Janet, If you want more than one computer to share the internet at the same time, without connecting and disconnecting cables you need a router and either a switch or a hub. The switch/hub lets you hook up multiple computers together physically, to talk to each other and to talk to a router. You need both, unless you use a software router.
There are two issues here. One physical and one software. Let me explain how this works. With one computer accessing the internet, your ISP gives you an IP address. You put the IP address of your ISP in the TCP/IP control panel. Those are yours and your ISP's addresses. At this point, it's simple. You send data from your computer to the cable modem, and from there it goes to your ISP. Now, when you add more computers, you have to physically hook them together either by hub or switch. Then to have them actually trade data (talk to each other) each computer must have a unique address, so data can get shared. Imagine a room full of people trying to talk to each other who can't see, and all sound the same. Unless they have unique names (IP addresses) it will be confusion. However, if everyone has a different name, two way conversations are possible, because the person (computer) that is supposed to receive the information knows it's for them. So, when you add a router, you give the router your computers IP address, and assign IP addresses to all the computers on your network. The router can do this for you automatically, if you want it to. The ISP will only talk to one IP address. (unless you pay for more) The router then passes on data from your ISP to whichever IP address requested it. You only need the router because your ISP will charge you for more IP addresses. HTH STeve << oh great. just when i thought i understood it, they moved the goalposts again. ok. help me sort this out. I read threemacs and understood it very well. i intended to put my fastest machine as the first computer on my home LAN and let it be the front interface with the world and the net, and put my fastest modem between it and the net. I had intended to put all my slower, older macs behind it with subnet masks, connected to the front machine with a router between, to sort and direct the incoming packet traffic. i thought I wanted a router when i went to the PC show to buy one. while i was at the booth, I got into a conversation with a guy there and told him what I was going to do, and he shook his head and told me, 'no, what you want is a switch, it's much better, trust me'. wasnt an employee. I was dubious, but he seemed absolutely sure. and the price for the switch was less than for the router. so I bought the switch. all this time I thought I did the smart thing, now I'm shaky again. this discussion has brought back my original uncertainty. none of my macs has a bus speed faster than 40Mhz. the fastest processor can be 160Mhz or jacked up to 320 Mhz. the fastest modem I have can do 56K but i was advised not to hope for more than 33k with the limits of my bus speeds, and to perhaps use a 33k modem to be safe. so if i want to do it the three macs way, with subnet masking so several machines can go on the net at once and go different places or do different tasks simultaneously, do i want my switch, or was i bamboozled into buying something I shouldn't have? will i need a router too, or instead of? oy. Janet >> -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
