Help with home networking

[Allen]

I've had a little look round, but can't seem to find anything helpful to me. I'm a bit dumb when it comes to networking, so please go easy on me.

We have 2 computers in our house, mine and my parents. We got delivered about a week ago a nice and shiny new BT Broadband modem which connects through USB. Damn. There's the first problem.

I want to connect something to the modem and then to both PC's so we can use the internet on both without the need for one being on for the other to access.

Is there a switch hub thingy that will take a USB modem and split it to two computers? Or will I have to buy a router thing with a built in modem?

The second problem is I don't want these two computer to be able to 'see' eachother, just the interweb.

What are the easiest options here? And it's gotta be cheap too!

Thanks all.

:edit: I should add, I've seen a few ADSL routers which have a built in modem and they're too expensive. All I wanna do is connect my USB modem to a hub and connect it to two comps. Can this be done do you know?

[Ferral]

Buy yourself a Netgear Broadband Router, you can get them for about £50 in stores (Some places online do actually have them cheaper, got mine for £36) and you can connect upto 4 PC's to them.

The Modem plugs into the Router (Use the other socket (LAN) on the modem not the USB one to connect the modem to router) and you also plug both the PC's into the router via network cards, (Network cards you can get for around £10 each now for 100 Mbit)

The router will auto configure the connection and both PC's will be able to use the net at the same time. If you get stuck the manual takes you through it step by step.

My setup is exactly the same. I have a 25 metre cable running from my bedroom to the back room downstairs to connect me in. Both the parents PC and mine can access the net at the same time and in no way are they connected to each other at all or can see what the other is doing.

[Allen]

Originally Posted by Ferral

Buy yourself a Netgear Broadband Router, you can get them for about £50 and you can connect upto 4 PC's to them.

The Modem plugs into the Router and you also plug both the PC's into the router via network cards, (Network cards you can get for around £10 each now for 100 Mbit)

The router will auto configure the connection and both PC's will be able to use the net at the same time. If you get stuck the manual takes you through it step by step.

My setup is exactly the same. I have a 25 metre cable running from my bedroom to the back room downstairs to connect me in. Both the parents PC and mine can access the net at the same time.

Wicked, thanks very much! That sounds better than the £70-80 I was just looking at. Got the model number?

If you're talking about the RP614, that won't take a USB modem will it?

Oh, we both already have NIC's in our machine's and I already have a 20m cable, but it's a crossover. Can this be changed easily?

[Ferral]

Yeah its the RP614 I have and it doesn't take USB, if you look on the modem it should actually have a LAN type connection as well as the USB and there should be a cable for it in the box the modem came in.

I'm on NTL and their modem you have the choice of connection (USB or LAN) I should imagine the BT one will also have this option.

As for the crossover cable thats a bit out of my league as I'm not to hot on networking myself. Hence why I bought the router to make it easier for me. You can get a £25 metre cable for about £10

[Allen]

Originally Posted by Ferral

Yeah its the RP614 I have and it doesn't take USB, if you look on the modem it should actually have a LAN type connection as well as the USB and there should be a cable for it in the box the modem came in.

Nope, BT is USB only!

[Ferral]

May be worth looking for a lead that converts the USB to LAN type connection. Pretty sure you will be able to get one.

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Ferral

May be worth looking for a lead that converts the USB to LAN type connection. Pretty sure you will be able to get one.

Its going to be cheaper and easier to simply get an ADSL router/modem. They go as low as £40 at local computer fairs here. You will not be able to get a well priced router that accepts a BT usb modem so I would give that up before you start. I havent seen a cable that converts USB to LAN independently of a PC before, if it exists it wont be cheap enough to make it viable on top of a standard broadband router anyway.

The only other option you have is to do as you say you dont want to and that is connect the modem to one machine, netwotk them and use Internet Connection Sharing for access on the other machine. As you said tho this means the master machine has to be on.....

[Ferral]

I had mine connected direct to the other PC in that way for a while and it was a pain. Had a nasty habit of not recognising my PC on the home network. Also when I formatted my machine I had to do the other one also as it wouldn't recognise mine at all afterwards creating more work for me.

So I bought the router and problem was instantly solved.

Have a look about and see if any other brands of Broadband Router will actually take the USB connection, theres bound to be one available. Might be worth contacting BT and asking them for a list of compatible routers.

[Allen]

BT can get stuffed. They told my dad they'd charge over £200 to install connection both machines!!

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Big_Al

BT can get stuffed. They told my dad they'd charge over £200 to install connection both machines!!

There are one or two routers that will accept usb modems but they cost more than all in one units. Unless you find a good deal on a forum (more likely to find that on a combined modem/router unit) then buying from new means that a combined unit is the best/cheapest option for you.

[Jiff Lemon]

To get an idea of just how cheap a modem/router can be, have a look at this

Now, for under £25, you've got something that you could plug into your hub and be away. However, you should be aware that as usual, you get what you pay for. I've not used one of these, so can't comment on it's reliabilty, built quality or built in features, but I would expect more expensive models to have better functionality and easily obtainable firmware updates.