Requirements for simple network PC? 3

[SteveBzzz]

Hi,

All I want to do is connect two pc's to the network server, and the only function of the server is to connect to the internet and share the internet with the other pc's. Right now, I have both pc's connected to the hub and then DSL. It works fine, but I would like to have only 1 pc connected to the internet, and then share the connection. Do I need a realyl powerful system for that? Just internet connection, no file sharing to the server or anything like that.


Thanks

 

[CitrixEngineer]

No, you don't need a powerful machine to do this. A 486 will do the job perfectly.

Is the ADSL device a modem or a router? If the latter, then you don't even need a computer to share the internet service.

If the former, then it's a straightforward matter of setting ICS. CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[ceh4702]

Most of the broadband cable/DSL routers will work fine for sharing an internet connection. However if you only want 1 computer on the internet and you are sure of that you could use a switch to do the file sharing. If you think you might get a cable router, you might get a Linksys Router with a 4 port switch. The router can do the job of a DHCP server. The linksys Routers also let you put one computer open to the outside using DMZ. This means it is visible as a server on the internet and all the ports are accessable. You can also do port filtering and port forwarding to limit the number of ports open and available to evil port sniffing programs. The router also hides your PC's internal net IP addresses from the adsl provider and other users on the internet.

I am in the process of getting a cable modem set up and have already purchased a linksys cable/dsl 4 port router. I previously had a 5 port switch from Linksys and found it to work flawlessly.

I had a hub that was damaged from lightning before so it might be wise to have some kind of surge protector that the phone line can go through. I have a transformer on the pole next to my house and lightning hit it one day. The funny thing is the NIC cards all seem to be working fine. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[ceh4702]

I bought my router from

http://www.amazon.com

for $59.00 and they charged no shipping charges. This is a pretty good price. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[SteveBzzz]

Hey guys,

You were absoloutely correct. I have the DSL connected to a lynksys router/hub and the hub is feeding the pc's, and I was trying to host an internet game and it wouldn't allow me to because of proxy server. If I use the DMZ function to connect one pc directly to the internet, how will it affect the other pc in terms of file transfer and printer sharing?

Thanks a lot and I'll keep you posted,

Steve

 

[ceh4702]

Good question, I havent tried that yet. I am in the process of getting cable modem service back. I have been running on the internet with a modem and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). The DMZ idea is from the router instructions. I think it mainly affects what the outside world sees. Since a router has a switch, if you are using DHCP you should be able to see all the computers on your network. One option would be to use an internet mail service like yahoo mail. The other option would be to use port forwarding. That requires you to know what ports are being used ahead of time. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[SteveBzzz]

Hmm...

OK, here is my setup. From wall to DSL to Router to two PC's. I guess you could call that a network, but the only thing I do is transfer files back and forth, and print to the printer. Both PC's access the Internet no problem. Here is the message that I get if I try to host a game...

"Proxy of Firewall detected...internal ip address is different than my external ip address..this may be due to firewalls, NAT, and proxy."

It might be a really simple answer located in the readme first file! Guess I should read it )

Well, as soon as I get some time, I'll try...

Thanks...

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I think this is dependent on the game;

If you've got NAT enabled then it should be a simple matter of discovering which ports the game requires and opening them - I'm not familiar with the Linksys routers, but they're very popular, so I guess they support port forwarding.

The idea of a DMZ as I understand it, is so that the public internet can access servers inside it, but NOT your LAN - have you tried hosting the game from the server inside the DMZ?


Hope this helps CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[SQLScholar]

hey,

I am looking to get an router for ADSL soon. I would like an 8 port. Has anyone got any sugguestions on a good one to go for?

Cheers

Dan
----------------------------------------
There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!

 

[CitrixEngineer]

It'd be cheaper to buy a single-port (or 4-port - prices are quite close), and a 4 or 8-port switch hub.

Linksys and D-Link seem to be very popular (although D-Link seem to be fairly feature-poor), and the Zyxel offerings look good, but I bought an SAR-715 from

http://www.solwise.co.uk

and teamed it with an own-brand 8-port switch from

http://www.scan.co.uk

ADSL guide gives good comparisions of routers;

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/

Quick tip; decide what features you need on your router - this will help narrow down the choice!

I went for;
Firewall.
NAT.
Port Translation.
Intrusion Detection.
Choice of CL or web interface.
IPSec, VPN, and ALG support (although I haven't used it for gaming yet...)

Hope this helps





CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk