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Using a Router Using a Router. This is the most popular option because it's fast, simple, and cheap. All of your computers connect directly to a router, which in turn connects to the cable/DSL modem. The router splits up a single IP number, that uniquely identifies computers on TCP/IP networks like the Internet, and shares it among your computers. Little or no configuration is required, and there are no extra monthly fees. Better yet, it obscures the real IP addresses of your computers, hiding them from hackers and providing extra security.
The heart of the network is, of course, the router itself. All routers have similar NAT software that allows them to share an Internet connection. Beyond that, routers vary widely in features and connectivity. If you're interested, you can compare different models of routers to find out which one meets your needs. Once you've decided on a router, you need to make sure you have one network card (NIC) for each computer. You can check by looking for an RJ45 jack (it looks like an enlarged phone jack) on the back of each computer. Those that lack the jack will need an NIC. Internal models are cheapest. For laptops, a PC card model will be required. Note: When buying wireless products, you must consider the three competing standards: B (low-speed), G (hi-speed), and A (hi-speed). B and G products are compatible, but both are incompatible with A products. The last item on the list is cabling. Even if you go wireless, you'll still need a cable in between the cable/DSL modem and the router. Wired networkers will also need one cable per computer (as illustrated above). You may have enough cables lying around the house. If not, check out the cable guide to learn about Cat5 and find the right stuff for your setup. When you have all the equipment, set it up---plug in the router and install the NICs. The manufacturer should give you sufficient instructions for these tasks. Then just connect the cables as shown above. The nice thing about routers is that there isn't really much configuration. Once it's plugged in and turned on, it'll probably just work. If you are having problems connecting to the internet thru a router, the first step is to completely power off the cable modem and router for several minutes. This will clear out any old settings and IP leases. If that doesn't help, check the status page in your router control panel. If it's not getting a valid IP (you'll see 0.0.0.0 or 192.168.x.x in the IP address field), the problem is probably outside your control. Call the cable company and have them troubleshoot the problem with you. Be sure to mention you have a router as it will change some of the troubleshooting steps. Most Cebridge Comnnections customers lease a DYNAMIC IP address. Set your router to use DHCP to obtain its IP address and to assign IP addresses to the LAN computers. Also, all of your computers should be set to obtain an IP address automatically. Since this is the default setting, it probably hasn't changed unless you consciously modified it. To check, however, access your Network Properties - in Win9x, Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Network - in WinXP, open Properties for Local Area Connection in your Network Connections folder Then open the sub-properties for TCP/IP. The setting should be immediately visible. Special Applications Because routers obscure the real IP addresses of individual computers, it is sometimes difficult for servers on the Internet to find computers behind a router. When the connection originates from behind the router (ex: web browsing), the router takes note of the source computer and everything works okay. When the connection comes from outside the router, however, it does not know where to direct the traffic internally and the communication fails. In Internet-sharing lingo, applications that require this kind of communication are called "special applications". The easiest way to configure these is to use DMZ, a feature on most routers that causes all unidentified incoming traffic to be redirected to a computer of your choice. You'll find it in the "Advanced" or "Miscellaneous" section of your router's control panel. Unfortunately, it can't be used on more than one computer at a time, and it makes the target computer more vulnerable to hacker attacks. A better solution is port forwarding, which does something similar in a much more segmented way. To understand the process, you have to understand that all of a computer's incoming and outgoing transmissions occur through logical channels called ports. Certain applications and protocols use certain ports. Web servers, for example, use the HTTP protocol, which operates on port 80. Thus, when you access "cebridge.net", you are actually accessing port 80 on a computer named "cebridge.net". Port forwarding works by redirecting unidentified incoming traffic on certain ports to the computer of your choice. It opens a smaller security hole, and it allows you to configure programs on multiple computers. For example, if you wanted to run a web server, you would forward port 80 to one of your computers. At the same time, you could forward port 21 to a different computer running an FTP server. Port forwarding doesn't limit you to a single task. The actual setup is fairly easy. First, check the documentation of the offending program to find out what port(s) it uses. If nothing else, you should be able to find this information on Google. Then, make sure you know the IP address of the target computer. You can look it up in the same way you looked up your NIC MAC address. After that, simply go into your router's control panel and look for "Port Forwarding" or "Virtual Server" settings (note that they may be concealed within an "Advanced" subsection). When you've found the appropriate page, type in the port (or port range) and the IP address of the target computer and click Apply/OK. The changes should take effect immediately. |
| Home Networking Menu |
| Network Settings |
| Router Support Links |
| This just a partial list of some of the most popular routers. If you would like to see another brand listed here, please use the contact form and leave us a message. |
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Some applications require special configuration