Getting DSL, need ethernet card help-2 part question

[Effaney Crain]

I need an ethernet card for my DSL set up that I will get next week. I have a HP Pavilion 6646C AND a Compaq2200EZ. I found an ethernet card at tigerdirect and am wondering if it will work with the computers I have. This is it:

TC1-9003 P 1. 10/100 Fast Ethernet NIC Card PCI with Wake on LAN
This Ethernet 10/100 LAN Card is now fully manageable -- use the Wake-On-LAN feature to boot up PCs from anywhere on the network. If your mission critical ...

it is currently only $7.99, so I am wondering if it is compatible with my computer(s). Also, do I need 2 seperate cards, one for each computer, or do I just need one? Thanks, Effaney

[Lance Brown · Accepted solution]

You need an Ethernet card for each network connection a computer has. If you want to do ICS on one machine and want to hook the DSL router up via Ethernet, you will need two for that machine. I personally say you would be better off with a router to share the Internet connection; most have a built-in firewall, which is mandatory to protect your system. Software based firewalls just do not cut it. Back to you NIC question. WOL, you won???t use. That NIC will work, but just remember, you get what you pay for and make sure it has drivers for your OS. Nothing says that they will be around in a few years when you upgrade you OS and there are no drivers for it.

[Ron Kinner]

Your HP came with 3 PCI and 1 ISA slot. There is probably a Video card in one of the PCI slots but that still leaves two PCI so you should be OK.

The Compaq has a shared ISA/PCI setup plus two ISA slots. We have had a lot of trouble trying to use a PCI card in the shared slots so you might be better off with an ISA version of the card in one of the nonshared slots but in theory it should work. TigerDirect doesn't seem to have any tho. You may need to go into the BIOS setup to turn on the PCI slot.

I assume you are going to get a separate DSL modem with your connection and that the provider has no objection to your hooking up two computers but only provides a connection for one. In any case you need two cards. One for each PC.

If the DSL modem has room for more than one connection then you just need two Ethernet cables and two cards and connect each PC to the DSL Modem.

If the DSL modem only has one Ethernet connector then you need two cards, three straight Ethernet cables Tigerdirect $6.99: Belkin - 14' Traditional Cat5e Grey UTP These are 14' but if you look around you can find longer if you need them.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=b20-6000%20gy14

and a separate hub or switch. Your Tigerdirect has a switch for $14.95: Gigafast EZ500-S 5-Port 10/100 Palm Sized Switch
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchTools/item-details.asp?sku=TC1-9200P

The Gigafast switch is nice since it doesn't require you to use a crossover switch to connect the DSL modem to the switch.

Then hook the DSL modem to the switch and each PC to the switch using your three cables.


Usually you set the Netword cards up to get an IP address automatically (DHCP) but if that doesn't work you may have to set your own IP addresses based on the info they give you.

If your DSL company does not want you to use more than one PC then you may need a router and switch or you may have to use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). ICS is the cheaper option since you will need only two cables and three NIC cards. One of the cables MUST be a crossover cable. The drawback is that the computer connected to the DSL modem must be on all of the time or the second computer can not get to the DSL. See http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/sharing.htm
for more info.

Ron