Sharing an ethernet port in my dorm...

[Mad4Sax2]

I'm going to be living in a dorm room at college and have one ethernet port for my desktop and my laptop to share. I was wondering what the best way to split this connection would be so both could be on the internet at the same time. I don't have to share this connection with my roommate, he has his own port, so it's just my two computers. My desktop is custom built and my laptop is going to be a Dell Inspiron 6000D. Would a simple wired router be the best option or is there something else I didn't think of?

 

[spidey07]

any router should work, if they allow that kinda thing.

 

[nweaver]

I woudn't worry about a router, get a switch.

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: nweaver
I woudn't worry about a router, get a switch.

depending on what switch is on the other end, he may require a router. i know in my office our switch only allows 1 IP address per MAC address per port

 

[RedCOMET]

I would read the network TOS or call the help desk at your college. if they don't allow this kind of thing they will tell you.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

I know this is probably a very beginner question, but what is the difference between a router and a switch? What are the applications of both?

 

[Devistater]

A switch (or a hub, although switches are technically better) is like getting a splitter. You can share one port among many. Kinda like getting those 4 port USB hubs that make 1 USB port into many.
A router is a miniature computer in a box that can have all sorts of features like NAT, firewall, etc. Many have wireless built in, and the list goes on.

I've seen 10/100 5 port switches as low as $10 or so on sale at places like compusa, bestbuy, officemax, etc.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

I think a switch would be better for my purposes then. It would save me money and I think the firewall and all those other features are built into the resident network on campus. Thanks.

Any suggestions on good switches? I've heard D-Link and LinkSys are good?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Mad4Sax2
I think a switch would be better for my purposes then. It would save me money and I think the firewall and all those other features are built into the resident network on campus. Thanks.

Any suggestions on good switches? I've heard D-Link and LinkSys are good?

It all depends on how your unis network is setup though as to whether you can use it.

best bet is to call them.

Most of the uni networks I've built won't give you more than one IP per port/mac.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

Well, I just went searching on my college's website and finally found my answer: no routers or switches. I guess I'll have to live with just one internet connection at a time on my computers. *sigh*

 

[Devistater]

Originally posted by: Mad4Sax2
Well, I just went searching on my college's website and finally found my answer: no routers or switches. I guess I'll have to live with just one internet connection at a time on my computers. *sigh*

I'd call up the helpdesk and tell them you have a desktop and laptop, what do they suggest so you can use them on the internet at the same time.

At least at my college, they have a wireless internet thing already at the college for everyone with a student ID to use.

 

[beverage]

i'd say buy a switch... on sale 10 bucks, no big deal. try hooking it up, you might be surprised at the results. working for college resnet departments in the past, i can tell you just because a rule is on papaer somewhere doesn' tmean it's enforced, or even cared about.

that being said... i think you could have a second option. put a second NIC in your desktop, run a crossover cable from it to your notebook, and tell the desktop to share it's internet connection.

 

[randal]

Originally posted by: beverage
i'd say buy a switch... on sale 10 bucks, no big deal. try hooking it up, you might be surprised at the results. working for college resnet departments in the past, i can tell you just because a rule is on papaer somewhere doesn' tmean it's enforced, or even cared about.

that being said... i think you could have a second option. put a second NIC in your desktop, run a crossover cable from it to your notebook, and tell the desktop to share it's internet connection.

doing that turns your PC into a router, which is against the TOS. I'd call the Uni help desk and let them know so they can document it. I worked uni help desk once, and when people plug in Linksys routers into the wall in the wrong fashion and start doing dhcp to the dorm, things get ugly - your helpdesk folks will appreciate it if you at least let them know.

 

[amdskip]

Yes routers can be a bad thing, it's called a rogue (sp?) dhcp. It's when the router is hooked up so it starts assigning IP's to everyone in the building and no one gets anywhere on the web.

I would get a switch personally. They cannot say that you have to use that 1 port for 2 people. We have 1 port in most dorm rooms and everyone has to run switches.

 

[nweaver]

I think the "talk to uni IT" is the best line you are getting. Tell them you have 2 rigs and ask what you can do. They would *much* rather field an easy question like then then hunt down issues caused by you doing something strange on the network.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

I e-mailed the resnet support department, and they responded to me saying that I can register both of my rigs on the network, but can only have one connected in my room at a time. It doesn't sound like they are going to budge on that one.

 

[jondercik]

What I would honestly do is to use a router and clone one of your PCs MAC address then plug both devices behind it. There is way for them to tell easily then.

 

[amdskip]

Sounds like they are using mac authentication. You can just clone the mac (unique number of your network card) to the router and they will see the router as one computer.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

Here's an idea that I'm not sure would work: I have 2 RJ-45 ports on my desktop's motherboard. Would I be able to connect one port to resnet and then the other one to my notebook? Would the notebook recieve internet without being detected as a second computer getting on the network from my port?

 

[Devistater]

If you want to do that, might as well use a router and clone the MAC address of your PC as someone else mentioned.

But if you really wanted the other way:
The notebook would only receive internet if you setup internet connection sharing in windows.

Can you call the helpdesk? usuallly calling people is better than email in terms of things like this. In email they can just brush you off. I would try calling them and saying, look I have 1 desktop and 1 laptop, can you suggest what to do to get them both on the internet?

 

[volrath]

Why do you need to use both at the same time? Internet on one at a time is perfectly reasonable.

 

[nweaver]

probably because swapping cables can be a pain, esp with a desktop on the floor under a desk.

 

[Mad4Sax2]

Originally posted by: nweaver
probably because swapping cables can be a pain, esp with a desktop on the floor under a desk.

Exactly my problem. I don't really need internet on both at one time, but the cable swapping will get old really fast.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: RedCOMET
I would read the network TOS or call the help desk at your college. if they don't allow this kind of thing you will need a router, and hide it.

fixed

 

[Brazen]

Just get a router. Any advertised as a Cable/DSL router will work. Set it up according to the instructions, but the network connection coming from the wall will be used in place of the modem. Then register the MAC on the router with campus IT.

As long as you plug the port from the wall into what is labeled as the WAN port, or Modem port, on the router, then the campus IT will see it as one computer. The router will hand out DHCP info only to computers plugged into the internal, or LAN, ports - commonly refered to as the ports "behind" the router.

This will have no detrimental affects on the campus network, however if you have problems you will have to troubleshoot them yourself - I'm guessing not a problem since you are posting on here.

As a bonus, this will also protect your computers from other computers on the campus network. Also, you could get a router with built-in wireless and use your laptop wirelessly - just be sure to disable SSID broadcast and add a WEP key so others in the dorm can't leech off the wireless.