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General discussion

Help me set up a wired home network with DSL internet

May 31, 2005 2:22AM PDT

Hello,
I have my whole house wired with cat5e to a central location. DSL feed goes to this location where there will be no computer.

Please tell me what I need to buy for this location:
DSL modem: I assume provider will rent me this.

connected to-(I assume)

Router?: what brand? Connects to modem? All computers connect to this? (I have potentially 10 computers/printer hooked up, by the way, can the printer plug directly into this and be available to all computers?)

or should it be connected to-

Switch or hub? (Again, what brand, printer? up to 10 computers down the road.)

If someone could tell me exactly what I need for this, with recommened brands and even models, I would be very much appreciative.

Notes: I want good speed over the network (transferring large files) and all computers able to connect to the network without having any particular computer turned on, as well as any computer being able to print to a networked printer without having any particular computer switched on. Not worried about wireless access right now, but would be nice to be able to add this on later...)

Discussion is locked

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My neighbor...
May 31, 2005 2:30AM PDT

The DSL company supplied the DSL Modem with the Wifi Router. It had 4 ports. Add a 8 port switched hub (about 20 bucks) and you are done.

Best of luck.

Bob

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I'm not Bob's neighbor...
May 31, 2005 3:27AM PDT

but he seems like a good one to have as a neighbor. My house too is wired throughout with Cat5. Here's how I do it. The DSL modem (as Bob notes, usually provided for free as part of the DSL subscription), a standard broadband router (started years ago with a Linksys, now using a Buffalo wireless unit), and a common 8-port network switch (get a switch, not a hub) are located in the basement near where the network runs all come together. Be aware that DSL requires all regular phones to be filtered - I solved that by installing a master filter in the teleco demarc NID box with a separate "home run" line directly to the DSL modem.

The router provides the shared access to the internet and it is "always on" rather than one of the computers. The network switches (both the switch network ports in the router and in the separate 8-port switch) are 10/100 mbs ethernet, which is plenty fast enough for reasonable file transfers between your local systems.

Various computers and printers are all around upstairs. Each computer or networked device must have it's own network jack (unless wireless). Since I have only one jack per room, if there are more devices in that room I have a few more small 5-port switches for on-the-spot additional connections: uplink from the wall jack and plug in up to 4 more devices (the uplink always consumes one of the ports). Although my two printers (a color ink-jet and a laser) are all located beside a particular primary computer, I have put each of them on small network print servers so that one can print to either one depending on your immediate requirement whether or not the computer beside it is turned on - at worst, you just have to walk over to the other room to get the printout if you want the "other" kind. Such a print server requires its own network connection, and is the main reason for the multiple on-the-spot connections.

dw

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Thanks!
May 31, 2005 8:14AM PDT

I couldn't have asked for a more thorough and helpful answer.