Connecting Cable modem via Usb (1 Viewer)

[velox]

I currently have a Motorolla SB5100 cable modem connected via an ethernet port to my computer. However i now have another computer that i want to network by connecting the two computers ethernet cards together. But then where do i connect the modem (its via ethernet atm). I tried usb, but it cant "acquire network address" How can i fix this or find a really cheap solution to fix this (cos i only want to use it for these holidays as a dedicated games server!)

Thanks for all your help

 

[MedNez]

Check the manual and see if it can connect through USB. I have am SB4200 that can connect through either USB or Ethernet - and have a cd with drivers. You could no doubt download the drivers from the Motorolla site anyway.

If your modem on the other hand cannot be connected through USB (which I doubt at this stage), cheapest solution would be to get a switch or router, and connect the modem -> router -> computers, or just get another network card for your computer.

But try the driver option first =)

Cheers,

Med

 

[sunny]

In my experience USB cable modems have been problematic. If you don't get it to work over USB (I don't have too much to help you with that one here) you could always invest in a second cheap $20ish network card to use - afterwards you can always keep it as a spare.

 

[velox]

Thanks for the advice. But I've heard that two network cards in a computer are a pain to configure? Or am i lost?

 

[MedNez]

Should be just another network adapter, one for LAN and one for the Network. Windows can probably come up with some problems for you but in theory, it should be fine.

 

[velox]

what do u think about usb --> ethernet thingoes.

 

[MedNez]

I can't say I've heard much about any convertors *hint hint sunny help me out * but I'd say stick with one or the other.

 

[sunny]

hehe....

For the money those adapters are worth, you might as well get a second network card.

It was true in Win95/98 setting up multiple network cards could be a problem sometimes (you actually needed some idea of what you were doing). Things seem alot more intuitive and straightforward in XP.

 

[velox]

ah ok, ill think ill go buy another network card tommorrow. Thanks guys

 

[velox]

hey i got the new network card and installed it and everything, but now when i plug the cat 5 cable from one comp to another, it still says that the network cable is unplugged. I tried to plug in my cable modem into the new network card, and still nothing happened. The card is showing up on my comp, and is brand new, so i dont think its faulty...Any ideas? I cant seem to network them

 

[MedNez]

You should have:

Crossover cable between two computers, or normal Cat5 cable going from each computer to a switch/hub.

Ethernet cable between modem-> computer.

Is that your setup at the moment?

 

[velox]

i have a crossover cable going fromone comp to another. (one comp has two network cards)

 

[sunny]

Using a cross over cable will mean you need to configure all the TCP/IP settings manually. Have you done that?

 

[velox]

hmm nope, i have no idea how to do that.......

 

[sunny]

There are two problems here
1) Getting the two computers networked
2) Install the second network card and getting the cable modem to work with the computer with two network cards.

Get (1) working before you start on (2).

For (1), open up your network properties: Start -> Settings -> Network Connections -> Local Area Connection -> Properties, edit the properties of TCP/IP. Use these settings or similar:

IP: 192.168.0.1 for one machine and 192.168.0.2 for second machine
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: leave blank on the machine you intend to have two network cards, and enter the IP of the machine you intend to have two networks cards in the second machine.

Apply settings and reboot.

 

[velox]

hmm i tried that and it still wont work. Maybe im doing something else wrong?

 

[sunny]

Set the hostnames and workgroup names of the computers. Enable sharing on some of the drives to test the networking.

 

[velox]

what i meant by it not working, is that i still get the icon in the taskbar saying "Local connection 3, A network cable is unplugged"

 

[sunny]

Theres 3 local connections?!

 

[velox]

its strange, i only have two, but one of them is "local area connection" (cable internet), and the other is "Local area connection 3"