We've just spent all our spare dosh on a laptop computer. 2gig processor, 40 gig hard drive, 500 mb of ram, DVD/ CD writer and every connection port you can think of, 3 USB sockets, firewire, etc.

Makes me do this-------------------->

We have a desktop computer with a cable modem 24/7 connection and would like to be able to use it with both machines. The laptop has both dial up modems and a fast LAN card installed. I've already found out to my cost that you can't just take the cable connector out of the back of the desktop and insert it in the LAN socket on the portable. It didn't work, and it cocked up the whole connection which we lost for two days. It seems you can do this as long as you go through a PIA process of clearing the modem memory and disconnecting cables each time you want to swap the connection.

Is it possible to connect the 2 machines on a network where they both use the same card in the desktop? If so any advice (Don't be afraid to talk down to me here! ) would be appreciated. What bits, cables would I need to get. The desktop is running Windows '98. the laptop is running Windows XP. I assume I'd need to have the same system on both, and would upgrade to XP on the desktop. I've tried contacting Blueyonder Tech Support but you can hang on the 'phone listening to 'The Four Seasons' till your clothes are out of fashion!

Basically is this feasible or should we just forget the idea? The last thing we want to do is have a separate account for the laptop, and certainly not a dial up one, having got used to the speed of the cable connection.

 

Cedric, you have a PM

 

CT -

I don't know the full details - but what you suggest is perfectly possible

What you need is a router and one of the wireless connections for the laptop to have a really neat system.

This allows you to wander about the house with laptop and it's always connected too via the same account. The router sorts out all the connectivity between the two machines.

My colleague did this with a PC desktop and an ibook - so it even works between PC and Mac. It's not so expensive.

Anybody else can fill in the details?

 

Pete.

I've replied to your P.M..... Thanks for that!

Kobe.

Thanks that sounds encouraging. The laptop has an infra- red receiver on the front if that's anything to do with it! ( Nice new avatar.)

 

Cedric

Nice toys...


I have BT ADSL (Openworld) that I use with 3 machines, desktop PC, Laptop PC and a Mac Laptop. I have a USB ADSL Modem and it allows me to just unplug it from one machine and stick it in the other with no problems. I still have to 'dial up' tho, which really does not dial anything, but just opens a connection to the ISP.

Assume that you have a cable modem?

If you can connect the two machines via a network, you can use Internet Connection Sharing, which comes with Win2k and XP (I think), you can also download ICS for Win98 from the Microsoft site for free. Do a search on the MS support site for Internet connection sharing. This would allow your laptop to use the web via the desktop Internet connection. You don't need the same OS on both PC's

Also if you are connected to the Internet 24/7 with Broadband you should be using a firewall, get a free one at www.zonelabs.com and install it on the machine connected to the Internet. However you'll need to upgrade to the pay for one, in order to support ICS.

You can test how secure you are by using shields up (free available at www.grc.com

Good Luck!

-Mike

 

You should be able to install a proxy server on your desktop machine and connect from myour laptop into the desktop and out onto the internet. I used to do this in my student house using a modem. (4 students and one modem was always fun!) I seem to recall Winproxy being the name of the software we used. www.tucows.com will have a shareware version of this type of thing to try before you buy.

John

 

Does the cable modem have only a single connection or does it have a set? If it only has a single connection then I suspect your network cable supplied with the cable modem is a crossover rather than a straight through.

I looked into ADSL and to support multiple PC's I would have had to take out the

 

Wow!!

Thanks fellers. This board is fantastic isn't it!

Andy:

Yes it's a single cable. It seems the problem with just swapping the cable between the two machines is that you have to clear the modem memory, remove power and co-ax cables. Reconfigure settings for the new card etc., and then repeat the process when you swap the cable back to the other net card...PIA!!

 

There are a number of ways of achieving this, several of which have been mentioned already.

This is my setup.

Blueyonder Cable modem.
Linksys BEFSR41 cable router.

http://www.linksys.com/Products/product.as...grid=23&prid=20

1 PC (Windows ME)
1 Laptop (Windows ME)
1 Ultra 5 (Solaris)
1 PC (Linux)

It's really simple.

The Cable modem is connected to the Linksys box (via ethernet cable)

All the other machines plug in to the Linksys box via ethernet. Means you need an ethernet port in each machine.

The advantage of this over using the PC for connection sharing are 1) you don't need the PC switched on all the time.
2) It's silent.

There are a number of other similar devices, including wireless lan versions.

Anyway.. regardless of what method you choose to use, it's fairly easy.

Pete

 

CT, the problem your going to have is that the broadband companies offer different products to support multiple PC connections, usually involving a subscription uplift. Now you can get around this by going down to PC world and purchasing a broadband router (find someone who knows what they're talking about - a challenge in itself) for about