How to Share your Pipeline Modem Connection
Written: Jul 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Broadband internet sharing!
Cons: Can be a pain to setup
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| boden11's Full Review: Charter Communications Charter Pipeline |
So you have Charter Pipeline access, or are thinking about getting it installed in your home? This guide will aid you in case you wanted to network your PCs together so you can share your newfound broadband access with 2 or more computers. The reason I am writing this under the Charter area is because of a recent change in Pipeline service, it is no longer a cinch to share your internet connection.
Requirements
* 2 PCs (clones or whatnot) with Windows 2000 installed on one of them
(it is possible to be running Win 9x on both if you are familiar with Wingate or another similar program--the reason for the W2K recommendation is because it natively allows users to share Internet access)
* At least 3 network cards. The computer acting as host will need to have 2 network cards installed (explanation later in the epinion) and each networking computer will need just one network card. I recommend a 10 or 100 MBPS (mega-bit per/second) PCI network card. 10 is sufficient, but **MAKE SURE** the card isn't ISA. An ISA network card draws major CPU resources away from the computer while it is in use, UNLIKE a PCI network card.
* A hub with a port for every computer you can imagine connecting. It is possible to bypass the hub if you are 100% sure you are only going to network 2 computers, however I find it much easier to connect through a hub since then when friends comeover or you buy a new computer, you can connect them to not only share the cable modem but join your local intranet setup. I prefer a 10MBPS 4 port hub which is available for around 40-50$. If all the network cards you are using are 100MBPS, spend some extra $$ on a 100MBPS hub (100$+) the speed increase is worth it.
* Some RJ-45 network cable (not co-auxial!!). Also make sure that none of the cables are 'patch cables'. A patch cable is an RJ-45 cable which has been modified so it can network 2 computers without a hub. The problem with this is that you should be using a hub, and patch cables don't work with a hub. Make sure the cables are long enough for how long the distance is between the computers.
(NOTE: If you are not using a hub and just connecting the 2 computers, a patch cable for the connection between the 2 computers is what you need, not a standard RJ-45 cable)
All these can be purchased together for about 150-250$ depending on what kind of ethernet cards and hub you decide on (RJ-45 cable is cheap).
The setup
Well first let me explain why you can't use 2 ethernet cards and a hub to connect your cable modem. This setup involves putting your cable modem into the hub as an uplink and then connecting each computer into the next 2 ports. This may work for some people on other cable modem ISPs. However, this doesn't work anymore for Charter (they changed IP addressing to discourage this kind of internet sharing).
How to setup your network
Put 2 ethernet cards into the computer you want as host (running W2K preferrably). Obviously, if it already has 1 ethernet card, you only need to install 1 more. Now plug the cable modem into one of the cards. Take 1 RJ-45 cable and plug it into the other ethernet card and then into the first port on the hub. For Windows 2000 you should see 2 separate connections on your systray (where your clock is). For the ethernet card that is connected to the **HUB** (otherwise this won't work) click the box that enables Internet Connection Sharing. Now for the other computer, take the other RJ-45 cable and plug it into the ethernet card and then into the second port.
Reboot both computers and viola, broadband internet sharing. If you are having problems, make sure under network protocols (ie--TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, etc.) that they are set similarily. Both computers need IPX/SPX (to use the local intranet), and have both obtain an IP address automatically. You shouldn't have to make any big changes to the setup under network protocols for either computer. Just make sure that you know which ethernet card you're working with on the computer with 2. If you can both see each other on the network, but the client can't share the connection, you're halfway there. The problem lies in simply setting up your network protocols so Windows is happy.
For additional computers, just take another RJ-45 cable, plug it into the hub and the ethernet card in the computer.
Side note
I have noticed that when system resources get REALLY LOW on my roommate's compure (he's the host) internet sharing sometimes stops. When he reboots however, it starts working again. **ALSO** (and this is really important) to share internet access, the host computer needs to remain ON .
Conclusion
Broadband access is the way to go, for only 34.95$/month Charter offers 500k downstream (downloading) and 128k upstream. This is much faster than what you really need (since you only fully exploit broadband when downloading large files) and sharing this connection to other computers in your house is one of the best ways to bring everybody up to date. Cable allows you to access the internet at high speeds without using your phone line or having your house rewired (generally). If you have any questions about your setup, please feel free to email me (email address on my member profile).
Recommended:
Yes
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boden11
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boden11 loves gambling...errr investing in the stock market and and doing his own taxes
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