crossover cable?

LETHALAI

I have aoldsl and I want to share my connection with my backup computer... I'm going to install a 100mbps netcard in both computers and use cat5 ethernet wiring... My question is... Instead of buying a hub, I was told I can use a cross over cable, since I only have two computers that I need connected to the DSL. I look on my dslmodem and see a rj45port and a rj11 port(internet connection in). I'm not really familiar with crossover cables.

If a netcard only has one port and my dsl modem has one port, how can i connect both netcards and still be able to connect to the DSL Modem port using a crossover cable? (I pictured a crossover cable being a cat5 wire with a rj45jack on each end.)

Sorry if I'm being a newbie, Im just confused

Webmaster

The setup will be like this:
[Internet]----[DSL modem]----[nic1-pc1-nic2-]--crossover cable--[nic3-pc2]

matts5074

All you would need is a 2nd NIC in the computer that has the internet connection. You'd have 3 NICs total, one to the DSL modem, one for the crossover cable, and one in the backup computer.

I pictured a crossover cable being a cat5 wire with a rj45jack on each end.)

You pictured right.

LETHALAI

The setup will be like this:
[Internet]----[DSL modem]----[nic1-pc1-nic2-]--crossover cable--[nic3-pc2]

Oh okay. I think I understand now

I'll need 2 net cards for pc1 in order to use the crossovercable that will connect to pc2... A cross over cable is just a cat5 with 2 rj45 ends right?

LETHALAI

Thanks a lot for the help. It was really bugging me, but using 2 netcards makes sense.

LETHALAI

one more thing........ Any particular brand that is any good and not going to break my pockets? I think 3com is/was good. I'm thinking about picking up this stuff within 3 weeks. Just so I can mess around with it while I'm studying.

I was thinking... Maybe I should just study for the 70-210 until I play around with the network and then start studying for the NET+. What do you suggest? I know that most people take a+<net+<mcp... but in my case would it be more wise to get my mcp first?

matts5074

For brands that won't break the bank I prefer Netgear. If you want to go more on the budget side you could get D-Link. As you said, 3Com is definatly a good brand as is Intel and Linksys. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

Webmaster

I prefer 3Com, but like matts5074 said, I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

A cross over cable is just a cat5 with 2 rj45 ends right

Not necessarily cat 5, wire 1 is connected to wire 3 of the other end, wire 2 is connected to wire 6 at the other end.

LETHALAI

and that differentiates between data send and receive right?

Webmaster

Exactly, the send wires on one side are connected to receive wires on the other, and vice versa.

LETHALAI

Thanks for your help!

M_Boyd

Would PC1 with two NIC cards have to be on for PC2 to recieve internet ?

matts5074

M_Boyd wrote:

Would PC1 with two NIC cards have to be on for PC2 to recieve internet ?

Yup

timharpur

Another option, if you have a little more cash to spend, is to buy a D-Link DSL Router instead of the second NIC for PC1. Both computers plug into the LAN side ports (a 6 port switch), and the WAN port goes to your DSL 'modem'. In this way you don't have to have PC1 on in order to use PC2 with the DSL, and the router has some built-in firewall capability, such as NAT and TCP port-filtering.

One more thing... don't use cross over cables if you go this way.... both PC1 and PC2 connect to the router using standard cables.

(a D-Link DSL Router goes for about $50 Canadian)

LETHALAI

Thanks for your help. What would be faster? using the crossover cable or the switch? Also, I can plug the rj11 into the wan side and the rj45s from the computers into the lan side right?

If I do use the crossover cable option, pc2 can only send/rec @ 100mbps.... What is the average mbps of a normal pc1/dsl hookup? Would pc1 have a faster connection since it is directly hooked up to the DSL?

Is it harder to share the internet connection with a win2000 computer to a win98 computer?

Also, I can activate ICS on win98... but how do i activate ICS for win2000? Do I just have to make everything part of the same workgroup with unique computer names?

timharpur

Speed of DSL is at best around 8Mbs which is well below the 100Mbs you get for your LAN.

Using the DSL Router (with built in switch) is faster (as router handles NAT - Network Address Translation) and is left in the always on state (no waiting for a link to your ISP when you first turn on your computer). With the method of using cross-over cable with PC1's ICS to handle PC2's internet connection, PC1 acts as a NAT and so has to handle a little extra work (not much though), and the most obvious down-side to using this method is that PC1 must be on and have activated the DSL link in order for PC2 to surf.

Activating ICS for Win2000/WinXP is just as easy if not easier than for Win98. Under Network Connections select the connection to be shared on PC1, then select Properties from the drop down menu, then select the Advanced tab, then check the Share This Connection option.

Only the computer handling the sharing (acting as the NAT) needs to have ICS activated (which also sets it up as a DHCP server for the LAN). The other computer(s) should simply have their TCP/IP set to use DHCP assigned settings.

Shouldn't have any problems mixing and matching OS. I am using a Win98SE computer for Sympatico DSL, with a WinXP machine attached via a cross-over, and I have no problems.

For DSL just make sure that the ICS WAN side on PC1 (the connection to be shared) is bound to the PPPoE Adapter, and not the actual NIC that is being used for the connection to the DSL modem. The ICS LAN side is bound to the second NIC on PC1.

Hope this helps.

fredd13

I have two computers, but I have bought a hub just incase a friend or a memory of my familys wants to connect to the Internet to....

HTH

Freddie