[Romeo]

I would like to ask a �networking� question. I plan to have two Macs connected to ports 1 and port 2 of a router. One will be an iMac G5 running under Mac OS X, and the other a Mac 7300 running under Mac OS 92.2.2 . The G5 will be connected to port 1, and the 7300 to port 2. The first one will be used most of the time, while the second computer every now and then, but some times both will be used at the same time.

The router will be configured to communicate with the DSL modem using my user name and password automatically, but I believe the IP address number is not �static,� since the ISP provides such addresses automatically.

My question are as follows:

1. Would the second computer require the same configuration as the first (user name/password, TCP/IP settings, etc.), in order for the router to switch back and forth between computers?

[chabig]

Generally, the router is configured for the DSL connection while the computers connected to the router just get a basic DHCP configuration.

Chris

[Romeo]

Originally posted by chabig:
Generally, the router is configured for the DSL connection while the computers connected to the router just get a basic DHCP configuration.
Chris

Can you explain "basic" configuration? I am new to networking.

Thanks

[MichiganRich]

This post is hopefully a boiling down to beginner terms of whatever stuff I've learned over the past few years of having multiple computers hooked to cable and DSL modems through routers...

In a nutshell, the router will be the 'computer' as far as the DSL modem is concerned. It becomes the only device that has to be set up to provide the account info that the DSL modem requires. The router, through its' WAN port, gets an IP address from the DSL modem. The router then turns around and, through the magic of DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol), hands out IP addresses to whatever machines are attached to its' LAN ports. This is the beauty of having a router between your computer and the modem. The router is basically the device that the 'internet' can see, and any device connected to the router LAN ports are inside the 'firewall'. The computers that are attached to the router need only to be configured to get their IP addresses through DHCP. In OSX, this is really simple in the Network system preference pane. In OS9, it's pretty simple too, but there is an option that can give some machines trouble. I think it's in the TCP/IP control panel, but I might be foggy on that. All i remember is that there is one of the internet/network/TCP control panels that has an 'Options' button in it, and when clicked brings up a dialog box that mentions 'Make TCP/IP active' and has a 'load only when needed' checkbox. Make sure that 'load only when needed' box is not selected.

I had the good luck to have my Belkin router software do the setup automatically for my DSL. I had my G5 configred for the DSL modem already, and then I just followed the Belkin router install instructions to the T. I then switched my G5 to a DHCP connection, as well as all the other machines I hooked up to the router.

If there are any other questions you have, I would be happy to try and help. My specialty is Photoshop, at least that's what I get paid for 40 hours a week, but the nuts-and-bolts stuff interests me to no end. I hope this post has helped, and that I haven't misinformed you at all.

[f1000]

There's only one thing you need to do Romeo. In System Preferences/Network on both computers: set Configure IPv4 to Using DHCP. Make sure that your router is also set for DHCP.

If you encounter any specific problems, please describe it clearly for the board.

[Romeo]

Originally posted by f1000:
There's only one thing you need to do Romeo. In System Preferences/Network on both computers: set Configure IPv4 to Using DHCP. Make sure that your router is also set for DHCP.

If you encounter any specific problems, please describe it clearly for the board.

I will do so in the near future. I believe I have gotten enough information from all of you at this forum to be able to network a couple of computers. For now I will have to solve to issue of a router that needs a firmware upgrade. I have decided to exchange the router, and let Linksys upgrade it.

Someone else posted a Mac step-by-step instructions on how to configure Linksys and other routers, and I saved the link on my browser, since the instructions are easy to follow. The instructions are for a wireless router, but it should not be difficult to guess what to do when configuring a "wired" router.

Here is the link:
http://homepage.mac.com/car1son/init...sys_setup.html

[Romeo]

The problem I was having when configuring the router was that, when clicking on "Save Settings" at the end of the page, I would get another little window where I had to enter "admin" followed by "admin" (username and password). Well as soon as I would enter both fields and pressed the Return key to "save," that would bring a red color window with the warning: "401. Aunothorized..." something (more on that to follow).

Resetting the router for 30 seconds with the reset button, then pulling the power plug for 10 seconds (still pressing the reset button), and then powering the router and still holding the reset button for 30 more seconds didn't work. That would not reset the router to factory specs.

Sooo, I decided to configure the router using Netscape v.6.2, and everything worked just fine. I configured the router and saved the settings. I will have to go back into the router and change the router from "admin" username and "admin" password to something else.

I had tried to configure the router several times using IE v.5 before, so I was pleasantly surprised when I did it using Netscape.

Something else that may be of importance:

a. While IE v.5 would show "http://192.168.1.1," Netscape would show "http://192.168.1.1:88." I think that somehow this router address made the difference. This is mentioned at the link I posted above.

b. I think that a red color screen with a "401" warning (when configuring a Linksys router), means that there is some problem with the password or the username (admin+admin), so the warning is to prevent someone else from reconfiguring the router using any other username or password other than what you have entered before. This security should be erased when the router is reset, but for some reason it was not doing so as long as I would use IE v.5. Once I switched to Netscape the problem disappeared.

[f1000]

What happens when you use Safari? I don't have a Linksys router anymore, so I can't replicate your exact situation.

[Romeo]

Originally posted by f1000:
What happens when you use Safari? I don't have a Linksys router anymore, so I can't replicate your exact situation.

I haven't used Safari, but I imagine that just switching from one browser to the next would have solved my problem. I believe that those two router's "username/password" screens are created and saved by the browser, or by the router's software in conjunction with the browser. As one accesses the router's Settings one would need to pass through the security screen, and then on the way out if one is to save any changes to the "Settings" in the router. So it's possible that if one has made an error in the "username/password," one can't make further changes to the settings with the same browser. I have been told that all you have to do in the case is to reset the router, and that should bring it to factory specs. At that point one can access the router again and reconfigure it.

I believe that I could not save the configuration changes perhaps because for some reason the security screens are saved somewhere within the brouser, not within the router. Once I used another browser, two new and different-looking security screens were created. I was also very careful, and slowly entered the correct username/password this time.

The IE screens were of gray and white colors, while the Netscape screens had a light-blue background.

[Romeo]

Originally posted by f1000:
What happens when you use Safari? I don't have a Linksys router anymore, so I can't replicate your exact situation.

I received my imac a couple of hours ago, and had to reconfigure the router with Safari instead of IE. For some reason the latest version of IE (v.5.2?) could not access the router's "Settings" screen. Then i switched to Safari 1.2.3 (v.125.9), and it worked without any problem.

[f1000]

Originally posted by Romeo:
I received my imac a couple of hours ago, and had to reconfigure the router with Safari instead of IE. For some reason the latest version of IE (v.5.2?) could not access the router's "Settings" screen. Then i switched to Safari 1.2.3 (v.125.9), and it worked without any problem.

I'm glad that you've been able to network your computers without a hitch. FYI, MS isn't updating IE for OS X anymore. You might also want to upgrade your version of Safari to 1.2.4.

In the future, you should consider giving your Macs dedicated IP addresses instead of using DHCP.

[Romeo]

In the future, you should consider giving your Macs dedicated IP addresses instead of using DHCP. [/B]

I would have to learn how to do that, probably step-by step (if you would not mind guiding me through).

About the Safari upgrade, I checked for 'Software Upgrade" using the computer and there were approximately 10 upgrades, including OS X, so I went ahead and let the computer upgrade everything. So far it's working fine.

[f1000]

Originally posted by Romeo:
I would have to learn how to do that, probably step-by step (if you would not mind guiding me through).

On one of your computers,

1. Go to Preferences / Network / Built-in Ethernet / TCP/IP

Write down the IP Address, Subnet Mask, Router, DNS Servers, and Search Domains information.

2. Log into your router. Someone with a Linksys will have to describe specifically how to do the following steps.

2. Increase the Starting IP Address of your DHCP Server by the number of devices that you wish to assign static IP addresses to. Usually, your starting IP address will be 192.168.0.100. For example, if you want to give two of your Macs static IP addresses, add +2 to the 100 (i.e., 192.168.0.102).

4. Enable Static DHCP. Enter a name, MAC address, and arbitrary IP address for each computer that you wish to assign a static address to. For example, give one Mac an IP address of 192.168.0.100 and the other Mac an IP address of 192.168.0.101. Do not, however, assign an IP address that is equal to or greater than the Starting Address of your DHCP Server (i.e. 192.168.0.102 or higher). You can find the MAC address of each computer in Preferences / Network / Built-in Ethernet / Ethernet.

5. Log out of your router.

Now, for each of your computers,

6. Go to Preferences / Network / Built-in Ethernet / TCP/IP again.

Set Configure IPv4 to "Manually." Reenter the Subnet Mask, Router, DNS Servers, and Search Domains information. Finally, enter the appropriate IP address for each particular machine. Press the "Apply Now" button. Close the Preferences window.

7. Test out your settings by opening a Safari session and browsing a website. If you can get to this page, then you're done.

There are actually many more things that you can do to make your home network more secure and efficient. Read up on some of the threads on MAC address filtering, limiting IP addresses, turning on WiFi encryption, turning off SSID broadcasting, etc.

[Romeo]

2. Increase the Starting IP Address of your DHCP Server by the number of devices that you wish to assign static IP addresses to. Usually, your starting IP address will be 192.168.0.100. For example, if you want to give two of your Macs static IP addresses, add +2 to the 100 (i.e., 192.168.0.102).

Thanks for the help.

The router's IP Address is: 192.168.1.1, and the first computer's starting IP address will be 192.168.0.100 instead of "192.168.1.100 ?"

[The Oracle]

Originally posted by Romeo:
Thanks for the help.

The router's IP Address is: 192.168.1.1, and the first computer's starting IP address will be 192.168.0.100 instead of "192.168.1.100 ?"

given the router's IP, any IP's assigned to your machines will be 192.168.1.1xx

[medmuse]

Please be patient if this sounds ignorant, but why bother with a static address? Is it more secure? A faster connection?