Who are we?

Read on if you have a problem with your computer network whether it be wired, wireless, bluetooth, VPN...

Guides

Advertisements

How to get your Entire LAN onto the Internet!

Once people have set up their LAN there next question is usually 'how do I connect all of my PCs to the Internet, at the same time, through the same Internet conenction...?'. Here's how:

Options:

There are two options available - hardware (router) or software.

To save time, I will tell you now that the hardware option is generally the best option - and ISP's are now starting to give away free routers (with a 4 port hub and Wireless LAN built in). So choose your ISP carefully and you'll get a free router thrown in (and often pre-configured).

This table shows the comparison between the hardware and software options:

Hardware Router
Software
Installation and Management
  • Routers are usually fairly easy to manage.
  • No software to install on a master PC, or other PCs on the network.
  • The adminstration for most routers is done via a web Interface - which means that you can manage it from any computer on the network (depending on security restrictions placesd on the router)
  • Most operating systems now come with software that allows shared Internet conenctions (e.g. Windows ICS - Interent Connection Service).
  • The software often needs to be configured on every computer on the network.
  • Depending on the software, all of the computers on the network may need to be the same (e.g. all PC's).
  • Requires the computer with the Internet sharing software to be switched on
Reliability

Once configured, the router will not be touched - i.e. no other software runs on it, so little to go wrong. It should last forever

The master computers need to be properly configured - with the Internet sharing software and its Internet connection.

The client computers all need to be configured properly.

Not as reliable as a router solution and troubleshooting can be tricky

Portability

Routers are small, but still need to be carried with you if you need to use it somewhere - e.g. in a hotel conference room

No additional hardware to carry. But you always need to use the master computer with the Internet sharing software

Cost

Not expensive

Free (when part of the operating system), or cheap - but comparable with the cost of a router

Connectivity Features

Routers come in these options:

  • Router only (i.e. need seperate modem and LAN/wLAN hub)
  • Router with modem (cable, xDSL, modem) - need a seperate hub (LAN and/or wLAN)
  • Router with modem and hub (LAN and/or wLAN)
None
Security
  • Hardware based firewall
  • Ports can be fully administrated
  • Websites can be allowed/disallowed
  • Ability to detect and block Denial Of Service (DOS) attacks
  • Acts as a hardware layer between the Internet and your computer
  • Security depends on the software being used
  • Often they are secure, but less flexible than hardware based routers, which means that you might not be able to access some services on the Interent that you might be able to with a hardware based router
  • No hardware layer between the Internet and the main computer

 

The hardware option is always the preferred as it is more reliable, provides more functionality, not reliant on a computer being on and working, gives best performance, easy to manage.

 

Software Option:

If you are using Windows 98se, Me or 2000:

These versions of Windows come with a feature called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). I haven't tried it yet so your best bet is to check out the Windows help file which will tell you how to set it up. To access the help file just so go Start | Help (tip - you can also press the Windows key and F1) and type 'Internet Connection Sharing' where it asks you to enter a keyword.

I have skimmed through the help files for ICS and they look quite good.

If you don't have those Operating systems, or have computers on your LAN that do not run those operating systems:

You will need to download and install some proxy software onto the PC with the modem (and possibly the other PCs too - depending on which software you use). Check out the relevant section of www.tucows.com for a list of suitable software.

If you want to just browse the web, send/receive e-mail, chat on ICQ, telnet, etc over the Internet from the PCs without the modem most proxy software will do this, if you want to run more sophisticated programs (in particular play on-line games), WinRoute is the only third part software that I have seen that will do this (I think ICS will to).