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wjdoll

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Home Network

I'd like to setup a home network using a Netgear Router/Switch and a Win 2k Pro machine set as a server. The main purpose is to share the Internet connection. Any suggestions?
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stevenlewis

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Flash828

What do you mean by Win 2k pro machine to be the server?  Do you mean you WANT all the traffic to be routed the the Windows 2000 machine?  If not, since you already have a router, then stevenlewis's answer is 100% correct.

However if you would like the Windows 2000 machine to be the router, then you may use the netgear as simply a switch, slap two ethernet cards into the Windows 2000 machine, and at the very least turn on Internet Connection Sharing.

However stevenlewis's answer will provide you with the easiest to manage/use network.
One thing I would mention is program the router to log you into the DSL instead of using the PC to do it. I have several of my restaurants using the LinkSys routers in this setup and it works like a champ.
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ASKER

I'd use the router as a router and I thought that the one Win2K machine could handle file and print sharing duties.
Sure, you can set up shared folders on your Windows 2000 machine with guest access, or you can create user accounts for everyone on the network with specific user-based permissions.  Regarding the router, the router should do everything automatically for you... all you have to do is plug the WAN (External interface) to your broadband modem, and all the machines to its integrated switch (or seperate switch if thats the case).  The only case where you would have to do configuration is if your ISP provides you with a static IP, as in they gave you specific numbers for your internet connect... including DNS, Default Gateway, IP address, and subnet mask.

You may also want to set a static IP for your win2k machines, but this is not neccessary as the windows machines will resolve netbios names via broadcast on the network (basically in english it means that they will figure out each others IP addresses automagically).
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ASKER

Okay, I've decided to just hook the PCs directly to the router and forego a "network" for now. Here's the new problem:
A. My PC can see the router.
B. The router gets an IP address from my ISP.
C. My PC can't access the net.
D. When connected directly to the cable modem my PC shows a different IP address than the router.
E. My ISP uses dynamic IP addresses.
F. I don't think the router is providing DNS info to my machine.
G. My PC runs Win 2K Pro.
>My PC can see the router
well then chances are it's getting an ip from the router
from a command prompt type
ipconfig /all
and post the results here please

>When connected directly to the cable modem my PC shows a different IP address than the router
it should
with the router, you now have an internal network and a WAN connection, and the router should provide NAT (network address translation)
did you log on to the router, and configure it to log on to your isp (if using dsl, tell it to use PPPoE) and give it your username and password that you use to log on to your sip
with the router, your PC will connect to the router, and the router will log on to and connect to your isp (to your isp it will appear as another machine)
now if using cable, some cable companies register the MAC address of the NIC that connected to them first, and in this case you have to have your router clone that mac address
hae you read your manual for the router? it shuld explain how to set up both the PC and the router

is this a cable connection or dsl?
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ASKER

I have cable, and I don't believe that my isp uses MAC addressing because this PC is completely different with a different NIC than the previous box I used.

I set the ip address as 192.168.0.2 when connected to the router. The problem is getting through to the cable modem, the router acknowledges that it's there but the PC can't seem to connect.
>I set the ip address as 192.168.0.2 when connected to the router
OK, did you access the router config page with
http://192.168.0.1
if so, then you need to  add this as your default gateway and then enable dns and use prefrably the dns ip given by your isp or 192.168.0.1
then
type
ping 127.0.0.1
ping 192.168.0.2
ping 192.168.0.1
ping the isp assigned ip of the router
ping 206.169.61.185
ping https://www.experts-exchange.com
please post the results here
all of this assumes the LAN router interface is 192.168.0.1
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ASKER

The router is set to 192.168.0.1, the option to automatically obtain a DNS server address disappears when I'm connected to the router.
you have to enter the dns in, since you are statically assigning the ip info (on the w2k box, not the router)
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ASKER

And that would be the router's ip adress?
You could use the routers ip address, or you could connect to the router, and if the router is connected to your isp, theree should be a page that tells you what ip it has recieved from your isp and what domain servers are being used
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ASKER

Turned everything off, left it that way for 5 minutes. Turned everything back on and viola! It worked without changing a single thing...
Glad it's working. we need for you to close this one out
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