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| Macro’s Guide to Setting up
a Cable Modem |
Hello and welcome to yet another exciting text by
Macro. (lol’z)
If you would like to get this text in a Microsoft Word Format then
click here.
Ok first off I suppose I should tell you that there is a couple of
different ways to share a Cable Connection over multiple PC’s
(A LAN).
In this text I will explain the Software and Hardware way to do
it.
Note: The following guide is based on your ISP
giving you only 1 IP Address.
Software Way
Before I start on the In’s and Out’s of the actual
physical setup I will mention the software you will need.
You will either need a Proxy or NAT (Network Address Translation)
Software.
For the Proxy software I recommend Wingate or WinProxy.
For the NAT software I recommend Sygate or Internet Gateway 6.0.
Note: This text is a guide on the physically
aspect of setting up a cable connection on a LAN, and so I will not
explain how to use the software, purely cause I cannot be fucked
to, and also the help section on each of the sites where you can
get this software can explain it better then I ever could.
Right lets get started.
Step 1
For this to work you will need to setup one PC as a server, and the
other PC as a client, rather then just plugging your modem into a
hub.
For this you will require three NIC’s (Network Interface
Cards). These are relatively cheap and you get pick up a pretty
decent one (well decent enough for a home network at about
£10 - £15)
Install two NIC’s into the Server PC and one NIC into the
Client PC.
Step 2
Connect one of the NIC’s in the Server PC to the Cable Modem.
Then connect the other NIC in the Server PC to the Client PC.
You should use CAT 5 cable to connect both of these with.
Note: You can only use a Hub between the two
PC’s and not between the Server and Cable Modem.
Step 3
Once you have connected the Server to the Cable modem, and the
Server to the Client PC then its time to install the software. (As
mentioned at the beginning of this text).
So install either NAT or Proxy software.
Now this might be a hard decision to make so I will tell you some
advantages and disadvantages.
Proxy
The advantages of using proxy are that you can block ports (acting
like a firewall) and it's also more customizable.
However the disadvantage is that most networking software might
require further configuration in order for it to run.
NAT
If you decide to use NAT, on the other hand, most of your software
will work without additional configuration on the client PCs.
Right well that’s pretty much it for the software side.
However there is just one more thing to mention and that is, with
this software setup, the Server PC will have to be ON for the
Client PC to have access to the net. (Same way as if you were
sharing a printer on a network)
Now onto the Hardware.
Hardware Way
This solution in much easier and requires a lot less fannying
about.
However (yes there is always a however), this solution also costs a
lot more money.
Instead of installing multiple NIC’s (Network Interface
Cards) and setting up a server PC, you could simply buy a hardware
router, which acts in a very similar way to the NAT software
programs as mentioned earlier.
Most of these routers will pretty much work right out of the box,
and won’t require much time to set them up.
It will also allow you to access the internet on all your PCs.
If you are thinking off taking this Hardware router to Cable
Connection heaven then you might want to get a router with multiple
LAN ports, in order for you to connect all your client PCs without
additional hardware, such as hub or switch.
However I should point out a Router with multiple LAN ports are
generally a lot more expensive then ones with just a single port
and so it will probably work out cheaper if you buy a Router with
just one LAN port and “piggy back” a hub onto it using
a Cross Over CAT 5 Cable.
You can pick up a decent 5 Port Hub for around £30 -
£40, as opposed to a Multiple LAN Port Router.
Other important factor you should consider when purchasing a router
is support and downloadable firmware updates.
You really do want to get a well known brand of Router such as Cisco, Alcatel, Linksys and Net Gear.
Well this is about the time I shut up and leave you to your
thoughts.
I hope you find this guide informative and useful.
Good Luck
Macro
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