stupid network question (do I have to have 2 ip's?)

[tjr2mental]

I have charther high speed cable, and I just finished putting my old pc back togeather. I want to be able to use the net on both of thse pc's but when I called and asked how I should set it up they told me that I would have to pay for a second IP address that costs 10 bucks a month. Is there a way to get around this? I used to have comcast where I lived and my brother and I both shared the internet connection on our pcs and we did not have to pay for a second address, why do I have to do this now?

so I guess my question is there a way that I can share the internet connection that I have without having to pay these fools extra cash?

 

[JackMDS]

Read the content of the following links:

AnandTech - FAQ. Basic Options for Internet Connection Sharing

AnandTech - FAQ. Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

 

[tjr2mental]

ok, I have read the parts that I think pertain to me, but I do not know what my ip address is. Is there a place where I can find it? And once I do find out what it is, if I put it in place of "obtain a IP address automatically" will I still be able to access the internet?

 

[JOSEPHLB]

Put 2 network cards in the main computer that you use.. configure that as a router.. preferably run Windows 2000 for this.. if that interests you at all

Charter Cable most likely "leases" by DHCP your IP address.. Its not like dial-up, where the lease terminates when you disconnect.
The 1st network card will be set to "Obtain an IP address automatically"

This will be where all the outbound traffic will go

The second network card is how you can configure for a fixed IP for the "Internal part" of it. Your second PC will connect to this with a straight through cable. The second PC's gateway, for connectivity to the internet, will be the IP address of the 2nd network card in the first system.

thats a general description of how it would be done.. I'm sure there are other technical sources that explain it far better than I can..

 

[mboy]

Originally posted by: JOSEPHLB
Put 2 network cards in the main computer that you use.. configure that as a router.. preferably run Windows 2000 for this.. if that interests you at all

Charter Cable most likely "leases" by DHCP your IP address.. Its not like dial-up, where the lease terminates when you disconnect.
The 1st network card will be set to "Obtain an IP address automatically"

This will be where all the outbound traffic will go

The second network card is how you can configure for a fixed IP for the "Internal part" of it. Your second PC will connect to this with a straight through cable. The second PC's gateway, for connectivity to the internet, will be the IP address of the 2nd network card in the first system.

thats a general description of how it would be done.. I'm sure there are other technical sources that explain it far better than I can..

ouch, forget 2 nic's and ICS, just buy a router and dont worry about your WAN IP as it is dynamic and will change when they change it on u. If u hard code it into your PC, u wont get to the net when the cable co changes.
go to www.whatsmyip.com or open a command prompt and type ipconfig /all.

No reason to use ICS when routers are cheap as dirt!

 

[JackMDS]

IPs assigned by ISP usually comes in two forms.

Static IP (very rare these days). If your ISP assigned you a specific IP number you probably have a Static IP. Every Router has in the connection menu an entry to check and enter the static IP.

Dynamically assigned IP (most common). If the ISP does not assign you a number, and tells you to connect, the IP will be obtained while your Router log on. Under this arrangement you need to check the Router?s connection Entry to obtain IP Dynamically and to keep doing it automatically.

The wording may different on you specific Router, check the Manual.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: mboy

Originally posted by: JOSEPHLB
Put 2 network cards in the main computer that you use.. configure that as a router.. preferably run Windows 2000 for this.. if that interests you at all

Charter Cable most likely "leases" by DHCP your IP address.. Its not like dial-up, where the lease terminates when you disconnect.
The 1st network card will be set to "Obtain an IP address automatically"

This will be where all the outbound traffic will go

The second network card is how you can configure for a fixed IP for the "Internal part" of it. Your second PC will connect to this with a straight through cable. The second PC's gateway, for connectivity to the internet, will be the IP address of the 2nd network card in the first system.

thats a general description of how it would be done.. I'm sure there are other technical sources that explain it far better than I can..

ouch, forget 2 nic's and ICS, just buy a router and dont worry about your WAN IP as it is dynamic and will change when they change it on u. If u hard code it into your PC, u wont get to the net when the cable co changes.
go to www.whatsmyip.com or open a command prompt and type ipconfig /all.

No reason to use ICS when routers are cheap as dirt!

Not only that, with two Nics and using your main PC to "Login" to the Internet Provider anytime there is a hiccup with the connection which happens, you have to have your PC log in again which can be a pain. Routers do this automatically and much better than the PC can.

 

[mboy]

Besides the fact that u will get some for of inbound protection using NAT and wont have a computer completely exposed to the 'net.

 

[scorpioLP]

another vote to just get a router. Much easier and you can add more PCs alot easier in the future, if needed.