How can I connect 2 or more PCs in my Uni flat?

[MarcLister]

My third thread today.

I've got a broadband connection in my student flat. A CAT5e crossover cable goes from my PC to the "hole-in-the-wall". When I want to access the Internet I have to login with my user ID and password so it isn't like at home with my router where its always logged in so I can just open my browser and away I go.

So if I wanted to use the spare PC parts I have and make a PC say for Linux/Ubuntu how could I connect both of the PCs to the network so I have internet access on them both? I'm thinking a switch would do this? Connect the switch to the "hole-in-the-wall" and both PCs to the switch?

My only concern is that doing this would mean I couldn't load the login page for the Uni network?

[Agent]

You need to tell us exactly what this 'hole in the wall' is.

Presumably its linked to a router of some sort. If you can simply add a switch depends on if they have NAT set-up.
When you login - is it via a web browser or a dial-up connection type thing (PPPoE)?

To be honest, you're just best asking the admins. Don't mess with a network that ain't yours

[MarcLister]

Hi Agent. Thanks for replying.

Not sure about the hole in the wall. All I can tell you is that we have to use a crossover cable for connecting to the network and not a straight CAT5.

When I login, my browser loads up a login page, "http://lester-nat.salford.ac.uk" where I enter my User ID and password and then it loads up my homepage.

I would ask the admins but the ISD bunch at Salford are erm useless. I know I would have to contact them and tell them I want to connect another PC to the network but I wouldn't trust their advice on what to do.

What I want to sort out is to know if a switch is what I'd need? I want something that won't stop me accessing this login page so it can't be something that wants me to login to it to access the Internet.

[Agent]

Its impossible to say if a switch would work at all without trying it sadly
Its highly probable that they have set up the network to be 1IP per port, thus when you attach two machines via a switch they won't be assigned a separate one each.

You might be able to split the connection by using NAT yourself, thus 1IP would still only be needed (eg. smoothwall)

As you can see though, there is simply too many "ifs and maybes" for a solid answer. Without knowing how the network is set up its impossible to say buddy

At my uni (Stafford) you could buy extra IP's for the term, which was very simple Its always worth asking

[MarcLister]

Yeah I thought this might be the case. I remember seeing a page saying that if we wanted to connected more than one PC to the network we could pay £10 per year to ISD. Problem WAS that the page didn't say what the £10 was for or what they would do. Problem IS that I couldn't find the page last time I looked.

[dave87]

When I was in halls at UEA, I put a switch connected to the port in the wall, worked fine, though they restricted the number of PCs that could be registered (by MAC address) to a single student login. I think it was something like 1 wired MAC/ 1 wireless.

As Agent said Smoothwall would be one way, though I wouldn't have a clue how it would authenticate with their network (the bit where you login). Again, not to sound a bore, but speaking to the network admins is always the best way

[MarcLister]

I will email the ISD peeps sometime and see what they say. Unfortunately they aren't the most helpful group ever. Like this £10 thingy, the page didn't say what we would be paying £10 for.

Plus they are quite useless, I ask them for help sometimes regarding settings I need and they always tell me to refer to the device's manual. For the ruddy NETWORK settings?! How is Netgear or whoever going to have our Uni's network settings in its manual!?

[dave87]

First line support are always rubbish - they are designed to filter out the stupid questions, problem is they can't always recognise/transfer you to the person that has the answer. Way it works I'm afraid

[MarcLister]

First line support are always rubbish - they are designed to filter out the stupid questions, problem is they can't always recognise/transfer you to the person that has the answer. Way it works I'm afraid

Yep. The number of emails I've had from ISD giving me an enquiry number! I don't want an enquiry number, I want you to tell me who can answer this question.

Sometimes I have to make use of contacts I've established who are able to pass my questions on to the ISD bods that can answer the questions.

[b0redom]

Get a 2nd NIC for your main PC. Plug a switch into this 2nd port, and enable Internet Connection Sharing. Your PC will bridge and everything should be hunky dory.

[MarcLister]

Nice idea b0redom. I take it the idea of a switch is so that I could connect 2 or more PCs to my current PC?

How much should I spend on a NIC? And are there any brands to avoid or features I would need or shouldn't bother about paying extra for?

Is this an OK card? Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

[burble]

Any old NIC and any old switch will be fine.

[MarcLister]

Excellente. I shall sort this out when I return to Salford. I've not used ICS before so excuse my noobiness, I assume my current PC will use NAT or something on the PCs I connect to the switch?

[burble]

With ICS your PC will be acting as a NAT router (and a DHCP server) so that anything connected to the switch (bar the PC itself) will get outside by routing through your PC.

[MarcLister]

Fantastico. I shall check the ISD pages and see if I can find any more info that might suggest I have a hurdle to jump but otherwise I think I'm sorted.

[b0redom]

I would be _very_ surprised if it didn't work tbh. As far as your Uni can tell, all the traffic is coming from only one PC.