[Tfug] modem and router combo

[Jim March]

What works in the real world is:

* Run the cable modem that comes from the cable company.  It will take
a round "coax" connector as input and spit out Ethernet (single port).

* Run that Ethernet from the cable modem to a dead standard router -
WiFi or plain-jane.

The average standard WiFi router will have one Ethernet in, four
Ethernet out (to PCs, printers, etc) and WiFi.

IF you do WiFi, set it up as WPA security, not WEP.

I had good success recently with a Buffalo WiFi router on sale at
Beast Buy for $50.  Standard layout: one Ethernet in, four out, WiFi.
Note that one is always marked as the "input" (going to the cable
modem, DSL modem or any other Ethernet source).

If you've been to the Thursday Buddy's meets you've seen my router.
Instead of Ethernet in it's got a PCMCIA slot for my Cellular modem
(Verizon DSL), four Ethernet outs and WiFi out, creating a mobile WiFi
hotspot :).  That router was $200, on top of the cost of the verizon
PCMCIA card...but it's my favorite toy.

PLAN B:

Forget the router - take a cheapo junk PC laying around, slap a second
Ethernet controller in it, run a simple Linux distro and tell it to do
router functions between the two Ethernet ports.  Run one port to the
cable modem, another to a "dumb hub" giving you the ports you need off
the one "output" port on the cheap PC.  You can even add a WiFi PCI or
whatever card to the cheapo PC and turn it into a WiFi router too.

With any router, if you don't have enough "output ports" you can slap
a dumb hub on one output to split it.  Don't run one router on top of
another unless you're prepared to disable the "router functionality"
on one (NAT, DHCP, etc).

Jim

On 10/25/07, Ronald Sutherland <ronald.sutherland at gmail.com> wrote:
> for some reason I get confused with this question,
> a modem modulates and demodulates information within a transport medium
> (sound, light, electronic potential, gravitational potential...)
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modem
>
> and routers do something to select paths and control the flow of data
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router
>
> I think of the cable as the transport medium, I guess they could say
> cable modem router, but why? Normally I would say "pick one that your
> service provider recommends", but it looks like the DOCSIS specification
> is the only one. So pick one that has the most newegg comments, and is
> mostly liked (electronics is mostly crap so I look for the best of the bad).
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_modem
>
>
> christopher floess wrote:
> > Can anyone recommend a modem/router combo. I did
> > a quick look on newegg, and all of the 'cable routers'
> > didnt' mention anything about being actual modems.
> >
> > Is this just a nomeclature issue?
> >
>
>
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