Help with Ethernet cards??

[Silverhaze]

Can anybody give me some pointers here?

Currently I have my broadband coming into the PC via the USB port which is a right royal pain in the arse since it slows the PC to a crawl. I got the engineers to leave me an ethernet lead though so I can change over when I get the equipment.

What I want to do is get a card with an In and an Out on the back so I can plug the broadband into the card and then get another ethernet lead some other time and connect my old PC up to the new one and run the net off both. Doesnt matter if both PCs need to be on at the same time or anything like that. The old PC wont need to be used online at all unless somebody is using the new one. Its more for file transfers and stuff like that.

Anyway, thats all in the future for now cos the old PC doesnt have an ethernet card anyway.

So what exactly do I need to be aware of here?

The new PC is as follows:

WindowsXP
AthlonXP 2gig
Radeon7500 64mb
256 RAM (yeah I know I know but cash is tight)

I dont want anything too excessive here. Just good enough for my needs is good enough for me. The price is important too.
I also want to buy it online to save myself some money.

Anybody got any suggestions? I've never done anything like this before.

[RabidYak]

A combo switch'n'router will save you allot of hassle and be allot more pratical. Once you've configured that with your ISP details, any machine you plug into it will just go strait onto the net with no configeration and without being dependant on any other machine. File sharing and that is just a matter of putting both machines onto the same workgroup and setting up the shared folders.

Netgear do a nice range of this sort of thing with piss easy internal set-up software. Go to thier site and have a look at the RP614, should lay you back no more then £60. Another 35-odd notes for cards and cables and you'll be away.

[ivwshane]

In order to do what you want SH (and I too recomend getting router) you will need to buy three nic cards, two for the system that will be connected to your broadband (one that is connected to the modem itself and another that will be connected to your old pc) and of course you will need one in the old system as well.

Once everything is connected you will need some sort of "proxy" software such as microsofts ICS (internet connection software). Once you get that up and running the machine with two nics in it will always have to be on in order for the older machine to access the internet.


Buying three nics will be cheaper than buying two nics and a router, however the router will allow you to access the internet no matter what system is on plus it will be alot more secure and if you ever get more pc's you will be able to hook them up quite easily.

[KoHC]

Also, using 2 NIC in one system will slow that PC down when the other computer is on line. Because the system has to act as a router and dealing with incoming/outgoing traffics.

A router shouldn't cost too much. In U.S. its about the price of 2 good NIC (~$40). Or go with wireless router if you don't want to have wires all over your house.

[Silverhaze]

Thanks for the advice fellas, I'll have to hold off on it for a while but it will be mighty cool once its all up and running.

Any advice on what kind of card I should get in the meantime just to allow the broadband to come into the athlon. Something that I can later connect to the router.

[ivwshane]

For the home user almost anything will do.
D-link, linksys, what ever is cheaper should work, I would still go for a name brand card though just so you know it will have driver support in the future.


The card I use is the intel pro 10/100 card which cost me about $35 US, I choose that one so I could do remote installs. If you got the dough then get that one otherwise there really isn't much of a difference.

[Silverhaze]

Any good and reliable sites that offer quality products at low low prices?

[ivwshane]

I'm not aware of any in the UK.

But if you search on the internet you may find some and if you do see if there is a resellerrating.com rating.

[Damian]

Any good and reliable sites that offer quality products at low low prices?

PC World > Linksys Home network Kit > £50 > :p

[RabidYak]

Any good and reliable sites that offer quality products at low low prices?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk

[Silverhaze]

Why thankyou very much gentlemen!

I appreciate the advice.