DSL Wireless PC Networking

[Forrest]

Anyone done it? Wondering what hardware you used.



The current config is the DSL line is connected to the modem & the modem is connected to the PC via an Ethernet port. I want to give shared DSL access to a 2nd pc in the residence via wireless. Can you have 2 pc's on the same DSL line @ the same time? How do you do it?





Thanks

 

[NETim]

DSL router

IF you have a DSL router, you're set. It will be the gateway to the Internet for you local network.



Get a wireless hub or switch and using the "uplink" port on the hub/switch connect it to your router with a short piece of Cat 5 networking cable. Your PC's will naturally need a wireless transmitter card installed in each to communicate with the wireless hub/switch.



I don't think that a DSL modem by itself can share PC's. A DSL router/modem certainly will allow multiple PC's to share one connection.



Try this link to see the 4 port Linksys DSL router/modem



http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=23&prid=20



One other thought, Win98/ME and I 'spose XP can be configured to "share" modem connections. (So can Linux, but heck, it does everything better than Windows. What else is new?) Therefore, it may be possible to use one networked PC to act as the "gateway" for the other networked PC's through the wireless local net.



I haven't tried this 'cause on my local network I dial up to the Internet through a 56K modem/router. It does the sharing. Don't have to have a particular PC up and running to access the 'net.



However, a DSL router/modem can act as a firewall, which is a good thing for 24/7 connections to the Internet.



Tim



Late bulletin: A little more research on the Linksys site yielded up this little beauty (it is wireless!) Oughtta be just the ticket!



http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=173&grid=22

 

[Power Wagon]

I have a linksys wireless router, which is what you would use, and linksys cards for my PC and laptop. It works very well for TCP/IP, but I've noticed glitches when trying to use other protocols like NetBeui, and moving large files.



I've noticed that since my tower for the PC sits down close to the floor, inside a desk, wtih a gazillion wires around it, the signal from the hub is kinda weak - even though it's only about 30 feet away. With the hub sitting on the window sill, I could take my laptop out and travel more than a block away, so long as nothing solid was in between, and I had a useable signal.



I bought this stuff to test it's stability during use, and found it to be only so-so. Every 2 or 3 weeks, i have to unplug the hub (I'm using the hub right now, not the router... I DID use the router for a while) and plug it back in to re-establish connections.

 

[NETim]

wireless

Not a fan of wireless nets myself. But if a guy can't pull in Cat 5, then what can ya do?



I like the speed and reliability of copper.



Tim

 

[Todd G]

If you have a 2. 4G cordless phone in the house, your wireless network will work poorly. The phone uses the same frequency as the network.

 

[Forrest]

http://www.linksys.com/support/display.asp?biggie=big_befw11s4.jpg&prid=173&grid=22



Looks like the ethernet output from the modem could go into the WAN input. One of the 4 ports could ethernet over to the main PC & the other PC would be wireless. Am I correct?



No, can both PC's be using the DSL line @ the same time?

 

[JConley]

If you have Windows 2000, Internet connection sharing is built in and you just to run the wizzard to set it up.

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by Forrest

http://www.linksys.com/support/display.asp?biggie=big_befw11s4.jpg&prid=173&grid=22



Looks like the ethernet output from the modem could go into the WAN input. One of the 4 ports could ethernet over to the main PC & the other PC would be wireless. Am I correct?



No, can both PC's be using the DSL line @ the same time?

Forrest. . . by experience: you must do this: DSL modem to HUB to wireless router. For some reason, it won't work without one, not even a crossover cable will make it work. I tried, and it's correct (the docs tell you this), it will not work. You can then go from the 4 switched ports on the router to your local PC and wireless to the other(s) if you wish...

 

[icarus33]

I'm using the Linksys BEFW11S4 with my laptop as I type this. It was a fairly simple setup and allows me to be online or my LAN most anywhere in the house. With a cable internet connection that tests at 2. 4-2. 6 megabits/sec from dsl reports on my desktop pc wired to the Linksys switch, I get about 1/4 that speed around the house at 400-600k. Plenty fast for web surfing and large file transfers.



At most I've had 2 pc's and my iMac online at the same time and no issues.



ic

 

[Forrest]

Powerwagon,



Ok, then the Hub doesn't function other than to pass ethernet from the modem to the Linksys Wireless Router?



The 'host' pc then attaches to the Linksys box via ethernet & wireless to the remote PC?







icarus33,



Are you using the same box? How are you plumbing yours?







Thanks guys, invaluable info.

 

[LarryB]

I'm working on connecting my wireless network to a new gyro stabilized satellite broadband with return. Mount it on my trailer then sit on the beaches of Baja and surf the TDR Still a few problems but may have it for next year.

 

[dmurdock]

I haven't needed a hub... i have the modem connected to a router, and a wireless point connected to one of the ports on the router. My desktops and servers are all hardlined, but my wife uses the wireless function on the laptop (it is a dell that came with a built-in wireless nic). All work very well.



You can also use internet connection sharing which is supported by win98/m3/2000/xp, however, this requires at least one of the machines to act as a gateway/router and it will need 2 network cards. For about 50 bucks more, just buy a router and your set... you can add wireless if you want.

 

[NETim]

Linksys wireless unit

If you follow the second Linksys link that I had in my original post, you'll see some more links on the RH side of the page. One is "How does it fit in" or something to that effect. If you look at that page, you'll get a good pictorial representation of how this unit can interface with your home network.



It appears to me that this thing "can do it all". It incorporates a wireless hub/DSL router and has 4 Ethernet ports in it to boot. So a guy can connect this baby in just about anyway that their little heart desires.



I think that it would the only device you'd have to buy in your situation to accomplish what you wish.



If I were going wireless and had DSL, I'd sure give it a look anyway.



Good luck,

Tim

 

[ACoyle]

I've seen tow basic types of DSL "Modems" one kind has an ethernet output, the other kind uses PPPOE. Both can plug into the Linksys router and work. The PPPOE may be able to plug into just a hub. We did this for one of our clients. They used Earthlink and the ISP, Earthlink, controlled how many of them could be on line at one time.



If you have PPPOE the Linksys router can handle that for you and the output of the Linksys will just be Ethernet.



Power Wagon - I have not tried moving big files with Netbeui. I will now avoid it.



My house / office currently has 768 KBPS SDSL. We use a Linksys "WAP" Wireless access point for the laptop around the house. The tow desktops and the NT server are all running 100 MBPS with a hub and Cat 5 wire. I prefer to run on the cat 5, it's just faster the wireless only goes 11 MBPS. Can't tell the difference on the internet. everything else is slow.



Verizon just gave me ADSL and a modem to try out for 30 days. I won't keep it, but, I need to test it. After I try various routers, etc, I can maybe add more info.



AC

 

[Eventer]

Be aware that wireless is not necessarily secure, even if you encrypt your transmissions.



I was just reading somewhere about a tool called AirSnort that is able to grab packets out of the air and given enough packets is able to determine your passwords.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Originally posted by Forrest

Anyone done it? Wondering what hardware you used.



The current config is the DSL line is connected to the modem & the modem is connected to the PC via an Ethernet port. I want to give shared DSL access to a 2nd pc in the residence via wireless. Can you have 2 pc's on the same DSL line @ the same time? How do you do it?





Thanks

Forrest,



A little late to respond here, but I have my wireless network setup as follows:



I have the Linksys BEFW11S4 which is hooked to a cable modem. One desktop is near the Router and is wired with Cat5 direct to a 100mb NIC. I have two other machines, a tower and a laptop connected via wireless.



It works good, but remember that you are sharing your bandwidth among users. To make your network, I think you need the router and ALSO a wireless NIC for each machine you want to add.



Hope this helps some.



Shelby

 

[jthorpe]

I use cable modem connected to a linksys wireless router. I have my desktops on the lan, and the laptops on wireless. Seems to work pretty well.



(I only own one of the computers in my house)

 

[Forrest]

Thanks Shelby & jthorpe!!! I'll try to set this thing up late this month, hopefully. Even with the reduction in bandwidth, it'll be more than the 56k, probably.



Eventer, understood. Would be surprising to loose bandwidth just to find a smile on my neighbors face.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

While the wireless security is a real threat, I don't think it too likely in a residential neighborhood. I have a hard time making it from one end of the house to the other, walls really soak up the radio signal. Outside, I would be more concerned. I haven't tried it, but maybe should, but I bet over 50 feet from my house my laptop wouldn't be connected to the network.



Shelby

 

[jthorpe]

Originally posted by Forrest

Thanks Shelby & jthorpe!!! I'll try to set this thing up late this month, hopefully. Even with the reduction in bandwidth, it'll be more than the 56k, probably.



Eventer, understood. Would be surprising to loose bandwidth just to find a smile on my neighbors face.

I can get around 312KB download speeds from certain site, but I average about 100KB so it works pretty well. Good luck. Also, the person who was talking about security on wireless is correct. 802. 11 can be hacked and it travels a good distance outside your home depending on where your antennas are located.