I just signed up for broadband internet. The cable modem is set up by the tv, with an RJ45 cable running to the computer in another room. There are no other available RJ45 slots on the modem, only a USB slot. To hook up the modem to my HR21 box, I'm thinking that an ethernet switch is the way to go. Or I could install a router, than I would need to buy a wireless card for my PC. Any suggestions??
internet connection help
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If your cable modem is also a router, then all you need is an ethernet switch. Otherwise, you need a router to connect your PC and DVR to the internet.
You ought to have a router anyhow. Its way more secure and offers far more safety than plugging the cable modem straight to your pc.
It may also be that your internet service provider will only allow you one IP address, which the router would use and in turn provide subnet addresses to the rest of the stuff in your house. Plugging in a switch and multiple devices might not work at all, or might trigger the ISP charging you extra.
Given that a serviceable basic router costs $10-25...
Newegg.com - Recertified: NETGEAR RP614NAR 10/100Mbps Web Safe Router 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports
It may also be that your internet service provider will only allow you one IP address, which the router would use and in turn provide subnet addresses to the rest of the stuff in your house. Plugging in a switch and multiple devices might not work at all, or might trigger the ISP charging you extra.
Given that a serviceable basic router costs $10-25...
Newegg.com - Recertified: NETGEAR RP614NAR 10/100Mbps Web Safe Router 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports
Heres a wireless one for $10. In fact tigerdirect is giving 12% bing cash back right now, so its more like $8.75. You'll need a bing cash back account and to get to tigerdirect with a bing shopping search to get the cash back.
Netgear / WGR614 / 54Mbps / 802.11g / 4-Port / Cable/DSL / Recertified Wireless Router at TigerDirect.com
These are both somewhat older model routers with some more current support, but its hard to beat the price.
Netgear / WGR614 / 54Mbps / 802.11g / 4-Port / Cable/DSL / Recertified Wireless Router at TigerDirect.com
These are both somewhat older model routers with some more current support, but its hard to beat the price.
Get a 2 wire modem / router combo and be done with it.
Usually have 4 slots on the back for other devices.
It's wireless to boot.
You could also try a Netopia also will handle the same as the 2 wire.
The Netopia I use is actually one we use for businesses.
Usually have 4 slots on the back for other devices.
It's wireless to boot.
You could also try a Netopia also will handle the same as the 2 wire.
The Netopia I use is actually one we use for businesses.
The netgear powerline XE104 adapters I have in 3 places, work very well. I get better speeds than over wireless, and its very close to the speed I pay for.
Just as a heads up the 2wire dsl modem/wireless router runs around $90-100, and its terrible. Short wireless range and a high failure rate although 70% of the failures are the power brick going bad.
They do work well for a lot of people and if you can get a dsl signup deal where they give you the modem for free or at a reduced cost, its a good deal for many customers since the ISP has to support it, at least while its under warranty.
But for most people I recommend that they get the company supplied dsl modem and add their own inexpensive good quality router. Makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot problems and upgrade later.
All that having been said, looks like this guy asked a question and then never came back to see if he got any answers.
cfb,
You mentioned not having mush luck with the 2 wire. What do you find terrible about it, I'm curious, I don't use one, but we use them when setting up subs dsl all the time. Don't have much trouble with them.
However, your right the Power supplies are susceptible, I've had to replace them more often than the unit itself.
That is the only problem that I have had with them though ...
I currently am using a Motorola Netopia and like it much better than the Westell 327 that Verizon supplied me many years ago
2-Wire is junk, they break all the time. I can't count the number of times I've replaced that garbage. For DSL, it's better to get the cheap modem and buy a good Linksys or Netgear router.
My inlaws have a couple of them and they seem fine for 3-6 months and then quit working. One has had two power supplies and the other a power supply and then the unit broke and was replaced under warranty.
Check out the reviews on the most commonly deployed unit, 2 stars out of 5 with many of the same problems I've seen:
Amazon.com: AT&T 2701HG-B 2Wire Wireless Gateway DSL Router Modem: Video Games@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31bMprQcchL.@@AMEPARAM@@31bMprQcchL
2Wire was one of the first routers I ever owned way back over 10 years ago and it was a pretty good router. It had wireless-b and homepna networking built in. Never had a problem with it. But it looks like the generic versions they're selling today are made for low cost and high volume deployment and not for quality.
This is interesting to see other people having trouble with this unit. I have the 2Wire 2701HG-B as a free install from AT&T and it has been trouble-free aside from needing to be rebooted perhaps twice in 9 months (knock on wood!).
However, I'm about to move into a new house in which I've run Cat 6 to many different locations. I'd like to connect my dish receiver, a Blu-Ray player, three computers and then a few other devices in the future (NAS, printer, etc.). I'm going to need more than the few ports on the back of the router. My short-term plan is to install the 2Wire dsl modem/router in the media closet and then connect a switch with either 8 or 16 ports. Long-term I'm hoping AT&T will bring Uverse to my area at which point I'll reevaluate.
Does anyone know if the remaining ports on the 2Wire box will remain active at the same time as those on the switch? In other words, if I connect an 8-port switch to the 2wire can I use all three remaining ports on the 2Wire box and the 7 remaining ports on the switch for a total of 10? If I do that should I be able to seamlessly do file-sharing across the network?
Thanks,
CDH.
However, I'm about to move into a new house in which I've run Cat 6 to many different locations. I'd like to connect my dish receiver, a Blu-Ray player, three computers and then a few other devices in the future (NAS, printer, etc.). I'm going to need more than the few ports on the back of the router. My short-term plan is to install the 2Wire dsl modem/router in the media closet and then connect a switch with either 8 or 16 ports. Long-term I'm hoping AT&T will bring Uverse to my area at which point I'll reevaluate.
Does anyone know if the remaining ports on the 2Wire box will remain active at the same time as those on the switch? In other words, if I connect an 8-port switch to the 2wire can I use all three remaining ports on the 2Wire box and the 7 remaining ports on the switch for a total of 10? If I do that should I be able to seamlessly do file-sharing across the network?
Thanks,
CDH.
To be fair to 2wire, I suspect a lot of the problems with some of their common units are bad/cheap power supplies. They're not the only company to have a products reliability record stomped due to a bunch of bad power supplies. But then again, you get what you pay for.
I'm also thinking a lot of problems with the dsl modems may stem from users inexperience with the broadband equipment. Both of my in laws who just got dsl did some funny stuff with the box. One stuck it behind the desk next to the phone jack and had it wedged pretty well between the desk and the wall. My MIL piled some books on it. Not really what you want to do with something that runs warm and needs a little ventilation.
I'm also thinking a lot of problems with the dsl modems may stem from users inexperience with the broadband equipment. Both of my in laws who just got dsl did some funny stuff with the box. One stuck it behind the desk next to the phone jack and had it wedged pretty well between the desk and the wall. My MIL piled some books on it. Not really what you want to do with something that runs warm and needs a little ventilation.
That works most of the time. Some DSL and cable routers limit the number of DHCP addresses they'll hand out. A good hint that this might be a problem for you is if your ISP offers tiered service, like 1-5 users = $30, 5-10 users = $50, etc. Especially if the ISP has control of the router and does all the configuration for you.
Many routers can be configured this way, usually with a starting IP address and the number of dhcp addresses to be allotted. This can help keep dhcp clients from running over static ip address clients, but it can also be used to limit devices on the network.
Otherwise, great way to extend a network. My router has two switches cascaded off it it, one upstairs and one in the other room downstairs.
One thing to consider is that unless your router and switches all have gigabit switches, all the traffic from one switch to another will pass through a single 100Mb/s port. Not a problem for everything accessing the internet, since your internet connection speed is unlikely to be high enough to make that a choke point.
But if you put 4 HD dvr's on different switches and start up a whole mess of MRV connections you might overload the switch-to-router or switch-to-switch single point.
Gigabit ports more or less resolves this, but if you're smart about putting stuff that wants to talk to other stuff on the same switch together you can mitigate it.
Good news is that gigabit switches are getting stupidly cheap. $15 can get you 5 ports and 20-25 can get you 8.
Another really slick setup is if you have a spare router that supports dd-wrt firmware (or want to spend $10-20 on one), you can hook a router up in a remote room and set dd-wrt to client mode. Setup like that, you can plug 4 things into the router and it'll wirelessly bridge those back to your main router, even if that one isnt running dd-wrt. I'm doing that in one room where running wires wont work for me. I bought a $20 5GHz router, put dd-wrt on it, and I've got a 300Mb/s wireless connection from the stuff in that room to the main router.
Here's a followup. I asked the initial question. I got a Netgear wgr614 wireless router from my brother. It has several ethernet outputs, as well as the wireless. Since my PC doesn't have a wireless card, I ran ethernet cables to my pc and my HR21. No problems with either. One other security note: since doing this, I hardly ever get a firewall hit on my computer (zonealarm). I got several daily when hooked directly to the cable modem. Thanks guys.
Your router has network address translation (NAT) which gives you a degree of protection. To allow access from a computer which is outside your network, you would have to setup port forwarding in the router.
The only thing connected to my cable modem is a 8 port wireless router.
It's an easier setup to manage and does offer that degree of protection behind the router without sacrificing bandwidth.
It's an easier setup to manage and does offer that degree of protection behind the router without sacrificing bandwidth.
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