Can you use a switch instead of a router?

[shlomos]

To all,

I was at a client's place to reinstall the OS. When it came to the installation of Verizon's DSL, I realized they were using a mini switch where I expected a router instead. They have a desktop and a laptop, and obviously they were able to use DSL at both computers. Now I have to get DSL back to this desktop using a switch! Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[jimbopalmer]

Some vendors allow you to pay for the service per computer and they assign you IP addresses per box

if you only have one IP address
1) you could replace the switch with a combination router/switch
2) or add a router before the switch on the DSL leg
3) or get a software router

Sygate makes one for Windows if you dislike ICS

IPnetRouter is one for macs I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

You should be able to connect an inexpensive router behind the switch and achieve the results you are looking for. Linksys makes a pretty decent (and cheap) four port router that will allow you to emulate a MAC address in order to receive a DHCP receive, or use NAT for a static IP. They make it in a 1, 4 or 8 port version in the BEFSR series.

 

[shlomos]

Thanks all. Yes, I know that a router would solve the problem. The challenge, however, was how to get two computers connected to a DSL modem with a switch and no router. Before I reinstalled the OS (Win2k), two computers were getting access to the Internet just with this mini-switch and no additional IP address! Whoever did it somehow managed to find the way. I called Verizon for help and wasted 2 hours(not surprisingly).

Anyway, I decided to use a router, so everything is fine. But if anyone knows how to configure a switch, I would like to know. Thank you.

 

[mweinstock]

I undestand that you've got it working now, but I'm curious. Did you check the IP addresses before you installed Win2k? I wonder if the person who configured it previously hijacked someone else's IP address... Or perhaps Verizon's security isn't so great, and they were able to have two DHCP requests from the same line?

 

[smah]

My guess would be that one of the computers had 2 network cards. This computer would have been running ICS or other NAT service to the switch (and remaining computers).




computer 1 /----other computers
DSL----> running ICS -------> Switch <
and hopefully \----other computers
a firewall

 

[smah]

My guess would be that one of the computers had 2 network cards. This computer would have been running ICS or other NAT service to the switch (and remaining computers).


computer 1 /----other computers
DSL----> running ICS -------> Switch <
and hopefully \----other computers
a firewall

 

[shlomos]

To All,

I checked the network configuration of this PC before I reformatted. It had no special setup, just &quot;Automatically obtain IP ...&quot; No second network card and no special program that I was aware of. That is why I was intrigued. I thought that Verizon's installation program would find the modem through the switch and assign an IP that is different from the other PC's. It didn't work that way, and I had to connect the PC directly to the modem. After establishing the WinPoet, I added the switch between the modem and PC, and the PC did find the connection briefly. But then the other PC's connection was messed up, and the connection to the Internet for both PCs became too erratic. Verizon's tech support had no idea. I spent more than 3 hours trying to figure out, but in vain. Of course, it took me only 10 mintues to configure a router setup. This still remains a mystery.

Shoji

 

[netmediasystems]

You may consider that one of the computers was doing a NAT translation for the other computer...something like that Windows 98 2nd ed. internet connection sharing. And WIN 2k can do NATing and routing. To figure out what was going on, you should have done an ipconfig/all on each computer to see the specs. just a thought

brian

 

[shlomos]

Brian,

Thank you for your thought. That is a good point. The computer I upgraded to Win2K on was running Win98 and the user was complaining it was slow. If it was doing the internet connection sharing, it explains the slowness. No, I didn't pay close attention to each PC's pconfig. Don't you need a service for this sharing and isn't one PC acting as a server? If I examine the other PC, it might be running that service. With this age of easy router technology, I forgot all about this internet sharing capability of win98.

Shoji

 

[netmediasystems]

Shoji - The win 98 internet connection sharing was basically a &quot;rigged&quot; method of sharing a single internet connection...but it worked. Check this out:

ICS or Internet Connection Sharing is called a protocol by the Microsoft literature and in a general sense it is. But in the larger sense ICS is a collection of software which turns a computer into a LAN to WAN TCP/IP gateway and integrates the other components of the network at the gateway computer. ICS is composed of the ICS adapter and ICS protocol.

Again, it is a rig...but worked. It created simulated &quot;LAN&quot; situation, but there isnt really any controls like you would find with win2k or NT. Just a thought.

brian