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I am trying to setup a LAN network in my house. I pay for one regular cable ISP for downstairs and pay for another same one but with static IP upstairs. I’m trying to setup a LAN network between the two without any of them sharing either internet connection.

Your question prompted a lot of discussion around here in an attempt to answer it. I consulted with my very own tech support, and his main question was why would you want the system set up this way? The only reason we can guess is that you are in a roommate situation and for some reason each of you needs to pay for your own Internet connection. After mulling it over for a while and drawing a bunch of diagrams, we’ve decided that it can be done if you really insist on paying for two ISP connections and don’t want to share.

LAN Setups

The usual reasons for setting up a LAN (Local Area Network) in the home are to allow two or more computers to share data, share printers, scanners and other networked devices, play music or games together, video conferencing and most of all, to share an Internet connection. There are ways to set up the LAN so that areas of one hard disk are not accessible by others on the network.

Setting Up Your LAN

First off, you are going to need a fair amount of cable and a switch. Luckily both of these are pretty inexpensive to get. You also won’t need routers for your computers, assuming that each one is connected to the Internet directly through its own modem. You will then need a switch that is connected to each computer via cable and you need to set up TCP/IP filesharing on each machine. Each computer also needs to have its own name, but be in the same work group.

There may be a way to do it wirelessly - it’s much easier and cheaper to run cable if you can - and the best way to explain the process is to point you to an article in Wikipedia on how to set up a Wireless Distribution System.

Hopefully, this set up will work for your needs, depending on what you are looking to share between computers. If not, you might want to consider a conventional LAN setup and opt for ISP sharing.

Can two routers be used from one modem?

The short answer is yes, depending on how you want to use them. The basic layout for using two routers with one modem is that you have the first router connected to the modem and the second router connected to the first router and the computers or devices you are using. It will look like: ModemàFirst RouteràSecond RouteràComputers. In this case, the second router is basically working as a hub or switch - basically a glorified extension cord that will allow you to use more devices than you can with one router alone. If you have two routers lying around and want to configure them this way, great. If you want to set up your network from scratch, you may be better off using one router and one switch both for ease and expense considerations.

Find IP Addresses

In order to configure the two routers properly, you are going to need to know the LAN addresses of each one. Most routers come with a default standard address: Linksys uses 192.168.1.1, D-Link and Netgear use 192.168.0.1. The address is usually with the paperwork that came with the router, or you can find it on the computer by going to Start, then All Programs and Accessories. At the Command Prompt, type in: ipconfig and press Enter. Look for the Default Gateway and you will see the correct address.

Disable DHCP

DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and basically means that it allows the server to automatically assign an IP address. You need to disable the DHCP in the second router in order for the system to work properly. This is the example for Linksys, but it works basically the same way for any router.

Connect an Ethernet cable from a computer to one of the Ethernet ports on the router. Power up the router, then power up the computer. Open Internet Explorer and type in the IP address in the browser. For Linksys, it would be 192.168.1.1. Click Go. You will see a User Name and Password prompt - for Linksys, you leave the name blank and type in: admin for the password. You will then see a setup page where you can click to disable the DHCP server. Your own router documentation will list the appropriate logon credentials.

You will then need to go back to the setup page and change the LAN IP address to one that will work with the other router’s subnet. For example, if the other router’s LAN address is 192.168.15.1, then you can use 192.168.15.254. Power off both routers. Use the cable to connect to one of the ports in the first router and power back up again and you should be in business.

Hopefully, this will help you with your setup. If you need any more information, don’t hesitate to ask.

If I have an Acer pink mini laptop, is it wireless and can it connect to the Internet router downstairs and the wireless printer?

Connecting an Acer Laptop to Wireless Devices

You don’t mention the model of your pink Acer, but I think it is fairly safe to assume that it is quite new, probably an Aspire, and almost certainly equipped with wireless capability. As long as you are using a wireless router for the other computer, or computers, in your house you should be able to connect your laptop to the same network. A wireless router is one that provides Internet access without requiring cables. Check the router and make sure that it is appropriate for a wireless network.

Connect to a Wireless Network

Establishing a wireless network or connecting your computer to an existing network should be fairly straightforward. There may or may not be a small switch or tab on the side of your laptop, if so, make sure that it is set to on or enabled. You might want to consult your user manual to be sure.

Connecting to a Wireless Network with Windows Vista

Assuming also that you are running Windows on your Acer, here are some steps to find and connect with the existing wireless network in your house with Vista.

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose Network and Internet
3. Under Network and Sharing Center, choose Connect to a Network
4. Choose Show All, then Refresh
5. Your network should show up, select it and click Connect
6. Check the option to Start this Connection Automatically
7. You may need to enter a password. Check with the person who set up the original network.

Adding a Network to your Laptop

If no networks show up, here’s how you can add them:

1. In the Connect to a Network window, choose Set Up a Connection or Network
2. Choose Manually Connect to a Wireless Network
3. Click Next
4. Enter the name of the network… sometimes the network is named after the router, like Linksys, ask the person who set up the router network, or check on the other computer to see the name of the network its connected to
5. Enter the information for the network, you might also need to check for this on the other computer on the network
6. Check Start this Connection Automatically
7. Click Next, then Connect To and you should be online (again, you may need to enter a password to connect)

Connecting to a Wireless Printer

For the wireless printer, you will need to load the software that came on a CD with the printer onto your laptop and initiate the sequence to configure them. The wireless printer manual should walk you through the process. If you would like us to detail the steps, let us know the make and model of the printer as well as more details about your computer such as the operating system. Good luck!

We have 4 computers, all within 16 feet of each other. We would like to connect them together. We are on dialup. Two are XP and two are Vista.

My knee-jerk reaction was to tell you no, that there was no easy way to configure a network using a dial up connection, but then I dug a little deeper and came up with a couple of possibilities that might work for you. While your computers are fairly close, hubs and Ethernet cables are a pain. Despite the proximity, you may be better off with a wireless rather than wired network.

Dial Up Router

Most manufacturers (in fact all, I think these days) don’t make a dial up router, and those that did, made them primarily as a back-up in case their primary connection went down temporarily. I did find one wireless access point for dialup called the WiFlyer. In its day (about five years ago), it was the most expensive, but the most reliable, option. The manufacturer isn’t making new models anymore, but you can pick them up from other sources. As I write this, there was one on sale through eBay for $110.

Ad Hoc Networking

You can also use something called ad hoc networking in which one main computer is connected to the Internet through a modem, and the other computers basically “feed” off of that computer, much like walkie-talkies communicate. There is a Microsoft article from 2006 that details how to do this. In this setup, the computer that is connected directly to the Internet must always be on in order for the other computers to connect. If that machine goes down, none of the other users can access the Internet.

Wireless Setup

The down side of either method is that a dial-up connection is slow as molasses on a good day - having more than one computer sharing a dial up connection will slow that speed down to molasses in the Antarctic. If at all possible, I’d recommend that you get either a DSL or cable Internet connection so that you can set up a true wireless network. In this day and age, the best way to go is to use a wireless network to connect all four computers to one router which will then connect to the Internet. While it sounds daunting, it is actually one of the simpler things to set up once you have all of the right equipment. Let’s do a little Networking 101 so you can better understand the process.

The Internet connection comes into the house over the telephone line or cable. In a wireless setup, it will then run to a modem which converts the digital signal back and forth from the cable or phone line to the computer. The wireless router will then plug into the modem and send signals to the desktops and/or laptops (most routers come with a maximum of four - if you need more than four, you can get a network hub which will let you add more machines rather than get a second router) so they can work wirelessly. Most newer machines come with wireless capabilities built-in - older models can use a wireless adapter.

In short, yes it is possible to share Internet connections over a dial-up network, but it won’t be easy or convenient to use. I realize that in some locations there is no choice, and you must use dial up, but if you do have a choice, using DSL or cable and a wireless network will make your Internet life much easier.

My computer has been running slow lately so I disabled the IPv4 and the IPv6 connectivity through the network and sharing center (Windows Vista). Now I cannot see what computers/devices are connected to the network. Help?

Sounds like we have two problems to tackle here. The first is to re-enable IPv4 and IPv6 so that your network runs as it should and the second is to deal with slow PC performance that prompted this change.

Re-enable IPv4 and IPv6 Connectivity

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) version 4, or IPv4, is the default protocol for communicating across networks. IPv6 is the latest version of this protocol, also allowing for communications between internetworked devices. When these protocols are turned off, the network’s connectivity is severely limited.

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Depending on how many changes you made, you may be better off using System Restore to roll your computer back to its earlier settings. However, if the only changes made were disabling IPv4 and IPv6, then you’re just a few mouse clicks away from restoring your network connectivity.

Go to Start and type Network and Sharing into the Search bar. Click the icon for the Network and Sharing Center that appears soon after. Click on Manage Network Connections and right click your connection. Click on Properties. Place a check mark in the box for both Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) and then click OK.

Troubleshooting the PC’s Performance

Now that the computers can see each other again, let’s tackle the computer’s sluggish performance. Since you were tweaking the networking protocols, I assume that you are concerned about connection issues as well as general poor computer performance. The first thing that I recommend is running a complete system scan for malware. As you may be aware, the Conficker worm is one of the current crops of malware affecting computers right now. This particular worm turns a computer into a robot, allowing hackers to commandeer your computer’s Internet connection for malicious purposes such as sending out large amounts of spam. One of the symptoms that your computer has become part of the Conficker botnet is a slow connection speed.

Once you’ve ruled out malware, the next step is to check your startup items. The more programs that load each time Vista loads, the less available resources you have for the programs that you are actually using. Go to the Start button and type msconfig in the Search bar. Click the msconfig icon and go to the Startup Items tab. What programs are loading with Windows? Do you need these programs running at all times? Remove the checkmark next to non-essential programs such as Microsoft Works or Adobe Reader. Doing so prevents these programs from loading automatically when you turn on your computer.

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Vista Performance Information and Tools

Since you have Windows Vista, head over to the Control Panel and click on Performance Information and Tools. This center has a variety of tasks specifically designed to help you improve your computer’s performance including: manage startup programs, adjust visual effects, adjust indexing options, adjust power settings, open Disk Cleanup, and advanced tools. Go through each task and tweak your computer’s settings for optimal performance.

Registry Cleaners

If your computer is still running slow after completing the malware scan and pc performance improvements, consider investing in a registry cleaning utility such as RegCure. These products clean up obsolete and unnecessary entries in the registry. By clearing out the clutter, the computer no longer has to struggle to carry out its basic functions.

I just got a Dell Optiplex gx270 and I cannot get my wireless g to get on the Internet. Am I missing something?

Wireless Network Cards

Well, unless you have added a wireless network card or adapter to your Dell Optiplex, you might be missing wireless capability. The Dell Optiplex, like most PCs, isn’t necessarily equipped with a wireless card from the factory but you can add one, or you can run a wire from your PC to your modem or router. If you decide to add one, make sure that you take your computer’s specifications with you to the store and check that the computer can support the card.

Check your System with Device Manager

If you aren’t sure whether or not there is a wireless adapter built into your system, you can check using Device Manager. Click Start, then Control Panel, then System and then Device Manager. Here you can scroll and look for a wireless card listing. If there isn’t one, then you will need to add it before you can get online wirelessly. If there is one, you can check for a yellow ! mark beside the listing, which would indicate a problem with the card or the connectivity.

Update your Drivers from Dell

Once you have a wireless adapter installed, you will most likely need to update your drivers. Dell has several driver releases for the Optiplex gx 270 and you can find them here. The drivers should help your computer’s operating system communicate with newer hardware, such as the wireless card and router. Here is the link to the Dell Optiplex gx 270 Drivers and Downloads page. Use the drop down menus to get the right drivers for your operating system.

Check with your Internet Service Provider

Once you download and install the new drivers, you should be able to get online, at least in theory. If you are still having problems configuring a wireless router or modem with your computer, you can contact your Internet service provider. Sometimes you need to adjust your IP address to configure your system with the provider.

I hope these suggestions help. If not, you can write again with some information about what you have tried, what works and what doesn’t, and we can take it from there. PS - Don’t forget to make sure that the wireless adapter is switched on. For example, many laptops have an on/off switch for the wireless adapter. Good luck!