Away from home. Need help connecting my laptop to a home computer using a hub.

[Spooled-up]

Visiting the parents in MA for a couple of weeks. I borrowed a hub from a neighbor at our home in IN. I used it in PA last week on a DSL line (which is what I use in IN). Just plugged the cables in and it worked fine.



Here in MA, I plugged it in the same way I had it in PA and only the home computer gets the internet. My laptop says "limited or no connectivity" and I can't pull up any web pages or get email. After calling IBM tech support, they had me unplug the cable modem, shut down my computer, connect it directly to the modem, plug in the modem and start my computer. I get the internet after that, but the home computer isn't plugged in.



Now, every time I want to connect a computer to the internet, I have to unplug the modem, plug it in and restart whichever computer I want to use. It's a real pain.



Both cables I have are good as they work when connected directly to the modem. Both computers will get a signal through the hub if plugged in alone, but the hub will not split the signal for both computers. It seems as if the cable modem has to recognize one computer after starting up initially and it will provide a signal to that computer, but not both.



I'm sure I don't have a router which I hear is a completely different animal. I just want to split the internet signal to 2 computers. Is there a setting I have to change somewhere to make this work?

 

[wolfman00hd]

IIRC, the home computer will have to have the setting set up for sharing the internet connection. On XP, I believe the home pc has to have some changes made to the LAN settings, which can be accessed through IE, drop down "Tools", and then "internet options". I could be wrong, it's been quite a while since I set up my network at the house. May help, may not.

 

[Bertram65]

The modem only gives out one IP address so that is why you can only use one at a time and have to restart it when you change computers. You need a router so you it gets the one IP address from the modem then it gives out IP address' to computers connected to it. Where in MA are you?

 

[klenger]

Some or most or all DSL routers offer NAT IP addresses out of the box, but cable modems do not. IOW, a simple hub or switch may work fine with DSL, but for cable internet, you need a switch with a built-in router.

 

[Spooled-up]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I'm stuck with things the way they are unless I go buy a router. I'm only going to be here until the 11th, so I'll just live with it.



Thanks for the help.



Bertram65,

I'm in Wilmington. It's right up Rte 93 about 15 miles north of Boston. We're going to the Topsfield and Fryeburg fairs while we're up here.

 

[Bertram65]

Cool, I am in Lynnfield, two towns over, probably less than 10 miles away.

 

[TowPro]

If you laptop already has a wireless card, you can get a wireless router at Walmart for just over $50. 00. I think the wireless card (if you don't have one) is around $35. 00 more.



Any home network connected to DSL or Cable SHOULD have a router/firewall. Stops 99. 9% of the virus and bad guys from getting to your PC's.

 

[Spooled-up]

TowPro,



I thought of doing that, but for the week and a half we'll be here, I figured I'll just live with it and keep switching cables.



Thanks for the help guys.

 

[nickleinonen]

bypass the router and see if you got a good connection with the network cable going from your pc or laptop to the modem. if that works well, the problem is with the router.



i am not sure who's brand of router you have, but you may need to set it up.



similar to in windows if you click on the repair network connection [or under command prompt, type: ipconfig/release [press enter & wait], ipconfig/renew [press enter & wait]] you can do something similar with the router



my router is a D-link. for it when you are in its menu, you have the option to renew or release your DHCP client. if the DHCP is disconnected, your internet won't work through the router [will give you that limited connection bs] cycle the release and renew it and the net should be back up and running for you. i had a trendnet router before, and it worked on/off at times, but the user interface was crap compared to how the dlink is. .



just in case you do have a dlink router, this http://192.168.0.1/ should get you into the dlink user setup area. the user name should be admin and password is left blank. i think that is the default for all dlink routers. . might work on other routers too???



[disclamer: i ain't no computer geek, but i have learned enough on my stuff to somewhat bs my way through it... and my modem & router get hard booted about every 6 weeks from freezing up, but my router gets released/renewed about once a week]





***edit***



oops, i took it as hub and router being the same. .