Network 2 cpus with modems?

[snoopdoug1]

I think I've heard that it is possible to network computers with just a regular old phone line. Computer 1 runs XP home and has a network card/modem(pent 2.0Ghz), and computer 2 is a win98 se machine with just a modem. Can I just connect them with a RJ-11 phone line and then share the internet connection(it's only 56k, so I know it'll be slow). I know a little about networking, and could do it with a hub/cat5 cables, but never done it with phone lines before.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks

 

[sohcrates]

home PNA allows you to network using your existing phone lines in the house

but you can't use a regular modem, you need a special network adapter

 

[L3Guy]

In earlier versions of windows, there was a service called RAS that allowed one computer to dial another.
Your machine with a NIC would run RAS Server, and your other machine would run the client.

In Win 3.1, the client was a separate install. In win 98 or later, you use the dial up network client built in.
I am certain Win NT Server shipped With RAS, and WIN 2k pro had a single client service.
Look for it in XP. May not be available in the "home" version, however.

Bottom line: can be done, probably depends on which XP version you have.

Hope this helps;

Doug

 

[snoopdoug1]

Thanks for the idea. However, I don't have a hub here at all, so I don't think using the NIC would work. I may end up just getting a hub and buy a network card, and then just sharing the internet connection. That'd probably be an easier setup, and you could add more computers as you felt needed(up to a point).

Thanks again L3Guy!

 

[L3Guy]

I don't have a hub here at all, so I don't think using the NIC would work.

You are right, of course. Each computer has a modem. One runs dial up client, the other RAS server.
The NIC was your existing connection to the internet (which I assumed out of thin air) (my bad)

The only issue with the proposed setup is most modems require a phone switch to connect, so that two real phone lines would be required. There is a phone line simulator, but I would really have to dig deep to find one.

Doug