Multiple NIC Cards

[Zukiman]

Having a cable modem has monopolized my nic card, so is anyone out there using two? I would like to network my two comps, and leave the modem setup undisturbed. Any problems with this, resource sharing, or otherwise?

 

[Silencer]

Sounds cool! put in another NIC on the computer hooked up to the Cable modem and then use it as a gateway for the other!!

I'd suggest you use linux for the computer that's the gateway, that was it can be a firewall at the same time!

 

[Zukiman]

zacklee.
I enjoy being able to screen my calls, so to speak.

 

[Zukiman]

I was just reading some of the other posts and saw USB networking. Would this work, and how fast is it (Mbps)?

 

[Ladi]

Why use USB when it's fairly easy to drop two NICs (different brands will help) into a system, one NIC into your other system, and a crossover cable in between?

~Ladi

 

[SufferinSuccotash]

I always thought USB was generally slower and less reliable. You'd probably be better off buying a couple of 10/100 NIC's and dropping them in the machine. I havew a setup like this, using Linux on the machine hooked up to the cable modem. It acts as a firewall/router, and its been running great for over a year now.

 

[BCYL]

There is no need for you to use USB... it's more expensive, and slower also. Just drop in a 10/100 NIC... configuring a computer with two NIC is just as easy as configuring one NIC. The hard part would be seperating the two NICs, so different brands on cards would help just like Ladi said.

 

[Zukiman]

Thanx
That was my main concern, that I actually COULD use two cards without a conflict between the LAN and the cable modem, since the modem is essentially a LAN setup. I'm sure the 10/100 setup would be better.
Thanx for all the replies

 

[Wizkid]

A 100Mbps setup would be a LOT faster than USB... that is what I am using right now

 

[ThurzNite]

With win2k, I can't seem to set up the nic's separately. I have my LAN set up and working perfectly. When I drop in the 2nd one (getting dsl installed next week) I can't configure the 2nd one. Any ideas on how to do them separately?
Jay

 

[Spearfodder]

2 nics work fine under just about any os. I have two in my box which boots 98se/win2k pro/mandrake 7.0, and both nics work fine in all os's. I mostly use them for ics (which sucks) while I get the linux firewall stuff figured out.

 

[Dogbertatwork]

I was using two NICs in win98se and using Sygate to share a cable modem. I think I specified the IP address for the NIC connected to the LAN. Use NICs from different companies. I used identical NICs and it just made it more confusing in the control panels.
I bought a Linksys Cable/DSL router a couple months ago to replace the dual-NIC solution.

 

[MrChicken]

I know you want to leave the modem undisturbed, but you can use a hub and run the cable modem and both pc's to the hub and TCP/IP on just one pc and IPX on both.
The pc with TCP will use the cable modem for internet and it will use IPX to talk to the other pc. The pc with IPX will only talk to the other pc since the cable modem wont pass IPX to the cable network.
This way you only need 1 NIC in each pc.

 

[fergiboy]

2 nics and a crossover?
I had that setup for a long time but I hated having to have the host machine on all the time. Now I have a netgear router and dlink switch. It is a much better setup.

 

[fergiboy]

Having to nics and a crossover costs alot less though and is an easyer setup.

 

[Jugernot]

MrChicken, have you actually done what you were talking about or is it something that "should" work? I'm sorta in the same situation as Zukiman, but I have a 8port switch that I was going to use. I was gonna run two nics from my internet connection server/firewall, one card for the DSL line and one to connect to the switch. Then I could fill the other 7 ports on the hub with other PCs.

If it does work, great idea!

 

[SlickVic]

Go to http://www.timhiggins.com

His site will explain it all...I use 2 NICS in the internet machine, hub, ICS, and share my cable modem with my other computer with no problem.

 

[BCYL]

All you need to have the 2 NICs working is TCP/IP protocol. But it's a good idea to install Netbeui also. Just give the two NICs different settings in their TCP/IP configuration. IPX is for LAN gaming purposes.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I know I'm a little late, but here it is anyway....

Just for your knowledge. Network devices/Modems are all unique. They all have a unique hardware number that makes them different and that is why you can have multiple devices in a computer and they can be installed all at once...also, they use different interrupts and memory addresses...

There is one thing...In Windows95/98/2000 operating systems...If you have a network adapter and it obtains an ip address from a DHCP server or from a network dynamically, the ip address of your ethernet adapter will be overridden by your cable modem or analog modem. If you wish to share your connection and you have Win98SE or WinNT/Win2K you can setup Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing or the NT/2K equivalent(a couple of ways to do it) to share your connection to client computers and you should have no problems unless you don't have your network adapter installed correctly. In Windows95/98, the best way to check your card to see if it's installed correctly is to make sure you have the TCP/IP protocol installed and run WINIPCFG. What this will do is allow you to read your adapter address off the card. If you can read it, 99 times out of 100 you're card will be setup correctly and you'll be able to use it for whatever you need to. Good luck. I wish I could be of more help and if any of this is too confusing or badly worded, I apologize, I'm a tech....I do a better job working with this stuff than I do explaining.

 

[MrChicken]

Jugernot, I had mine set up that way when I first got my cable modem.

 

[Zukiman]

Thanks again for all the replies. I was gone for 24Hrs, but before that I just did the 2NIC & Patch setup. Basically for fast file transfer, and CD Burner Archiving. Works just fine, and does exactly what I wanted.