What can I do if I network my home computers? (Title change to make Ornery less so)

[thebestMAX]

network my computers together at home?

Share files, play games and ?

Is it worth doing? Is it difficult? Does it slow down the faster computer?

Never played with networking at all and obviously know nothing about it. Would it be fun and could I learn anything useful?

 

[kami]

share printers, share an internet connection...not much else

 

[DonaldDuck82]

share printers, internet access, lots of other quirky things that i can't think of now

 

[Killbat]

Anything. You can do anything with a link between machines. You can get a networking kit for really cheap nowadays, too.

 

[thebestMAX]

Yeah Killbat,

Saw one on sale in the Best Buy sunday flier for about $80 (Netgear 10/100 Network in a Box) and it got me to thinking. Be nice to print from either computer easily for one.


Any one/type better than the another? Best software?

Any suggestions/help appreciated.

 

[DonaldDuck82]

i have six computers networked at my house, i have no problems with speed- i have from a 166mhz to an 800mhz machine on the network, my server is only a 233 mhz and i have no problems at all, it is pretty easy to set up and is now becoming inexpensive, i would say go for it

 

[Ornery]

$80.00! Screw that! Try more like $5.00 for a 25' Crossover Cable and less than $15.00 for each NIC! That's about $35.00 for the complete network. It's gotta be worth that!

Don't forget the free Windows networking software, which in the SE version, includes Internet Connection Sharing and free help getting it all going from places like:

World of Windows Networking
by J.Helmig

And AnandTech of course! How could you NOT do it? :Q

Edit: TBM, You really, really have to work on those topic titles! I bet if you make this one a little more specific, you'll be flooded with good suggestions and links!

Oh, and you're not the only one by a long shot. I simply refuse to click on topics with titles such as:

• Make 7....
• What do you like on....
• G'day!
• Oops... (well, I will, only because it's Denis
• CS!!!!!

And making it in all caps or upper and lowercase every other letter ain't gonna help :|

 

[vi edit]

My main uses:

1) gaming
2) file sharing
3) printer sharing
4) internet sharing
5) backup redundancy

Unlike Ornery suggested, go with a hub/switch setup. Or, if you have a DSL or Cable modem connection, grab a four port router from linksys or netgear and use that.

If you have dial up internet access, use AnalogX Proxy for your free internet sharing. No changes need to be made to the TCP/IP settings of the remote computers. Its a small 200k app that you just run on the hosts.

IMHO, it's more than worth the costs to network. Saves alot of time and trouble.

 

[Windogg]

Running a ShoutCast server with a 384K Codec is amazing for parties. I have my "pizza box" connected to the home theatre. My MP3 server in the living room and two other PCs around the house. It's amazing to have music literally blasting everywhere during a party.

Windogg

 

[Ornery]

OK, I'll bite. If you only have two PCs, why waste money on a hub? You can always add it later if needed.

 

[vi edit]

Ornery, I prefer a hub/switch because of expandability. thebestmax never said how many pc's he had. If it's more than two, or if he has any expectations of more than two, then direct connect is out of the picture. It's always nice to know that you have an open port in case you need it. It's also nice to have if broadband internet access is in the future.

I also like the flexability of a hub. Instead of running one long ass cable, I can run two shorter cables. It makes it nicer if I ever have to move on of the pc's to a location farther than it was originally. Also, from a connectivity standpoint, the visual feedback of a hub is nice. If I've got PC's in four different rooms, and the hub is by my main PC, I can tell by the status lights of the hub what PC's are powered up, and whether or not they have a connection. It's just for a visual troubleshooter.

I'm talking out of my ass on this one, but I also believe that hubs/switches offer better transfer rates than a direct connection. I've just used them in the past, and transfers seemed to take longer than if I had been using a hub.

 

[Ornery]

I still think he ought to change the damn title! <subtle hint>

But, I'm just pushing the cheap solution to get him into networking. Hell, for $35.00 it's a no brainer, if only for the experience. I purchased a 75' cable and cut it at 6'. Made two crossover cables that can go from one end of the house to the other or be patched side by side for dirt cheap. Didn't even buy a tool for the crimping! When the need arises, I'll buy a hub. Been well over a year now and look how much they've come down during that time!

 

[vi edit]

Hehe, my hub was one of those $5.95 8 port 10/100 lanedge hubs from Onsale last spring

Try beating that for $6

 

[thebestMAX]

Thanks so far Guys, all good info. Knew about cable connection and Win98se IC sharing but was thinking a little more sophisticated perhaps. Will consider all that you have said.

Ornery-
Ill try to work on those titles. Since this is not a hardware forum, I didnt want to get too specific, just thoughts. Noticed those other titles today myself and was maybe influenced by them or subconsiously mocking them. Who knows? Really didnt want to start a long diatribe on networking. Guess Ill never learn

Have 4 computers at home but dont know if I want to connect them all.

 

[Ornery]

Well, if you've got four PCs and can buy a hub for $6.00, WTH, do it!

 

[Mday]

lol

 

[thebestMAX]

Ornerny-

So much for your theory on name changes. Only 2 posts since I changed it and 1 was yours.

Seriously, thanks for that link to the World of Windows Networking. Can see many saved hours for it.

Would like to`go the USB route they talk about but I can see that getting expensive fast. Looks like hub and twisted pairs for me. No great rush. Will let you know.

 

[Ornery]

Well, I was thinking at the beginning you would have gotten all the links for Networking info etc. right away. I think most of the ground has been covered now. And I've never heard of USB networking, so that's new.

Here's my idea of topic titles:

• Is Networking Worth The Bother And Expense?
• Why Would I Want To Network?
• Networking Seems Like A Waste Of Time!
• Is Networking Just For The &quot;1337&quot;?
• Networking: What's The Point?
• Is A Home Network In My Future?
• Can I Afford To Network?
• Help Me Networking Nefs!
• Cowbells And A Home Network!
• The Nekid Network Thread!

 

[Moonbeam]

Linkify those Ornery, damn it. I want to read those threads.

thebestMAX,

here's another network info link.

 

[vi edit]

thebestmax, I'd be warry of those USB lan adapters. They're nice in the sense that you don't have to crack open the case to install them, but that's about it.

I've used two different linksys USB NICs and they were buggy at best, inoperable at worse. Not to mention the fact that they are twice the price of what you would pay for a PCI 10/100 card that is 10 times as fast.

Head to a staples or best buy and nab a linksys or netgear 10/100 PCI card for about $12 a piece. Check out the fs/t threads. You could probably nab a 5 port hub there for around $25. Cables for can be found for about $.25 a foot.

 

[jonnyjack]

vi_edit: how is that analogx proxy compared to ICS? i've haven't tried ICS yet and was wondering which one is better in terms of ease of use and cpu utilization...

BTW what was the original thread title?

 

[Mday]

<< Would like to`go the USB route they talk about but I can see that getting expensive fast. Looks like hub and twisted pairs for me. No great rush. Will let you know. >>



yeah, USB is expensive. much more so than i care to think about. and it's &quot;slow&quot;

if i want to spend real money, i'd go wireless =)

twisted pair with cards and hub\switch is much cheaper.

 

[Mday]

<< And I've never heard of USB networking, so that's new >>



wtf?

 

[BiggieN]

hey...what's wrong with my thread Make 7...? it went hand in hand with my other thread Up Yours!!!! If you clicked on them you would have known what i was talking about...:Q

 

[Ornery]

Nope, never heard of doing network via USB. Never thought about it. Can't imagine why it couldn't be done, but never heard of it just the same. Actually, it sounds like something Apple would do for their people. Though they would more likely use Firewire, which would be pretty fast! But, I favor the KISS path (keep it simple, stupid).

And I usually don't bother clicking any topic that doesn't have a title relating to the content. Ever read a topic titled, &quot;This Is Amazing&quot;, &quot;Help Me&quot;, or &quot;Oh My God&quot;? Me neither. Same goes for topics in all caps like &quot;R E A D T H I S&quot; or mixed case like &quot;tHiS iS kEwL dUdE&quot;.