Need a little help networking 2 computers (home)

[thewatrb0y77]

Hello.. I need a little help. Tommorow, i am suppose to get Cable Internet, and in my house hold, we have 2 computers (in room, next too each other) The modem is being installed to a Compaq, 900 mhz amd athlon, 128 mb ram, 30 gb hard drive, running Windows 2000 pro. The computer i would like to network it too, is a Pentium 2 333mhz, 7 gb hard drive, 64 mb ram, Windows 98 (not sure which version) Just wondering what i would need to network the 2 computers together, and how much it would cost to do so, and also what i should do to protect my information from hackers, like firewall's and so forth. Thanks for your help..
-Anthony

[Joker1]

there's three ways to go about it

Legend:
Cat5 cable --------
Cat5 X-over cable ---X---

1A)Direct sharing
Cable Modem--------Compaq----X-----Pentium 2
OR
1B)
Cable Modem--------Compaq---HUB----Pentium 2

The compaq would have 2 nics and it would route all the traffic using software like NAT32 (In this example the HUB isn't really used but it allows you to quickly and easily add more computers)

2)Routed through a LAN
Cable Modem
|
X
|
HUB
| \
| |
| Pentium 2
|
Compaq

Traffic would go through the hub and be routed once again through the hub to the pentium 2. Of course this would waste bandwidth and is impracticle with only two computers, however it does not require an extra NIC in the compaq and allows for quick expansion of the network. This may be the only solution if you dont have room in the compaq for a 2nd nic.

3)Linux Box/Cable Router

Modem
|
|
Linux Box
|
|
HUB
| \
| |
| Pentium 2
|
Compaq

This setup is similar to setup 1B in that one box with 2 nics handles all the translating then it connects to a hub. However the difference here is that box is dedicated. your not playign games or listning to music on it so its less likely to go down which means you have maximum uptime for all the user of the network. also D-link manufactures a little router thats perfect for this, it goes for about $140 can or you can get one with a built in hub for a little more. one of these guarantee almost 100% uptime and require the least configuration.

I know this might be a bit to take in at once. Any questions? feel free to ask.
<IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[Larommi]

Originally posted by thewatrb0y77:
<STRONG>Hello.. I need a little help. Tommorow, i am suppose to get Cable Internet, and in my house hold, we have 2 computers (in room, next too each other) The modem is being installed to a Compaq, 900 mhz amd athlon, 128 mb ram, 30 gb hard drive, running Windows 2000 pro. The computer i would like to network it too, is a Pentium 2 333mhz, 7 gb hard drive, 64 mb ram, Windows 98 (not sure which version) Just wondering what i would need to network the 2 computers together, and how much it would cost to do so, and also what i should do to protect my information from hackers, like firewall's and so forth. Thanks for your help..
-Anthony</STRONG>

I would just get a 4 port cable rounter and some cables and be done with it. The rounter will act as a firewall and if you are not comfy with it add ZoneAlarm

[thewatrb0y77]

Roughly how mouch does the rounter cost and where could i find it? how would i set it up?????
-Anthony

[Mustang]

You can usually find a linksys 4 port router for about $150 at any big name store like best buy, compusa or circuit city

[KINGofBLEH]

Do you plan on adding more machines in the near future. If not a NIC card in each box and a crossover cable would be sufficient. This would save you on the purchase of the hub. I would recommend going with a switch or a router. This would give you room for future expansion. You can use MS Internet Connection Sharing (available in Win 98 on) to share the connection. You will want to look into a good firewall to protect your systems from hackers and security problems in Windows. For this I recommend BlackICE Defender or ZoneAlarm.

[cornwete]

Im guessing you want to network the computers so you can share internet connection. A cheap easy way to go is to get a residential gateway ($89) a 4/5 port hub ($39), 1 cat5 cable, and a nic card($20) for the pentium2. The crossover cable will be included with the residential gateway, also whomever installs the modem will put a nic card in your AMD and have the cat 5 for that machine. The directions that comes with the residential gateway will walk you through setting this up-Very easy. Now you can have up to 128 machines on the internet at the same time if you wanted to. With that size hub though your limitations will be 3/4 machines. You can find these products at www.dlink.com/products/digitalhome/cabledsl

[WesFlash]

I think that the extra price of a cable/ dsl router with NIC's will be worth the price. I tried the crossover cable setup networking two computers before. Then I needed to connect a third So I got a hub. Then I finally upgraded to a switch. Fortunately for me, my DSL modem is also a router. The Cable/ DSL routers generally come with decent documentation that will help you set up the whole thing rather easily. The only problem is that they tend to have you install IPX/SPX to correct thier lack of explaining how to set up TCP/IP.
Bottom line, It may cost more for the router, but it may end up making you feel better knowing that you didn't spend two weeks trying to figure out how to set up TCP/IP and having a bunch of friends who can't remember it either, or.......Oops, having flashbacks again. If cost is an issue, then Joker1 has some good suggestions.

[NTTECH1]

You will need 2 Nic Cards 10/100 Setup on These systems I recommend that you purchase a Hub/Router in one device. I am currently using a Intellinet Internet Juction Cable Modem Router with the following features.
* Built in Firewall
* DHCP server asigns IP Adresses for all Lan Users
* A 4 Port 10/100 Switch with an uplink to connect to another Hub for larger networks.
*Easy Installation through web-based software
You can see this Hub at the below link:Vendor Page for Tampa Bay Communications Inc.
If you have any questions email me at the shop. [email protected]