Need help with small network, newbie info

pistolpete

Hi Guys, thanks in advance for any help..

I have :

1. Office upstairs, shop downstairs
2. Esat 512k DSL running into office upstairs, hooked up to PC running XP
3. Mac laptop in shop, OSX 9, with network card

I would like to have :

1. The laptop downstairs on the same connection

What do I need?
What is the easiest/cost effective method?

Appreciate any help given, answers in black and white if you could
Cheers
Pete

Boro

Easiest way is probably to get a wireless router/AP (Has to be compatible with windows AND macs - a lot dont say they are) and then pick up a wireless adaptor for the laptop. There is a list of wireless adaptors for macs [HTML=http://home.earthlink.net/~metaphyzx/Wireless.htm]here[/HTML]. Some of the USB ones i have seen (such as the DLinks) only seem to work on OSX 10 and above. You would probably be better off asking in the Mac Forum for better advice on the wireless options.

Total cost should end up around €100 - €120 or so. It also offers you the freedom to add more computers to the network easily, and is not dependant on them being near network points etc. The kit can also be moved to another location without any trouble (if you move premises for instance).

The other option is to get out the drill and run ethernet cables.

pistolpete

thanks for that Boro...

But, If I decide to run a cable downstairs, is it a simple matter of running the clip cable down and the usb cable into the desktop?

As the dsl modem has both, can i just run the 2 off the same modem?

Thanks again..

Pete

Ripwave

pistolpete wrote:

thanks for that Boro...

But, If I decide to run a cable downstairs, is it a simple matter of running the clip cable down and the usb cable into the desktop?

As the dsl modem has both, can i just run the 2 off the same modem

Yup - that the simplest and cheapest solution, and it will work just fine. Though most people would recommend that you shell out an extra €50 for an ethernet router, and plug it into the ethernet port from the "modem", and then plug both the PC and the Mac into the router, and leave the USB port alone altogether.

Boro

Ripwave wrote:

Yup - that the simplest and cheapest solution, and it will work just fine. Though most people would recommend that you shell out an extra €50 for an ethernet router, and plug it into the ethernet port from the "modem", and then plug both the PC and the Mac into the router, and leave the USB port alone altogether.

Its always handy to have the extra flexibility to be able to hook up more equipment if you want/need to. Besides, its just tidier that way AFAIK though, there are some modems that wont work like that - they will take EITHER the ethernet OR the USB. Still thats not such a great problem - try yours and see. If it doesnt work, then its as simple as just plugging a hub (with uplink) into the system.

Moriarty

Moved to Nets/Comms.

Ripwave

Boro wrote:

AFAIK though, there are some modems that wont work like that - they will take EITHER the ethernet OR the USB. Still thats not such a great problem - try yours and see.

The ethernet/USB models provided by Irish ISPs were introduced specifically to support people who wanted to plug their XBox into their broadband connection, as well as their PC - they are explicitly designed to support both interfaces working at the same time.

(The cable modem supplied by NTL may not work that way).

pistolpete

thanks for all the help guys.

Now am happily running both comps


cheers

Pete