Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

Networking 2 home PCs


  • Please log in to reply

#1
cherisPlace

cherisPlace

    New Member

  • Member
  • Pip
  • 2 posts
Okay guys, this networking thing is totally new to me so please explain to me like a 4 year old? LOL

I have an old eMachines eTowerIX 400mhz with Win98 that didn't come with an ethernet card. It only has a dialup modem. I gave it to my granddaughter (who's handicapped and lives with me). I have a Gateway Monterey system that came with an Ethernet card and is connected to DSL directly through an SBCglobal modem which only has one data line port and is connected to the phone jack with a splitter to share it with the phone.

As I said my granddaughter is handicapped (she's had 43 brain surgeries and another one coming up) but I want her to have access to email and a separate chat program I can set up with just the people I know I can trust to chat with her. I also need internet access for it so I can download updates to win98, etc.

Her computer is only about 3 feet from mine because I need to help her a lot since she uses it mostly for educational programs I have on it for her. (I'd also like her to have access to some good internet educational games and stuff too since most of the time she's too sick to go to school.)

I don't have much money to spend on this project but I don't want to set up something that will be so slow it's worthless either.

I connected online with emachines support and was told I'd have to spend $169.95 on a PCI network adapter and another $69.95 on a router. Now, I may not be a whiz at networking but I'm savvy enough to know that buying directly from the PC company is usally many times more expensive than buying the necessary hardware/software elsewhere.

So can you guys tell me what would be the best way to do this and get efficient internet connection to both of them through my DSL?

I read a bunch of stuff about networking and one of the questions I have is will any PCI network adapter work with that old eMachines or would that have something to do with the kind of motherboard it has?

Is a PCI network adapter card and an ethernet card the same thing? If not, what would be the difference? The emachines does has 2 USB connections. 1) Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller, and 2) USB Root Hub

The specs from the eMachines site for that model shows:
Specifications
Microsoft® Windows® 98
Intel® Celeron™ 400MHz (w/128KB L2 Cache) PPGA CPU
64MB SyncDRAM (up to 256 MB)
ATI Rage Pro Turbo 2X AGP with 4MB SGRAM
Crystal CS4280 3D PCI Audio
40x Max. CD-ROM Drive
6.4GB HDD (Ultra DMA EIDE)
3.5" 1.44MB FDD
56K* ITU V.90 PCI Fax/Modem
PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse
Stereo Speakers
2 USB Ports (1 is on Front)
1 Serial / 1 Parallel / 3 Expansion Slot
Audio In & Out / Game Port on Front
Internet Ready
Microsoft Works

NOTE: I have upgraded the RAM to 256MB

NOTE: My first Gateway was one of those models that began self-destructing, beginning with the monitor, at 6-months so I have been inside a PC tower many times and have replaced virtually everything but the motherboard (I rebelled at that point and made them send me a new one LOL) so I'm not a completely helpless idiot.

I wanted to set up a home network with my big Gateway as the server and the eMachines as the client if possible so we could share the high speed internet connection. Name [0003] Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter(LNE100TX v4)

My Gateway came with Windows ME and a Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter (LNE 100TXv4) It's a Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 1400MHz GenuineIntel ~1397 Mhz with 128MB RAM (that's not enough but unfortunately it's takes that new expensive RAM and I haven't been able to upgrade it).

Can you guys tell me exactly what I need that will be compatible and not cost me a fortune and how to set it up?

Thanks! Don't know what I would do without you!
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
Fenor

Fenor

    Trusted Tech

  • Retired Staff
  • 5,236 posts
Hi cherisPlace! Welcome to G2G!

So can you guys tell me what would be the best way to do this and get efficient internet connection to both of them through my DSL?

Cheapest way is to buy a $15 Network card and a $30-40 router. You can then hook up the DSL to the WAN port on the Router and run an ethernet cable from each computer and hook them up to the router in the 1 and 2 spots. This will cost you about $60.

I read a bunch of stuff about networking and one of the questions I have is will any PCI network adapter work with that old eMachines or would that have something to do with the kind of motherboard it has?

Almost all network cards will work with the eMachines computer you have.

Is a PCI network adapter card and an ethernet card the same thing? If not, what would be the difference?

Kinda confused with this comment. You were talking about your 'First Gateway' Please confirm whether the Gateway computer you have now is the same one or a different one.

They are one any the same, NIC, network adapter, network card and ethernet card are all synonomous with each other.

My Gateway came with Windows ME and a Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter (LNE 100TXv4)

Do you still have this computer somewhere? If so take out the ethernet card and put that in the eMachines computer. Will save you some money and all you would need to buy is the router. You will need a driver (software that will tell your computer how to interact and use the network card), and you can get that from HERE

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them :tazz:

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 21 October 2005 - 06:40 PM.

  • 0

#3
cherisPlace

cherisPlace

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 2 posts
I only have one gateway, the one with the ethernet card. (The other one was sent back when they replaced it with the one I have now so I only have 2 pcs here...the emachines and the Gateway) .

Are you saying I won't need an ethernet card in the Gateway if I'm using it as the server? Or were you saying I could only use the ethernet card out of the Gateway if there was a 3rd computer (gateway) not in use?

I will need an ethernet card on the Gateway I'm using as the server right? Both computers in the network do need an ethernet card/network adapter right?

Thanks for all the info! Much cheaper options and greatly appreciated!
  • 0

#4
SpaceCowboy706

SpaceCowboy706

    Trusted Tech

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 1,175 posts
There is a cheaper solution than what fenor is telling you about... if both pc's are right beside each other then all you will need is 3 network cards.. purchased about anywhere for the prices listed by fenor... there is no need for a router when we cann use the first computer as a server with two network cards and a bridged connection to the second pc. If you opt for this option start a seperate post and we will get you going. :tazz:
  • 0

#5
Tyger

Tyger

    Member 2k

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,896 posts
BTW windows 98 picks up the lne100tx and installs it very nicely, so if you get another one for the older machine you shouldn't have any problem installing it, even without a driver disk.
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP