How to hook more then 1 PC

Ok what do I need to hook up two computers to my cable modem. I'm allowed 3 PC`s and I want to hook up mine and my Fiancee`s computers. Do I need a Hub, Router, or a switch.

It depends on two things, if your modem is a nic one or a usb one and how much you want to spend.

My modem is the SurfBoard 4100. It has the Ethernet jack and a USB jack. Both computers have a NIC.

If you can afford one (about $100 USD), get a router. Routers are generally better than hubs or switches. Plus they have firewalls.

Ok good idea. What about in the mean time would a small two port hub backed up with Black Ice Defender work.

please don't use black ice, it sucks

i would get the router, i have seen the linksys as low as 69.99 at Best Buy

Switches are good because they amplify the signal, and routers route the signal, i guess.

basically, when you use a switch, the packets travel to a specific port on the switch and then to the comp

when using a hub, the packets are sent to each port until it finds the right one, and then sent to the comp

A cable modem needs a configurable ethernet device connected to it: i.e. a pc, router or a switch ( I believe).

The best way to set it up is probably with a gateway router: it provides easy sharing of the connection, a simple firewall and many can provide dhcp if you wish.

I have also run directly into a server with two nics- this is the method you need to use if you have a hub. You also need some type of proxy software, like ICS. There is a lot of proxy software around- AnalogX, WinProxy and more. ***The thing I personally don't like about this method is that it uses a pcs resources for the connection- a router is a separate piece of hardware.***
After connecting the cable modem to one of the proxy server's nics, you connect the 2nd nic to the hub: that is how the connection will be proxied to the other pc.

A little more work to configure a proxy, only a little bit less money and it uses pc resources; those are the reasons why I prefer a Gateway Router.

***also ZoneAlarm is far superior to Black Ice***

All i use is a 5 Port mini hub with a uplink port where my cable modem plugs into.Then i have 3 pc hooked up to that and it works great for me. All though i do pay for 3 ip address

D-Link makes a nice little router that is relatively cheap, and it has four port for up to four pc's. I bought mine at Best Buy, I would recommend a router for sure. Best security available, when I do a port scan on my router it always comes back secure.

Just my two cents

J

Speed where can I find a Bestbuy here in WI. I live in Sheboygan and have only been to like three towns so far in the one year I have been up here.

Northridge Wi (Store #24)
8875 North 76th
Milwaukee, WI 53223
Phone: 414-357-7570
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-9:00pm
Sun 11:00am-6:00pm

This store also features:
• Mobile Electronics Installation
• Large Appliances on Display

Mayfair Wi (Store #26)
2855 Mayfair
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Phone: 414-771-8881
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-9:00pm
Sun 11:00am-6:00pm

This store also features:
• Mobile Electronics Installation
• Large Appliances on Display

Appleton Wi (Store #27)
4661 Associated Court
Appleton, WI 54913
Phone: 920-738-7644
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-9:00pm
Sun 11:00am-6:00pm

This store also features:
• Mobile Electronics Installation
• Large Appliances on Display

Bluemound Plaza Wi (Store #44)
19555 W. Bluemound Rd
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-796-0669
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-9:00pm
Sun 11:00am-6:00pm

This store also features:
• Mobile Electronics Installation
• Large Appliances on Display

one question---when i had a router before with 2 comp's thru one cable modem, a friend and i attempted to play quake2 together on a server. when we launched in, both computers were showing the same screen and stats because the server saw both computers as having the same ip address.

my question--is it possible to set up a separate ip for each when using a router? when it didnt work the first time, i returned it and went back to my extra ip address/hub setup to connect both at the same time....

viking84 said:

one question---when i had a router before with 2 comp's thru one cable modem, a friend and i attempted to play quake2 together on a server. when we launched in, both computers were showing the same screen and stats because the server saw both computers as having the same ip address.

my question--is it possible to set up a separate ip for each when using a router? when it didnt work the first time, i returned it and went back to my extra ip address/hub setup to connect both at the same time....

Click to expand...

This is pretty much the same dilemma I'm coming up against. As I see it, for both machines to play on the same server, they must both have a unique IP address. If you use a router with DHCP, your PC's are assigned an IP in the range 192.168.xxx.xxx as they connect to the network (I could have switched the 192 and 168--I'll check and edit later). These addresses are by rule set aside for internal networks only and are invisible to the WWW . To the outside world, your network looks like a single [and non-configurable/non-hackable] computer with the single IP that the cable company assigned you in the first place. This is regardless of whether you are issued a static IP (usually extra $) or IP's are dynamically issued (which is common with cable access). While secure, the server you hook up to can see only that one IP and therefore can send packets to only that one IP (it only 'sees' that one 'computer'). For one to play two computers on the same server, that server must be able to talk to two separate computers with two separate IP addresses. That means that one would have to expose the two computers to the WWW by assigning fixed addresses to each address and moving them into the 'Demilitarized zone' (DMZ). This raises security issues, as not only would the server be able to see both computers, but so could would-be hackers as well. There is also the question if anything on the outside of your internal network could see the reserved range of IP addresses. I have read that it is possible to assign 'non-reserved' IP's to computers on your internal network even if your ISP has not assigned them to you. However, one must know that the IP in question is not being used legitimately somewhere else. And, if caught, your ISP may frown on the practice (I still haven't figured out if this is technically legal or not). It may be that one would be forced to purchase additional IP's--which I understand is possible even with cable access--to have both (several) computers playing on the same server. Keep in mind that this limitation may not exist if your two (or more) computers are playing on two (or more) different servers. The packets from each individual server would be routed to the internal computer that is looking for packets from its respective server.

Please keep in mind that much of this is speculation on my part as I have posted similar questions here and on other boards. I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer to it all. I won't be getting my DSL and router until the middle of this month, so I won't be able to do my own experimenting until then (and even then, it will be limited as I will still be getting settled with the new house and all).

If anyone has any ACTUAL experience with this problem, I would be anxious to hear from them as well. Let us know exactly what equipment you have used and how it was all set up.

if your using a router with a firewall, your isp is not going to see any ip's in your network

you can either assign ip's manually to your comps or use DHCP which automatically assigns them