Computer Questions

[Andrew Burgess]

I know it sound a bit silly do you have a picture of this sound card like a large phone plug? And a crossover network cable so I can get one from my local computer shop. So I see what it look like? So where I can see it on the back of the modem and where to connect to and so on.

[Newt]

Not silly at all. Just to clarify, the only connection to the modem remains the same phone line you are using now. Setting up ICS will simply allow a 2nd PC to share the modem just as if it were installed there and they can both use it at the same time.

 

Rather than a picture of the cable, a description. You will want Category 5 wire (standard network cable). The 'crossover' part means that rather than the wires going directly thru so that pin1 on one end is connected to pin1 on the other, pin2 to pin2, etc., two of the wires are crossed so that the transmit pin at one end connects to the receive pin at the other. It's required when hooking two PCs directly to each other. Just ask any shop that sells networking bits for a cat5 crossover cable in whatever length you need up to a maximum of around 300ft.

 

Here is a typical PCI network card

 

 

And a close-up of the connector port

 

[Andrew Burgess]

Cheers Newt, the picture made it clear to me to have a look on both modem. Yes I have got one on both modem all I need now is to go a buy a Category 5 wire cable for this connnection. Can you give a chance to get this cable in the next few days?

[Newt]

Andrew - the cable should be easy to find. It's a very common networking item and in very wide use.

 

Don't be fooled by having modems in both PCs though. They aren't the same. If yours both fit a phone plug, they are the wrong card. Get the cable (you'll need it anyway) and check to see if the plug fits your cards. If so, you are on your way. If not (if the cat5 cable plug is too large) you need to add different cards.

[Andrew Burgess]

Newt, I have not brought the cable yet because in my area there are two local computer shops which in competition with each other and they are charging sky high prices. :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

Can you hang on until towards the weekend when I go to the bigger stores. On the subject getting the cable I was told by the one of the owner who own the shop that I need a special software to goes with it. Is this true? Or it is he trying to get more money out of me!

 

Get me straight, Do I need to connect the main internet line to my old computer or mine new one will have 2 at the back on the modem (does'nt this matter) and connect cat5 cable to the second slot and connect the other modem.

[Newt]

To give you an idea of reasonable cable prices (and a place to get them if you want) take a look at http://deepsurplus.site.yahoo.net/cables.html .

 

You need Cat5. Cat5E and Cat6 will work but won't give you any performance boost with a 2PC direct connection. This site has only 5E in the crossover and that will be fine. 7ft crossover runs under $2.50 US (£1.4). 14ft is $3.00 US. No way I would pay a local shop more than £3 for a 14ft pre-made cable and if you need longer, cable cost + connector cost + a smidgen of labor cost so £5 for a 50ft would be high but reasonable.

 

Ask the lying so-and-so exactly what additional software you need. With Microsoft operating systems from Win3.11 on, you can network the PCs with software that's bundled with the OS. With 98SE on, the ICS piece (to allow the PCs to share the modem) is included and if one PC has it, the other doesn't need it.

 

You can pick which PC you want to act as ICS host and which as ICS client.

 

The host PC will physically connect to the modem and will connect to the client PC.

 

[ 20. January 2004, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Andrew Burgess]

Cheers Newt you have been a great help to me as I say can you wait until Friday when I finish work early and I will go and get a 3m Cat5e cable I have just seen on PC World website as little £6.00. Now I had a trade account from an old friend of mine. My cost will be little as £2.50.

 

I looked forward to doing this as you make it so easy for me to understand. Once again thanks for being patience with me.

 

P.S. I hope you don't mind asking one more question. I was talking again at work about how you help me across the internet. And he think you are a real Pro.

 

At this moment, he is texting me a message on my mobile phone to ask you a question. As I said I have got the PCI network card what was the make you pick out to send the picture of the PCI network card? AS this moment he is thinking upgrading his network card.

 

Once Again with many thanks

Andrew

[Newt]

Andrew - I chose that one simply because it showed the port clearly. No idea what brand it was.

 

For a small network (10 or fewer PCs) any newer PCI ethernet card will do fine and I'd just go for the cheapest that can operate at 100Mbps (most will say 10/100Mbps since they can operate at either speed).

 

You can tell the newer ones since they only have the one connector on them as opposed to older ones that had 2 or 3 and all different with one for ethernet (like your cat5), another for coax (thinnet) cable and possibly a third one for AUI (thicknet) cable.

 

DLink and Netgear both make good cards that aren't too expensive but thats US and I'm really not sure what is available over there or at what price.

[Andrew Burgess]

Cheers Newt I had pass your information to my mate and he had decided to order online but get the parts from America as it is cheaper, so he don't mind waiting for it. We pay anything from £5.00 onwards most around at £10-30 and even there are some up to £100 - £500

[Steve Randles]

All credit to Newt for talking you through what you want to know Andrew, but I cant help thinking that what your attempting to do is approx 10 times more complicated than working through a wizard to connect your pc to the net.

 

If necessary, a quick call to your isp and asking them to talk you through it would do it in less than a minute.