Installing a home network with a Cable Modem, or a DSL Line
Below is one example of how to set up a home Ethernet network to connect your whole house to the internet via a Cable Modem or a DSL line.

Note: these steps also apply if you wish to use a  Dialup connection, substitute a modem in place of the Network Interface (NIC) card used to connect to the cable modem or DSL Router. However bandwidth usage must be taken into consideration.

Review the Example shown in figure 1.

 (click to enlarge)
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figure 1
Step 1.
Check with your Cable company, or a DSL provider to see if they have service in your area.

Step 2.
Depending upon the options available determine whether to purchase or lease the modem/router from the service provider or from an equipment vendor. If you are unsure if the service you are about to order will fulfill your needs you may want to lease the modem/router at least for a few months, then if you are satisfied with the service at that time you can consider purchasing the equipment.
Considerations:
Cable: most cable modem services are on a shared bandwidth system, what this means is if there are a lot of people on your node your bandwidth will diminish.
DSL: Cost - the overall cost may be higher than that of cable but you will always have the same bandwidth. However the actual bandwidth will depend upon your distance from the local switching station. In other words the farther away you are the slower your connection.
 

Step 3.
Purchase the required internal LAN components:

  • Network HUB.
  • Network Interface Cards (NIC's) for the PC's you will be including in the network. The Gateway Computer (the PC that will have the Cable or DSL line installed to it) will require 2 NIC cards, one for the Modem/Router and one for connecting to the HUB on the Local Area Network (LAN).
  • Ethernet Cabling

Note: Always make sure the components you purchase are compatible with your desired operating system. Example if you are using Windows 2000 the 3Com Office Connect system will not be compatible. However other 3Com products come highly recommended.

Step 4.
Determine your internal LAN setup and install the Ethernet cables accordingly.

Step 5.
Setup your Gateway PC with an operating system that can handle Internet sharing or routing. such as Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, or Windows 2000. If your current operating system does not support internet sharing you may be able to locate a proxy server program that can do the job for you. Searching the Internet should produce Freeware and Shareware programs for this purpose.

Step 6.
Configure the TCP/IP settings for your internal LAN, refer to figure1 for a suggested scheme. Make note of the default gateway settings.

Step 7.
Verify that your internal network is configured properly and your computers can communicate with one another. View Network Neighborhood, or map a few drives between the PC's

Step 8.
Wait - This is the time that all good men and women loose their tempers, it is now time to wait for your provider to have the outside wiring to the modem/router done. This can take anywhere from a couple of days to a few months.

Step 9.
Connect your modem/router to the Gateway PC if the service technician did not already do so. Configure the TCP/IP properties of the NIC card that is connected to the modem/router, this information should be supplied to you by your service provider.

Step 10.
You should now be ready to surf the web at lightning speeds........