> I am wanting to network 2 pcs in my house from one broadband connection. > On both machines there are no pci slots left or no option of having any > pci slots installed. > How can I solve this. Does anyone make something that would allow the > braodband connection to come in and then split between the two units, or > would I have to run a network and if so does anyone make a usb network > card. Both machines have usb2.
Hi Ian Might need a bit more information. Is your broadband connection fit into your PC directly using a USB connection? Generally in the UK there are two types of device provided by your broadband ISP, a USB single connection, or a separate box (often referred to as a modem - even though the term is misused in this context) that tends to have a connection to your phone line and a couple of Ethernet ports. If you buy a "wires only" connection - then you get to buy your own box - which may be advantageous if one wanted to me more adventurous with number of ports or a build in wireless base station etc. If you have the latter (external box with Ethernet ports), then you would likely wish to connect to that box directly from each PC. If your PC's have Ethernet built in (or already in a PCI slot) then problem solved. If not, you can buy a USB to Ethernet adapter (from Maplin's for example - part number A65AR) that provides the same function via your USB port. If you have the former (USB only DSL connection) then you would need to use this first (DSL connected) PC as your "gateway" to the internet. You can then connect a second PC to this PC using Ethernet (if fitted) - needing a crossover cable to connect directly, or using a specific USB cable (USB link cable - not a standard USB peripheral cable) (again available at Maplin's - part number TF05G). How to make your first PC a gateway varies between operating systems. Win XP Pro will do it all for you using a wizard and should cause no problems at all. W98 and up should also work OK, check your help files for instructions. A word of caution, USB to Ethernet conversion will cause some drain on your PC's hardware and software resources (that would otherwise be done by a purpose built chip in a standard Ethernet card/chip). Similarly the PC that acts as your gateway (and firewall) will take a performance hit also. So better longer term solution is the dedicated DSL modem/router/firewall and an Ethernet local area network. HTH Phil =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
