[Kaps]

Hello,

I am helping some friends out. Currently they have a PowerMac 7500 running OS 8.5 that is hooked up to ADSL (with TunnelBuilder—we don't live in the States). They also have a Beige G3 (also running 8.5) that they also want to hook up to ADSL. How do I do this. I assume that I'll need a router. What kind should I buy/where can I buy it/about how much does it cost? Is there anything else that I'll need? Once I get it, how do I set it up? What settings do I use/where do I set them (e.g. TCP/IP). Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Cipher13]

You have several options.

Hardware router: it handles the external connections, and your computers plug into the router and are assigned internal IP addresses on an internal subnet, and communicate that way. The router handles all. Either computer can be online while the other is off.

Hub/Switch and software router: such as that built into OSX/freely available to OS9/etc. Probably cheaper, but whichever machine handles the routing must be on in order for the other to use the Internet.

Second ethernet card in a machine/software router: same as above, sans the hub, basically, using an additional ethernet interface. Again, the router machine must be on.

The best for your situation? Probably the hardware router. It won't be the cheapest though.

I can't give you pricing information, but any old netgear or linksys router will work. Some are better than others. I use software routers, so I don't know a great deal about specific models - perhaps someone else could help you out there. Get them at any computer store, really.

Once you decide on one, tell us here, we'll tell you if it's appropriate, then how to set it up.

[ghporter]

To follow on what Cypher13 said about routers, you can buy them for less than $50US without too much problem, and if you watch the sales and promotions, you could really make out-I bought a Siemens router (with print server!) for $28.76 before a $20 rebate. After sales tax I was out just over $11. A sharp eye on sales and newspaper ads is very profitable.

A quick check of routers at Buy.com shows the GigaFast EE400-R 4-port cable/DSL router for $56.40 before a $30 mail in rebate. This is a good, solid product that should do just what you want without too much hassle (and without the need to open a computer case to add network cards). It's worth noting that GigaFast mentions support for Macs, though most of the current crop of routers are "platform independent," using your browser for configuration rather than some software.