Connecting a router: help (wired)

[ChrisPatuzzo]

Hi, im thinking of buying a wired router to connect four computers to my single modem, but was unsure as to how this would be connected. Currently i am using a speedtouch 330 modem, which you plug your phone line into and this goes to the USB port on the computer.

Which cables will i need for a wired router and how would i connect it up as most routers normally go to an ethernet port on the back of the computer which i do not have on all of the computers.

Please help.

Chris

p.s. i was thinking of buying a belkin 4 port router.

[bluemicrobyte]

If you don't have an ethernet port on each computer, you'll need to install an ethernet adapter on the computers that don't have them. This involves opening up the case and physically puting in an adapter. It's not that difficult to do.

Ethernet cards typically cost about 10 dollars (give or take).

After you have ethernet ports on the back of every computer, then you'd connect the modem to the router via ethernet cable, and the router to each computer via ethernet cables.

[ChrisPatuzzo]

The problem with that is the modem i have, imports from the phone line, but goes to USB for the export. Can standard routers connect through USB or do i have to buy a different type of router.

[Sgt.SlagRock]

ummm isn't it susspossed to be from a phone line to a modem and from a modem to a router (connected via ethernet cable) and from the router you connect them all to the computers (I have a lynksys router and up-to-date its been running pretty good)

-JS

ps: you do have DSL right?

[Markpyro]

Im having trouble understanding just what your problem is.
You are planning on buying a router for four different computers, and you want them all to connect.
A general router connects computers via rj-45 connection, or ethernet port. So, to connect the computers, they would all need an installed ethernet card, like Microbyte said, are pretty cheap, and a connecting ethernet cord.
To connect the router to dsl, at least my connection, you need a dsl line installed, and a "dsl box", which interprets the signal to your computer. The dsl box would connect directly to the dsl line that has been installed in your house, and then would have an ethernet port that would output the signal to your router, which will have several more ports that will distribute the signal to the connected computers.

As for router suggestions, I would go with linksys, as, according to personal experiance, are very easy to set up and have a lot of support sites that can assist you in doing so.

[WeekendLazyness]

The problem with that is the modem i have, imports from the phone line, but goes to USB for the export. Can standard routers connect through USB or do i have to buy a different type of router.You have several options. The easiest would be to try to get a modem that has an Ethernet jack instead of USB. That would make it much easier to connect to a router. The other option (and probably easier) would be to connect the modem to one computer via USB. You would then connect that computer to a network hub (not a router) and the rest of the computers to that hub. You would then need to enable internet connection sharing on the computer that has the modem connected, which would bridge the connection from the USB modem to the ethernet port (and thus to the rest of the computers). Make sure you use a decent firewall if you decide to go that route.

P.S. - Routers are for goining from one network to another, while hubs are for extending a network.

[bluemicrobyte]

Maybe it's just me, but what everyone has just said sounds extremely confusing to a network newbie.

The problem with that is the modem i have, imports from the phone line, but goes to USB for the export. Can standard routers connect through USB or do i have to buy a different type of router.

ChrisPatuzzo, look on your modem and see if there's another plug that looks like it could be for a phone line that isn't in use right now - that might be an ethernet "export" plug that you could use to connect it to the router. Most DSL modems have two options for "exporting" -- USB or Ethernet, but you only use one at a time.

If your modem really does only have USB, then I would recomend trying to get a modem with an ethernet output since that will be a lot easier to work with in terms of setting it up for multiple computers. You might have to call your ISP and ask them about this.

This diagram shows how everything will be set up in case it isn't 100% clear yet -- phone line connects the DSL modem to the internet, ethernet cable connets the rest

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/8111/network6jx.gif

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To answer your question, no standard routers do not connect through USB, and I don't think there are any routers that do (but there may be)

However, standard modems connect through Ethernet cable (aka RJ45) so yours should have that and if not, ask your ISP if you can get one that has it.

[WeekendLazyness]

If you actually read the post BMB, you would realize there is no ethernet port on the modem, it is only usb. A Google search of the model number confirms this. If you follow my directions, ChrisPatuzzo, you should be able to access the internet on all your computers. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here.

[bluemicrobyte]

ah, I see. Thank you for confirming that since I didn't think to look up the model :P

You could do what weekendlazyness suggested, but that would involve configuring the computers for internet connection sharing which, in my opinion, is difficult. You would also have to leave one computer on all the time (the one the modem connects to) in order for the other computers to access the internet where as with a router you don't need to have any computers on for any computer to access the internet. Plus, routers add another level of security because a hacker would have to also get past your router before gaining access to your computer where as with weekendlazyness's method your computer is directly exposed to the internet.

*no facts in this post were researched - info here is from my memory.

[ChrisPatuzzo]

Cheers guys, ive decided to get a different modem which supports ethernet and connect this through to a router, and then to all the computers. I might even get a router with a built in modem. Thx Chris.