0.0/24 is most widely used.
4) let the box with cable do the NAT and all boxes on the network can access Internet.

 

[Toro 45]

Thanks andri, can you explain "NAT".
Toro

 

[markoff]

Yo Toro, NAT means "Network Address Translation". By using NAT Software, you are able to share a internet connection with just one IP address, the NAT software with assign you personal IP for your other computers, i.e 192.168.0.1 and etc... One example is sygate.

Most routers now adays have NAT too, for example, the Linksys Router and the SMC Barricade.

Assuming you are going the Hub/Switch way,As you already have a NIC in your 936 mhz, you need to get 3 more NICs, 1 for 936 to connect to hub, 1 for 896mhz and one for 200, connect the 3 comps to the hub/switch and let the 936mhz with the cable be configured as server, and the other as clients, Sygate is still the best NAT software I have used before.

 

[NOSOUP4U]

make your life easier and spend a little more money on a router/switch and forget software nats