ADSL, USB Network Sharing - Lemme Know ;)

[Dahfish]

Morning all,

I posted this question back in June having just chatted with one of the BT ADSL engineers whilst signing up for the free installation etc.

I asked about download, contention ratios, upload, gaming, ftp, http servers, game servers, ping, q2/3 and LAN sharing pointing out the two methods:
1)Gateway software: Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) / Sygate - requiring the gateway computer to remain on.
2)Router - hardware box sits on the LAN hub deals with all net requests - no computers required to be on (net users aside)

The engineer said that I could plug the USB modem (alcatel speedtouch) directly into a USB LAN HUB or buy a USB to Ethernet (CAT5) converter and then plug it into an Ethernet HUB (Thats the one I have 8-port 10/100mbit).

Now I have read up on routers and such till my eyes went blurry (took about 2 weeks *grins* or half hour with alky) but can't find the answer.

The only way I can see this working is if the USB modem itself is supplied an IP address, then plugged into the hub for all the LAN computers to find via Network adaptor settings under Gateway to have the modems IP address inserted there.(urr I know what I mean anyway)

Does anyone know have any ideas?

btw: I know you can still use software to share teh modems (see point 1 above) but I'm trying to get away from have the computer with the modem connected always on)

Cheers

DahFish

P.S. Through my research I have seen that the americans have several hardware routers for xDSL for sale to them from as little as £90 that would solve my problems, however they aren't available here, the cheapest router here seems to be £500 and doesn't support xDSL :(

[Zakalwe`]

Hi,

The cheapest DSL router I can find is the Netgear router at;
http://www.netshop.co.uk/cgi/foxweb.exe/cgicode?searchresult=ng311g.htm

It's around 180 quid...which is still steep but it's about the only DSL router available in the UK at the moment. You could always import one but then that's pretty pricy too.

I'm a networking novice too and have also recently read around the subject. I could be wrong but the main problem that I see in all this is that the Alcatel Speedtouch is USB and *no* DSL router that I've seen will connect to a USB DSL modem. I can't find any usb to ethernet converters (I suspect there is no such thing) and that means you either need a router with integrated DSL modem or you need a seperate ethernet based DSL modem.

...either way it's going to work out pretty expensive.

Let me know how you get on. I'm getting ADSL soon and hope to rig it into my network somehow.

l8r,
Zak

[Dahfish]

Hi there Zak,

thanks for the reply and for the link - I shall check it out shortly.

As far as I know a router incorporates the modems. If you think of them as a LAN modem usually with built-in firewalls that pretty much sums up what a router is.

On the other matter there are several USB to Ethernet convertors that I have seen and priced up. A local computer shop to where I work sells them (only been out since June really) but they aren't that cheap. £65 a piece - they have a power adaptor to plug into the mains as the USB peripherals take their power from the USB port directly, and as ethernet doesn't power them you get the power pack. The cheapest USB convertor I found was around £35 from doing a search on insight or a similar site.

The ADSL technical bloke said it was a very simple procedure:

buy a usb to ethernet convertor
plug usb adsl modem into convertor
plug usb to ethernet convertor into ethernet hub
end

I think I'm going to have to phone them back up once I have it rigged up and ask then, or ask the engineer once he come round to rig up the thing in the first place - bit of bribery, if that fails then a dual on Q2 ;) if not then it's time to introduce him to my vicious cat ;) hehe

Cheers

DahFish.

[Zakalwe`]

Hi Dahfish,

The link I provided is for a DSL router that *doesn't* include a DSL modem. Most that I've seen require an external DSL modem to be connected via a std. UTP connector.

Good to hear that you can get USB to ethernet converters.
I've only seen USB Ethernet Adaptors which won't do the trick. I'll have to look around a little harder. Try checking http://www.price-guide.co.uk if you want to find low prices on things. It's a price indexer for the UK - they have most UK online retailers indexed.

It looks like you're a good way further down the line than me. I'm still waiting for my install (hopefully only a week away now). Once that's over and done with I'll likely wait until some intrepid netizen with kit and cash to spare posts a "how to" on the subject.

Good luck with the networking. If you get it up and working, I'll expect a full report back! ;)

l8r,
Zak