SETI: i need help setting up a network

[TuffGuy]

hey guys. i need help networking two computers. (check the sig) they will be cranking out about 100 units a week. one will be a dedicated seti cruncher. the second computer wil be assembled when i get my case next week (Genie Junior ). only 1 computer has a modem and therefore dialup access. if someone can tell me what i need i would appreciate it.

i already have two ethernet cards and the blue cable to connect them. i will be using setiq on the one with the modem to upload/dowload packets. i will also be running WinME on both systems. what settings do i need to change/make in windows to network my two computers?

thanks for your help.

 

[blade47]

Hardware wise make sure that the cable you have is a cross over cable. If you're going to connect 2 pc's together without a hub/switch then you'll need one of those.

I don't know alot about networking so I'll leave that to someone else. Software wise you have what you need. On the computer with net access you'll just enable WinME's ICS to share the net connection. Good luck, networking can be a pain in the a$$ sometimes

 

[Stallion]

Are you going to get Cable or DSL. I'm not to sure about dial-up but I will tell you how I have our 3 PCs hooked up. We have cable and we use ICS on w98. One PC will need two nic cards.so from the wall to the modem, then you will go from the Cable modem to one of the nics(in the two nic PC)and then the other nic will go back to a switch. Then the other PCs get plugged into the switch. Then you just need to set up the two nic PC as the "host" and any other PC as a client.

The ICS (Internet connection sharing)is a feature of w98. My wife did the set-up part so I'm not real familier with the what not but I did want to try and help out with the little that I did know.

Some more help over here please.

 

[NT4Mike]

I haven't messed with ME yet, but in 2k, you would just configure the Dial-up Networking connection to your isp and then check the box for ICS. 2k also has an option for dial on demand so that the clients can initiate the connection. I would assume that ME would be along the same lines.

Personally, I run proxy+ because I like to be able to turn on/off different features.

Do make sure that you have a crossover cable if you are going PC to PC. I would however recommend looking around for a small hub that can be found fairly cheaply these days. Hubs in general are just easier to troubleshoot than crossover cables, in my opinion.

-Mike

 

[Robor]

Like others have said try finding a hub. You can get a small 10Mb job very cheap or if you feel like spending a little more get a 100Mb. It will not make a lick of difference with SETI but if you ever transfer a large amount of data between the machines (I backup my mp3's from one PC to another) it will make it much quicker. I haven't used ICS so I can't help there.

Rob

 

[TuffGuy]

thanks guys. i got rid of my cable modem a couple of months ago. i used to waste way too much time when i had it. what is a crossover cable? i'm taking off for a day or so, but i'll read this when i come back.

 

[artemedes]

Hi Tuffguy,

Most network cables are straight-thru, meaning both ends have the same pin-out. All of the Cat5 cables I have seen allow you to see the 8 different wires and their respective colors. To check your blue cable just hold it so that you can see both of the ends side by side and oriented the same way. Then check the coloring on all the wires. If they match up you have a normal cable. A cross-over cable is needed anytime you go from one network card to another, and have some of the wires crossing eachother inside (so the pinouts at ends are differnt. Most places that sell cat5 stuff sell cross-over cable. I have even seen crossover cables at office depot.

 

[JWMiddleton]

Hey TG, Looks like you have gotten some good info here. If you still need help I can scan some very helpful info and email it to you. I installed two networks this past week. Even did my first punchdown with a plastic, thrown-away tool. One of the systems was running ME, so I have that info as well. I set up ICS on both nets and it works great.

BTW: I did get the Crucial RAM and can run at 133 MHz without problem. I think the main difference in our WU times is the version we are running. I am seeing better times with GUI 3.0. One WU completed in 3.692 hours at 100% completion.

 

[JimMc]

WinMe has built in Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) so you won't need a third party product, though some prefer Sygate or Wingate. The best source for general info and config tips is probably Tim Higgins. I've made about every kind of mistake you can in setting up SOHO networks and ICS, so you can always come back for help if necessary.

If you think you will be sharing any appreciable files across the network, I'd go ahead and take a look at a hub or switch, type depends on your NIC's.

 

[TuffGuy]

thanks guys. my cables are straight thru, so it looks like i have to buy a hub. if i get one i'll probably get the linksys BEFSR41, but i'd rather not spend that much money. it would be much cheaper to just get a cheap $20 modem, get about 50 workunits and connect once a week. i'll try to see how the nic-to-nic setup works and decide whether or not to buy the hub later.

 

[Assimilator1]

NT4Mike

>>>>Hubs in general are just easier to troubleshoot than crossover cables, in my opinion.<<<<

I'm not saying your wrong(I'm a network newbie!) ,but I was wondering why you said that?
As far as I know my crossover has been OK

 

[Joe O]

While a crossover cable is good for 2 computers, a hub or switch allows for more computers.


You are planning to add more computers, aren't you?

 

[TuffGuy]

nope. just 2 computers. i might expand to dual or quad processors, but i only want 2 two computers. they're at home, in my room, by my desk. so i need to conserve space.

hey, is 'twisted' the same as 'crossover'?

 

[blade47]

I don't think so.

 

[divide by zero]

TuffGuy,

The Linksys BEFSR41 is a Cable/DSL Router with four 10/100 switched ports. Unless you are going to be getting a cable modem or DSL modem in the near future it is waaay more than you need.

You can get a hub for $46.95
Linksys 5-port hub at buy.com

Or a real switch for a few dollars more, $53.95:
Linksys 5-port 10/100 autosensing switch at buy.com

 

[TuffGuy]

thanks divide_by_zero. i did have a cable modem until a couple of weeks ago. i disconnected it so it wouldn't interfere with school.
i'll get the cable/dsl router because i will reconnect the service again in the future.