how do I set up a home network?

Forum: Networking
Topic: how do I set up a home network?
started by: unh0ly_freak

Posted by unh0ly_freak on April 30 2007,06:06

I've yet to figure out exactly how it works even with windows (which is what's on this computer..), but I'm wondering how can I set up a home network in DSL?

Like.. I found where to set up dial up.. and I found the "How can I enter and save my static IP settings?" in the FAQ.. so I could figure out how to connect directly to the internet, but the cable modem is in the livingroom.. and I wanna figure out how to share internet access with my other computer (the one with DSL on it).

Also, I was wondering.. does anyone know if it's possible to run a home network using a phone line? Like.. I have a phone coming out of this computer and into the other one. Is it even possible to share internet access that way?

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on April 30 2007,06:41

Depends on your hardware.

I'm assuming you have 2 dial-up modems which uses rj-11 cabling (the thin type). I know you can transfer stuff i.e. using hyperterminal.. but never tried sharing an Internet connection. You could set up the computer connected directly to the cable modem as the router (I'm assuming you don't have one) and then somehow configure the modems to talk to each other..? Perhaps someone can help out here - I haven't used that stuff in a long time - or search around.

The cheapest and probably most popular network standard today is ethernet using RJ-45 Cat5 cabling. Then buying a router device is probably the simplest: basically plug-in and restart. Of course, you could set up a computer as a router... but then new routers are as cheap as a new NIC anyways (or used ones).

Also, this doesn't have to do with DSL specifically... this is more of a hardware question.

Posted by curaga on April 30 2007,16:00

Yes, it's possible to use analog modems for LAN.. Including sharing a net connection.. But why would you do that? It will restrict your speed to 56 kbps (7 kb/s max!).. I would also get a cheap nic for the DSL machine...

How is your Win machine connected to the cable modem?

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,00:48

Quote (curaga @ April 30 2007,12:00)

Well, on my DSL computer, I only have about 800MB of free space.. so there's not much room for downloading anything. And I'm gonna be using.. well, I 'wanna' use the DSL computer for recording (guitar, keyboard, etc in audacity) and also instant messaging. So browsing and downloading ain't a big deal right now.

I figured out that I can run a USB cable from the modem to the other computer while this one's hooked up using the ethernet.. but only one can be connected at a time that way. I 'could' get a router.. but I'm lookin' to do this in the range from cheap to free. lol

So.. until I can get a really long USB cable from radio shack, could you tell me how to share internet access using only a phone line?

Oh yeah, and I think I already answered it by accident, but my windows computer is connected to the modem using ethernet.

Thanks.

Posted by lucky13 on May 01 2007,02:18

Hate to rain on your parade, but I don't think you're going to enjoy audacity with 16MB RAM. It was so sluggish when I tried it out on my 128MB computer that I deleted it.

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,03:07

Quote (lucky13 @ April 30 2007,22:18)

Hate to rain on your parade, but I don't think you're going to enjoy audacity with 16MB RAM. It was so sluggish when I tried it out on my 128MB computer that I deleted it.

I thought that's what the swap was for..?

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on May 01 2007,06:21

Well, physical memory is much, much faster than using a harddisk (which is one of the main bottlenecks of today's computers).

Obviously you could try it out first... here's a google link: < http://www.nabble.com/Re:-audacity-on-my-computer-p10192048.html >

Posted by curaga on May 01 2007,06:53

First, check your modem (DSL side) as it needs to have a Linux driver.. Is it recognized automatically?
Then check the boot messages for the tty (usually ttyS somenumber)..

Then read the ppp-howto from tldp.org, it explains how to set up a ppp connection with M$ computers.. The Win machine is the host/server, then you just enable Internet Connection Sharing from your Win machine to the modem, set the Win machine's ip address as your gateway in DSL (have a static ip, boot with "nodhcp") and also your nameserver, then your net connection should work....

About audacity: it's also available for M$... I've used it with 48mb of ram in Linux (128mb swap) and it works fine, even when I've got three instances running (one had a mp3 from where I cut-pasted some parts, one was for recording from my mic which I also cut-pasted to the third one, which eventually became a great, new mp3-ringtone for my celly ;)......)

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,08:06

I set up something in my Network Connections on the windows computer, and it's called "Incoming Connections", and under it it says "No clients connected". Is that what you were talkin' about?

And the ppp-howto page isn't there anymore..
< http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/PPP-HOWTO.html >

Also, I don't know how to check my modem on the DSL computer.. :/

Sorry for all the trouble... but I really appriciate the help.

EDIT: What is M$, actually?

Posted by curaga on May 01 2007,09:51

M$ means Micro$oft.. The company where money talks

Now it's there:
< http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/PPP-HOWTO/index.html >

Are you running XP or 98? In XP in Network connections on the left there's "set up a home network" or something, click it.. When it asks, the Win machine is the one through all others connect to the net, ethernet port is the connection to be shared and modem is the connection where your other comp is...

To check the modem just open System Stats and Boot messages from there.. See anything related to modems?

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,10:48

Ah, ok.. and thanks for the link.

When I tried setting up a home network, I chose the thing where other computers connect to the internet through this one, clicked next, and it said:

Quote

Other computers cannot connect to the Internet through this computer.

In addition to its Internet connection, this computer must have a connection to your network.

I've already set up a home network.. with the computer name, workgroup name, and whatever else.. just don't have anything passed that done... so I'm totally confused.

According to what it told me, I have to be connected to the network.. but I thought I was still trying to set it up.. so.. I'm lost. :/

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,11:16

I just tried the System Stats -> Boot thing, and I don't see anything that looks like it'd have anything to do with a modem.. this's all it said:

Quote

auto
BOOT_IMAGE=Linux
ro
root=301
hda=scsi
hdb=scsi
hdc=scsi
hdd=scsi
hde=scsi
hdf=scsi
hdg=scsi
hdh=scsi
apm=power-off
nomce
noapic

What does that mean?.. like.. what should I do to set up the modem, or whatever?

Posted by curaga on May 01 2007,14:05

Oh... Maybe modems aren't counted as network in XP.. Then try that incoming connections thingy with the modem...

System stats - boot messages or something, shows the messages from the kernel, like:
[4] Linux kernel 2.4.26 booting
[7] 20200 symbols loaded from System.map
....

Posted by torp on May 01 2007,20:25

this link has all of the info you will ever need on home networking, and connection sharing.

< http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page >

enjoy!

Posted by linux4all on May 01 2007,22:28

Hi, unh0ly_freak,
OK.... here's the thing... In order to share an internet connection on a Windows machine, you must have two network interfaces on the computer that has access to the internet, and at least one network interface on the computer that you want to grant sharing to.

From your posts, it sounds like your cable modem has two types of interfaces for connecting it to your computer... One ethernet interface, and one USB interface.

If your linux computer also has an ethernet interface, then you are all set.... all you need is a long Cat5E ethernet crossover cable... long enough to reach from one computer to the other. You can use google to find out what a Cat5E ethernet crossover cable is, and how to make one.

You will need to set up your Windows computer so that it connects to your Cable modem (and thus, to the internet) via the USB interface. Once that is done, you will have the ethernet interface free for use on your local network, and you should be able to follow the wizards in Windoze share the internet connection.

I'm going to guess that if all you want out of your network is to share the internet connection, you won't have to load and configure Samba.

I'm leaving out a lot of details here, but between the help files on Windows, and the guru's available to help you with Damn Small Linux, you should be able to get both a local network going, and also a shared internet connection.

Dickey B.

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 01 2007,23:38

@curaga: I'll look around in the system stats and see if it shows something like that under another tab.. but for boot, that's all it showed me (what I wrote last time).

@torp: Thanks, I'll check that out.

@linux4all: Thanks for the explanation.. but since my DSL computer is an old computer, I'm lucky to even have USB ports on it.. I don't have an ethernet port... so that won't work.

*sigh*... why is linux so difficult?....:(

Posted by unh0ly_freak on May 02 2007,00:10

@curaga: UPDATE: I looked around the system stats and found somethin' like you were talkin' about under the dmesg tab. Here's what it said that looked like it had something to do with the modem.. everything else was about usb, or hda/hdb, or whatever..

Quote

<6>Serial driver version 5.05c 2001-07-08 with MANY_PORTS SHARE_IRQ SERIAL_PCI ISAPNP enabled
<6>ttyS01 at 0x02f8 (irq = 3) is a 16550A
<6>ttyS02 at 0x03e8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
<6>ttyS00 at port 0x03f8 (irq = 5) is a 16550A
<6>parport0: PC Style at 0x378 [PCSPP,TRISTATE,EPP]
<5>NTFS driver v1.1.22 [Flags = R/W MODULE]
<6>Journalled Block Device driver loaded

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on May 02 2007,06:01

It's not linux that's difficult... its the hardware that you have that's restricting you because you don't want to get any additional things :P

Posted by lucky13 on May 02 2007,12:36

Quote

*sigh*... why is linux so difficult?....:(

It isn't difficult. You're just at at starting point on the learning curve and hats is correct that your hardware choices (status quo) are a problem, not Linux. I run ethernet via USB on this machine with no problem, which is fortunate because it has no PCI slots and no ethernet onboard. You can buy cheap NICs for $5. If that's still not good enough, check with friends to see if they have any spares or if they have any old boxes from which you can salvage one or two (if you want to run a home network) NICs.

Posted by curaga on May 03 2007,14:30

parport and NTFS have nothing to do with that... Two of those tty's are your serial ports, and one is the modem.. Since it's mentioned there, it seems to have a Linux driver...

Check your bios for the irq's of the serial ports (so you can rule them out)

And: it would be a heck more difficult if both machines were running Windows!