home network

[garry a]

Do i need a router with firewall, or just a switch, if i have norton with a firewall !. To make my home network.Would a netgear d6834 4 port firewall router do the job.or over the top for home just 2 pc's. any sugestions for network cards as they seem to vary in price for same thing wots the catch thanks for all replys.cant seem to get me head round computers.

 

[Fanum]

Do i need a router with firewall, or just a switch, if i have norton with a firewall !. To make my home network.Would a netgear d6834 4 port firewall router do the job.or over the top for home just 2 pc's. any sugestions for network cards as they seem to vary in price for same thing wots the catch thanks for all replys.cant seem to get me head round computers.

Start again, and breathe......

What exactly do you want to do, and with what????

If you have two desktop PC's and want to link them, it's as easy as buying a cable (assuming both have USB ports and are running an apprropriate operating sysem)

If you want to share an internet connection, printers, plug a laptop in or have the network wireless, it may be more complicated.

Start from the beginning, tell us what you have and what you want to do

 

[Fanum]

PS Ditch Norton anyway.........it's crap, gets in the way and there are better (and free) bits of software.

Get AVG Free Edition (google it) for your anti virus and Zone Alarm single user free edition for a firewall.

 

[garry a]

Do i need a router with firewall, or just a switch, if i have norton with a firewall !. To make my home network.Would a netgear d6834 4 port firewall router do the job.or over the top for home just 2 pc's. any sugestions for network cards as they seem to vary in price for same thing wots the catch thanks for all replys.cant seem to get me head round computers.

i have 2 desktop pc's want to share broadband connection both use xp 1has high speed usb conection 1 just usb if that makes a difference.prefer wired setup . im breathing

 

[cookie]

i'd look for a modem/router with at least 2 ethernet ports (might as well have 4).

i use these but i'm sure that others are just as good.

i'm assuming you have ADSL broardband not cable.

i'm a bit sketchy on cable stuff, but then so are NTL from what i hear

 

[Fanum]

Yup, Cookie's right.......

You need a Broadband cable router, two Ethernet cards (One goes in each machine) and a cable to go from each PC ethernet card to the router.

One of the PC's will control the Router (setting up the security etc) and the other will just hook up to it......you'll be able to share the Internet connection and if you choose to, share files between both machines, or one way to either depending on how you want to set it up.

The wire that currently comes out of your Cable modem directly to your main PC will now go to the router, then you'll have two coming out to the two PC's.

I hate to recommend them but PC World do some good bundle deals and you should be able to get a basic wired network kit including a BB router for about 80 quid.


It's not strictly necessary, but I'd seriously recommend getting the same manufacturer's kit (ie Belkin router and cards or Netgear router and cards).....In theory they should al talk to eachother easily but in practice you'll get better results and less glitches in setup if they're all from the same maker

 

[Fanum]

OOpps.....I made an assumption there........

There's a difference between an ADSL router and a Cable router......but it's all easy once you get to the shop and tell them what you've got.

FWIW, there's not much diference (if any) between a wireless router and a wired one.....you can hardwire both machines to a wireless router but it also means that if you get a laptop or a palm device that is wireless enabled, you can link it to the other PC's and the t'internet without the wires....plus by making one of the Ethernet cards a wireless one, you can move the second PC around the house without worrying about a long lead to the thing from the router (one will still have to be wired to the router to control it)