Questions on a DSL Router

[Read This]

i have DSL and plan to network 4 comps to share the connection, so do i need a router, or just a regular hub? is there any performance difference? How many comps does one router support?

Thanx for the help

[slick]

Does your dsl company care how many ip address's you get or do you have to pay extra for more ip's? If they don't charge you for more ip's then I would just get a hub. But then if they do charge you for more ips I would just get set one of your pc's up as a proxy. Or you can get a router. Linksys dsl/cable router i think can hold 253 pc's.

[macutty]

put 2 nics in one computer, use one for your isp's external ip (to your dsl modem), and use the other with something like sygate to run a proxy and DHCP to a hub, then connect the rest to the hub. Your other option is to use cable/dsl router, linksys makes a nice nice one with your choice of a plain router or built in 4 port switch. If your going to buy a hub spend the extra bucks for a switch, it's worth the extra 10-20%

[Read This]

thanx for the help yall!!

[Cory Brickner]

Originally posted by Read This:
i have DSL and plan to network 4 comps to share the connection, so do i need a router, or just a regular hub? is there any performance difference? How many comps does one router support?

Thanx for the help

You will only be able to use a hub if you have 4 seperate internet routable IPs from your ISP. You will need some sort of sharing solution if you don't have them, or don't want to pay extra for them.

Quite honestly, 99% of the time it is more cost effective and "safer" to use a NAT based routing/sharing solution than to leave your systems open with multiple routable IPs.

If you just want to share internet connections and play a few games on-line, the Linksys should do it for you. They have a 4 port switch/router combo called the BEFSR41, but that will max out your ports based on your current plan. It runs for about $150 online (try buy.com). Linksys just released an 8 port version that costs about $50 more (BEFSR81).

You need to know that the Linksys is the "Chevy" of the hardware router world. It is fairly popular, inexpensive, and does the basics well. Its a good fit for 95% of the population out there, which explains its popularity. However, if you want to have special application needs on your LAN (game servers, Netmeeting, etc.) or have DSL with PPPoE the Linksys has WELL KNOWN issues.

See http://www.practicallynetworked.com/ for a great site that has reviews of many reasonably priced ICS hardware.

If you are not in the 95% range of people and need to support lots of special applications, you are going to have to pay more for a hardware solution. You will at least need a router with "triggered" port maps. Depending on your needs, inexpensive NAT routers may not cut it, and NAT itself has inherent issues because of what it does.

Routers with "triggered" port mapping are the Umax Ugate series and the Asante Friendlynet / SMC Barracade.

One more thing you need to consider is if you are going to VPN to a work or other network. You need to make sure that your NAT solution allows pass-through for the specific protocol your VPN uses (PPTP or IPSec). Most allow for PPTP or IPSec client pass-through or have it comming, most DO NOT allow for VPN Serving pass-through.

My best advice is to go look on the comparison chart on Tim's site I listed above. Good luck!

[chode66]

I have the UGate 3000 and have had 4 computers on it and it works great. I would highly recommend it. I did purchase the linksys before this one and had all the problems mentioned by Cory Brickner. It was a piece of crap. and the great part is that it costs the same as the linksys router. I would also go with a router, additional IP's require additional $'s, you don't get something for free.