Configuring router for DSL modem 3

[dajo]

I'm getting DSL from SW Bell soon, and I've read enough about the subject in various forums to know that I should be able to configure a system such that all my home computers can access the internet via one DSL modem.

What type of router do I need? What type of protocol must it support in order to let multiple computers address the same DSL connection?

Candidates are D-Link DI-704 (4 port firewall), and SMC Barricade SMC700BR. Both support up to 253 users - how is that possible with only 4 ports?

I'm also wondering about the D-Link DI-701, it only has a connection for the DSL modem and a connection for the computer (network cable, I assume), but it states:

"Plus, the DI-701 will allow up to 32 simultaneous computers to connect to the Internet through the same ISP account. It also employs Dynamic Host Configuration protocol (DHCP) to provide dynamic allocation of IP addresses for up to 128 clients on your network"

I'm confused about how this all works. Which should I get to allow my home machines to access the internet through one DLS modem and one ISP. Is my current NetGear 4 port hub for my existing home network of any use in all of this?

Thank you!

 

[wybnormal]

My *opinion* here is go with a Linksys router. It has a very good rep for this type of service and is fairly easy to install and configure. And it's cheap

It has 4 ports so you will not really "need" the hub( ebay sale?) unless you want to put the router somewhere and string a long cable to where the PCs are and attach it to the hub there.

The linksys uses something called NAT ( network address translation) to let you share the one connection. It takes the real IP, translates it to a private IP range and tacks on a port ID in order to keep track of whos packets are going where.

---internet----209.333.333.1( router) 192.168.50.3:3045( new IP and port tag)----your PC

This is putting things very simply but I hope clearly enough for you to understand the basics of how this works. The linksys uses DHCP to give out the IPs to your workstations so it's one less thing to worry about on your side. It's IP only so it's not much good in a corporate world with multi protocols but then it's alot cheaper then a Cisco

Hope this helps some

Mike S

 

[dajo]

Thanks for answering. It helps a lot as I am pretty weak in this area. I just got the external modem. It comes with two RJ45 inputs - does that mean I can already hook up two machines even without a router?

Also, what do you think of the 1-port routers? What is the point of these? Do they allow sharing of multiple machines, and, if so, how is this done with only one port? Would that require some type of proxy software to simulate the DHCP?

Probably better off with the 4-port Linksys @ $138.00, but could you please explain the difference anyway?

Thanx for your help.

 

[jeter]

With an external modem running a dynamic ip you can hook the modem to a hub and install winpoet 2.0 on all your machines. They all can authenticate and surf the net at the same time. Its really easy!!! #-)

 

[dajo]

Are you saying that I don't need the DSL router unit at all? If so, what are the cons of the software implementation? Does it slows processing on the machines down noticeably? Is it free?

Thank you for responding!

 

[jeter]

the router would be the route to go if you have a large network, however with only a few pc's I would go with a hub and a dsl modem. The winpoet software should be provided with the dsl modem from your vendor. A small LAN will not slow down the performance of the DSL. ( I have set this up in my own house ). p.s. make sure you get a good hub !!!

Good Luck ! #-)

 

[rdish41]

SW Bell provides Enternet 300 software instead of winpoet. The Enternet 300 adapter works fine with windows 95\98, but if you can find it, Winpoet 2.0 works much better with windows 2000. I'm not sure about win98, but with win2000 and A dynamic IP from SW Bell you can't authenticate multiple machines simultaneously with just a hub and DSL modem. To do this, I recommend buying a Linksys 1 port DSL router ($90) and connecting it to a port on your existing hub. You can then have internet access simultaneously on all computers attached to the remaining three ports.

I'm going to try and lay it out as simply as possible. (1) connect your DSL modem to the WAN port on the router. (2) connect the only remaining port on the router to a port on your hub. (3) connect the remaining ports on your hub to network cards in the computers. (4) use the browser on any of your computers to access the router and enter your username and password supplied by SW Bell. The router will now handle all authentication and there is no need to install Enternet 300 or Winpoet on any of the computers.(this is a good thing) (5) Make sure you have TCP/IP installed on all computers.

 

[wybnormal]

I would like to address something here. A router is not for just large networks. It's for ANYONE who doest want to mess about with their configuration each time windows crashes or locks up. I use the small DLINK/Linksys routers for virtually all my clients even if it's 2 PCs. Because sure as the sun comes up, I'll get a call saying *johnny just installed mambo killer robots and now my internet conection is broken* and the router prevents those calls. It's a "black box" which means once it's configured, you are done. Even with a power loss, it comes back on it's own without service packs, reinstalls and so on.

If you are a tweaker, then do what you wish, but if you want a troublefree install and the chance to forget it's even there, consider the router.

Just my opinion

Mike S

 

[dajo]

Wow, thanks for all your responses!

I have the modem, and the service should start sometime in the next three days, so soon I'll be able to play with it and stop bugging everyone with rudimentary questions.

My external DLS modem has two network ports. How do these play into all of this? Can I currently just hook up two computers and be off and running without a DSL router?

So, I can get by with just a one port DLS router hooked into my Netgear 4 port hub? Only problem is, the Netgear just has four ports, that would leave three, and I have four computers - could I use that second DSL modem port in conjunction with the Netgear hub in the other port?

I'll probably get the 4-port Linksys DSL router, but if I can get by with the DLink 1 port DLS router for $86, that would even be better.

Performance and stability are important to us.

Thanks again, and soon I won't have to keep posting to this thread!

 

[rdish41]

dajo,

What model is the modem they sent you?

Knowing that you have four computers definitely justifies going ahead and buying the Linksys 4 port DSL router.

You can then connect your existing 4 port hub to the uplink port on the router and have the possibility to expand to a total of six computers.

 

[dajo]

It's a SpeedStream Efficient Networks external 2-port modem. Standard with the SWBell package, evidently.

I should just get the Linksys DLS router - probably the best solution.

How do I tell which port to use for the uplink? On my Netgear, there is an uplink button - out is normal, in is uplink. Is the port next to that button the one to use to uplink another hub?

Thanks again for your support. I appreciate it very much.

 

[rdish41]

What model number? (speedstream 4060, speedstream 5260, speedstream 5251, etc...) Look on the bottom of the modem.
SW Bell uses all of these and some other brands also.

On your Netgear it doesn't matter which port you use. Leave the button set out to "normal". Connect it to the port labeled "uplink" on the router.

 

[dajo]

It's a 5260. It has two network ports. What would happen if I just hook the Netgear hub into one of these and ran my machines off the hub? If I explicitly assign IP address to each machine could I run them in this way to all use the current DSL ISP connection, or do I still need the DSL router to keep track of the machine addressing of internet sessions?

What's the uplink button on the Netgear hub for?

Thanks for your posts.

 

[rdish41]

I've got a 5260 also, but it only has one network port. Are you sure that one of the ports is not a RJ-11 instead of an RJ-45. They lood alike, but one is a little smaller.

You only use the uplink on one hub/switch. If you plug an "uplink" into an "uplink" it will not work. I am suggesting that you use the "uplink" port on the router rather than the "uplink" port on your hub simply because this is the way I always do it and I know it works.

To clarify an earlier question, yes, the port next to the "uplink" button on your netgear is the uplink port if the button is depressed.

An example of how you might use the uplink port on the netgear would be if you had a third hub/swith. You could connect a regular LAN port on it to the uplink port on your netgear and then everything plugged in to the LAN ports on the third hub, the netgear, and the four port Linksys would all have internet access.

 

[rdish41]

You can run your machine off the hub, but I wouldn't specify an IP address. The Linksys doubles as a DHCP server and does a very effective job. If you specify an ip address you must disable DHCP on the Linksys.

 

[rdish41]

Oh sorry, I misunderstood your question about running off the hub. The answer is no. Without a router you would have to install the Enternet 300 or Winpoet software to authenticate and could only authenticate one machine at a time. In other words you would have to disconnect computer "A" from the internet before you could connect with computer "B".

By the way, what operating system are you running.

 

[dajo]

Win98 - this is a home network.

I very much appreciate your helping me.

 

[dajo]

Got the DLS connection - it's fast! Do you know how to tell the actual connect speed?

Thanx!

 

[rdish41]

http://msn.zdnet.com/partners/msn/bandwidth/speedtest50.htm

 

[geckomd]

rdish41...so far, the information you provided has been extremely helpful in making my understanding of how DSL can be networked via a Linksys router.

I recently got my Pacbell DSL installed and am currently using the Enternet 300 program to access the service. However, would like to network this service to all the rooms in the house. You mentioned that one would need to access the router and enter the username and password provided by Pacbell. How would I go about doing that?

Thanks!