<div>
4 machines? &nbsp;You could look into getting an SMC barricade or similar. &nbsp;The problem with internet connection sharing is that one machine has to be on all the time, plus ut has to do all the proxying and NATing, which is extra work for it. &nbsp;The Barricade or any other ADSL router would take over this function.<br />
<br />
Another bonus is one of noise - having a PC whirring away all day and night is a real irritant.
</div>


4 machines?  You could look into getting an SMC barricade or similar.  The problem with internet connection sharing is that one machine has to be on all the time, plus ut has to do all the proxying and NATing, which is extra work for it.  The Barricade or any other ADSL router would take over this function.

Another bonus is one of noise - having a PC whirring away all day and night is a real irritant.

<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
I have an ADSL line with a dial-up modem with USB ports. &nbsp;However, I need to connect this modem (Alcatel) to my 4 computer home/office network. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
Does anybody have any recommendations as far as a good recommended setup? &nbsp;i.e. should I keep this Alcatel USB modem, should I get a 4-port router, should I obtain a different dsl modem with ethernet connections? &nbsp;Thanks in advance. 
</div>
</div>


I have an ADSL line with a dial-up modem with USB ports.  However, I need to connect this modem (Alcatel) to my 4 computer home/office network.  

Does anybody have any recommendations as far as a good recommended setup?  i.e. should I keep this Alcatel USB modem, should I get a 4-port router, should I obtain a different dsl modem with ethernet connections?  Thanks in advance. 

I have a adsl line with a dial-up modem with USB ports

A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routers perform the "traffic directing" functions on the Internet. The most familiar type of routers are home and small office cable or DSL routers that simply pass data, such as web pages, email, IM, and videos between computers and the Internet. More sophisticated routers, such as enterprise routers, connect large business or ISP networks up to the powerful core routers that forward data at high speed along the optical fiber lines of the Internet backbone. Though routers are typically dedicated hardware devices, use of software-based routers has grown increasingly common.