Thread: Home networking

  1. #1
    Registered User khpuce's Avatar
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    Home networking

    Hi everybody,

    I have two computers at my home in two seperate floors. I want to share data and use my laser printer from both computers. Only one computer will be used for internet connection (Dial-up). Can anyone please tell me what accessories I need to build the network?

  2. #2
    & the hat of GPL slaying Thantos's Avatar
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    It depends.

    If you are only going to stay with two computers and are confident enough you can run a crossover cat 5 between the two. I would terminate them to wall jacks and run it through the wall.

    Otherwise you can get a wireless router and a wireless lan card and setup a wireless network.

  3. #3
    pronounced 'fib' FillYourBrain's Avatar
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    network card in each machine, cross-over cable or cheap hub.
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  4. #4
    Registered User khpuce's Avatar
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    Thanks for your reply.

    What do you mean by 'cross-over cable ' OR ' cheap hub' ? Don't I need both a cable and a hub?

    And what about the IP address? Do I need to set IP addresses for both the computers and the printer?

  5. #5
    End Of Line Hammer's Avatar
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    Not a programming question... thread moved to the tech forum.
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  6. #6
    Registered User FloatingPoint's Avatar
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    In a nutshell a crossover cable has different ends compared to
    a straight-thru cable which has identical ends. Your local PC store should be able to supply you w/ either, just make sure you ask for a crossover if you intend to simply connect 2 NIC cards together.

    You'll need a hub/switch when there are more than 2 PCs need connecting.

    Use a class C private IP address range starting from 192.168.0.1 onward. In your case the printer doesn't need an IP, but the PC (the print server) which connects to it, does.

    mm...I think so....
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  7. #7
    Registered User khpuce's Avatar
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    Umm...I am not sure about the printer. Say, if I want to print from the computer which is not directly connected with the printer, then does the other computer (on which the printer is attached) needs to be powered on?

  8. #8
    pronounced 'fib' FillYourBrain's Avatar
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    yes it needs to be running....

    unless the printer can function as a network node by itself. Many printers have the ability to be plugged directly into the network as opposed to into a computer. You may not have that ability.
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  9. #9
    Registered User FloatingPoint's Avatar
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    Yes, switches, routers, hubs which have built in print servers. Probably connect to a parallel port on them.
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  10. #10
    pronounced 'fib' FillYourBrain's Avatar
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    that would make sense. I have a cheap hub so I don't have a print server. I share a printer on my network "server" machine which obviously has to be on.

    Floating point - How would the built in print server in the hub be able to handle printer drivers?
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  11. #11
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    >>How would the built in print server in the hub be able to handle printer drivers?

    it wouldn't, the computer you're printing from has the drivers on it, just as if the printer wasn't hooked into the network, just to the comp. The Hub would just have to have the ability to send data to the printer as if it were sending data to any other node on the network. It just provides a go-between for the different media (parallel port vs cat 5)
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  12. #12
    pronounced 'fib' FillYourBrain's Avatar
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    aahhhh... well I don't have a hub like that so my method works at least.
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  13. #13
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
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    >>so my method works at least.

    true. Most printers allow for hookup to a network as their own node.
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    I understand the current scenario. But what if I want internet access from both the computers (using dial-ups) then what equipments will I need and what will happen to the ip addresses?

  15. #15
    pronounced 'fib' FillYourBrain's Avatar
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    to share an internet connection, there must be a "proxy" server. Now this proxy server can live on a machine that is plugged into the internet somehow or it can be in a router. I think all routers supply dhcp service and internet gateway. My setup is simple too though. I use a simple hub to connect the two machines but one has "internet connection sharing" set up which is essentially a dhcp service with web proxy.
    "You are stupid! You are stupid! Oh, and don't forget, you are STUPID!" - Dexter

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