First post - how best to connect another pc to the internet

[Osem]

OK guys - thanks so much for the feedback to date but you should know that when peeps tell me any problem involving a PC is going to be easily solved I get worrried....very worried

Anyway, just to summarise then. My preferred Luddite solution is OK (just)and I don't need any NTL disc to get my new pc connected to the modem via ethernet.

OK, then a couple more 'simple' questions if I may:

Will I be asked to enter any settings, data, addresses, whatever when I connect the new PC to the modem for the first time and try to access the net? If I will be, what are they and where do I find the information?

Secondly, just to clarify for my simple brain, in order to swap internet access between the two PC's will all that's required be to switch off the modem, unplug the current connection to it (say the usb lead to this PC), plug in the alternative connection (the ethernet lead to the new PC) and switch it all back on again? Bearing in mind you guys are all to be found here, I really don't want to get stuck in no-man's land and find mysef unable to access the net at all because I've done something stupid and don't know how to fix it.

Don't suppose you guys have a free, non web based, 24/7, "get Luddites out of bother" support service do you ???

Ps there's a round of virtual pints behind the bar for you all

[Osem]

Hi guys - just an update on this. Well I finally bit the bullet and .........



........"computer says YES!!!!"...........

It works...... YIPPEE!!!!!!

No hassle with ethernet - no disc needed, in fact no input needed. Couldn't have been easier.

So I have access to the net via 2 pc's (albeit not at the same time) and all I have to do is unplug 1 lead and plug in the other when I need to swap.

Thanks for all the help everyone and apologies a) for this tardy thank you and b) for being a luddite git in the first place lol

Osem.

Originally Posted by Osem

So I have access to the net via 2 pc's (albeit not at the same time) and all I have to do is unplug 1 lead and plug in the other when I need to swap.

Errr - don't you need to rebot the cablemodem as wel for that to work? Same MAC addresses and all that?

If you get yourself a router, you won't even need to sawp the cables!

[popper]

he doesnt want to spend on extra's (#4)to get this going or he could have done it as per #3 real easy.

CM===win2000/xp=X=win98
or
CM===win2000/xp=wireless/adhoc=win98
or
CM===wireless/router===to all machines in the house
or
CM===win2000/xp=nullX-serial=win98 (slow but works)
or get some (techy)wingate type software and have win95/98 as the first/master machine instead of win2000/xp.

wireless pci cards or wireless usb2.0 sticks in adhoc mode would have been easyest, as already said, but not as fast for transfering files from pc-to-pc as 100/1000 pci cards would be......

for any future readers, download,burn and boot a linux livecd and check that your main machine can connect to the net and then you can use that as your emergency bootdisk to come here and ask question if you messup the setting etc,simple....

1:
'===' equals straight through rj45 cable
'=X=' equals cross over rj45 cable

2:
you can replace the CM==='to what ever' with normal USB cable if you must/want

3:
CM equals stand alone Cable Modem or the inbuilt stb Cable Modem, but its far esyer with the stand alone one.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by lsainsbury

Errr - don't you need to rebot the cablemodem as wel for that to work? Same MAC addresses and all that?

If you get yourself a router, you won't even need to sawp the cables!

Well aware of that - as I said in my first post I didn't want to go down the router route as we don't need to access the web via both machines at once and there were possible problems getting my old W98 usb only pc to work via one. Yes we do need to reboot the modem when switching PCs but since we always turn it off after using the PC that isn't any hassle either. A simple soultion to a simple problem - exactly what I wanted

Osem

[popper]

Originally Posted by Osem

Well aware of that - as I said in my first post I didn't want to go down the router route as we don't need to access the web via both machines at once and there were possible problems getting my old W98 usb only pc to work via one. Yes we do need to reboot the modem when switching PCs but since we always turn it off after using the PC that isn't any hassle either. A simple soultion to a simple problem - exactly what I wanted

Osem

indeed Osem, the readers need to be aware though, that the so called wall wart power supplys that come with the stand alone modems are VERY prone to failure with lots of pluging in and out weather thats at the mains end or even the low voltage DC end that plugs in to the modem.

but you might be lucky and get 12 months out of them before they fail so might not need to call out NTL:tw to replace them to often.

as for the win98 USB , i cant say for sure but a simple null-USB cable might also work, i cant say yes, as i have never tryed that option unlike the others above than i have tryed and worked with.

[Osem]

Thanks for that very helpful feedback Popper. Tend only to unplug once a day but would obviously prefer not to have a problem and this modem is now almost a year old !!!!!!!!!! Is it possible/permissible to purchase a better power supply from Maplin or somewhere and use that or would doing so break NTL's T&C's?

Seems odd though that, given the standard and often repeated CS advice to unplug/plug in modems every time there's a problem, NTL should provide power supplies which apparently aren't up to that job. Still there's nowt as queer as cable companies is there?