Question about linking 2 comps

mp3guy

I'm getting a second pc soon, and want to share my internet connection on both pc's. They both have LAN 10/100 ports. Do i need a router or can i just connect them together with an ethernet cable?

Khannie

You can connect the two computers via a crossover patch cable iirc to create a mini network. If you want them to share a single internet connection and have a USB modem / router, then this may be all you need.

There's a networking forum, so I'm going to move this in there.

SwampThing

If you've Broadband, you're BB modem may already have 4 LAN ports and then you're laughing. If you have BB but only a single lan port, the simplest, most straight-forward way of doing this is with a 4-port hub - connect two PC's and the router to the hub - you're done. Not only do you get shared internet, you've file sharing, printer sharing etc. etc.

If you don't have broadband, and are using dial-up, you can use a cross-over cable (not an ordinary ethernet cable) to connect the network cards together and set up internet connection sharing on the 'master' pc.

Various ways around it - depends on what you have. Can you give a wee bit more info.

mp3guy

Well, it's utv broadband, with the external modem... which hasn't arrived yet, so i don't know how many ports it has, but it is usb.

SwampThing

It'll probably have a ethernet port - for PS2 and the likes that don't have USB.
I'd recommend a simple 4-port hub/switch. I'd say hundreds of posters have them lying around. If not, they're buttons to buy.
This is by far the most flexible option - if you get another PC, or you're hosting a games night, nothing changes. Arse-ing around with cross-overs and USB together - messy.

Dr_MalPractice

mp3guy wrote:

Well, it's utv broadband, with the external modem... which hasn't arrived yet, so i don't know how many ports it has, but it is usb.

you'll be getting a creative broadband modem, USB OR Ethernet, if you connect both you get nada!

I'm with Swamp thing, 4 port ethernet hub makes life so much easier.

if you can get your hands on an old PII machine or similar to use as a hardware firewall and web cache, you'll have a safer and more enjoyable internet life plus save a few megs on downloading your fav sites.

Nietzschean

why a hub? switches are well cheap now and would give much better lan proformance, i know this would have neigble impact on the bb as the speeds involved are much higher but still....

SwampThing

Darth Bobo wrote:

why a hub? switches are well cheap now and would give much better lan proformance, i know this would have neigble impact on the bb as the speeds involved are much higher but still....

I didn't want to confuse tha lad - yes, a switch is the way to go, especially if it cames to a games night. But for 2 PC's and the setup here, I don't think there's gonna be much difference.