[rampel]

My ISP persuaded me to install a router since I have 2 machines, so the setup is:
A PC (WinXPPro) with a Transmitter PCI ethernet adapter (22mbps)
A router: D-Link DI+714P+ with an antenna
A Mac (9.2.2) with an ethernet cable connected to the router

(I chose wireless only for the PC cause it's in another room)

Both machines can do what I want from them on the internet and can transfer files one to the other. However, they seam to have IP addresses which look like Lan IP and not Internet IP (i.e 11.0.0.2 and 11.0.0.3)
Does that mean I'm behind a firewall? and if yes - how do I get rid of it?

Secondly, the Mac is connected to the router with a straight through cable. Shouldn't it be a crossover cable?

TIA

[Scarpa]

Originally posted by rampel:
they seam to have IP addresses which look like Lan IP and not Internet IP (i.e 11.0.0.2 and 11.0.0.3)
Does that mean I'm behind a firewall? and if yes - how do I get rid of it?

It means the router is providing NAT, or Network Address Translation. This is needed since your ISP probably only provides one IP for you to use publicly. NAT allows you to 'share' that address between two machines. While not really a firewall technology, NAT can protect against simple attacks and does a decent job of masking your identity. It is not something you should get rid of unless you have a good reason.

Secondly, the Mac is connected to the router with a straight through cable. Shouldn't it be a crossover cable?

A crossover cable is generally not needed when plugging into a hub and/or switch. Your router has an integrated hub/switch so the crossover cable is not needed.

[ghporter]

Your ISP did you a favor in talking you into using a router. There are so many things that could go wrong, and frustratingly so, in trying to share a single Internet connection without a router, that is simply is the easiest way to go. As you see, both of your computers get a non-routable, LAN-only IP address. This means that nobody from outside your LAN can get into your computers without your permission and cooperation-a real improvement on your security. It also indicates that you're only using a single IP from your ISP, which should mean you're spending less on your ISP bill.

Crossover cables are used ONLY when connecting a host to another host. In general, a host is a machine that acts like (and usually IS) a computer. Routers, on the other hand, are supposed to connect TO hosts, so we connect to them with straight-through cables. Newer Mac network cards have autosensing so it really doesn't matter, but since pre-made crossover cables are often REALLY expensive, it's best to stick with straight through cables.