Let me ask you this computer question and see if you can assist.
The studio has five computers.
Four are on one network and all use DSL for an internet connection. We can share information between those computers without a problem.
The broadcast computer is by itself, using a CABLE connection. I could not have it on the network because the network hub only allows four computers.
Now the question.
Is there a cable that I can purchase, that could hook up the broadcast computer to one of the network computers so that the information on the network coputer could be shared by the broadcast computer?
I've been searching the net for half an hour and can't seem to find anything other than cables to do fast transfers, but they don't specify if they could also be used as a simple coonnection.
Assuming you are talking ethernet (cat5) and not USB, you can pick up a "Crossover" ethernet cable for probably about $10. Usually (but not a rule) the crossover cables are orange and they will ONLY work when direct connecting two computers.
I was thinking about this during my shower. I'll draw a diagram of how I would do it and post it here in a bit. It would mean purchasing a new 8 port network switch which would be less than $50.00.
This would require a new 8 port switch that everything would connect to.
I would set all IP's to be "static". Then set the broadcast computer's gateway to the cable modem IP and the others to the DSL modem IP. Look carefully at the gateway IP's and it might make it more clear.
There are two advantages of this setup.
1. Every computer can share files with any other machine.
2. If your cable connection went down, you could quickly set the gateway on the broadcast to that of the DSL modem and you are back up.
If I need to explain something better, just let me know what doesn't make sense and I'll try to do better.
Yes, each cable has to have those amount of turns in them to keep the impedence correct. You also have to paint each device the color shown or your results might vary.
Nah, you should be ok with whatever you have around the house. Certainly do what you want with it, but that's just how I would do it for the ability to share (backup) files across machines and to be able to quickly point your broadcast computer to your DSL modem if need be.
No, the switch has no software. It is just plug and go. The switch just makes it so everything can talk to everything else.
All the IP settings would be done at each computer.
You would be changing each computer from DHCP to a static IP#.
You wouldn't have to change to static IPs if you didn't want to. That is just the way I prefer it. That way if a computer is not responding, you can try pinging the ip number as a way to test the physical connection before you dig into anything deeper.
You wouldn't be making any changes to your DSL/Cable connection settings, only the "internal" or "LAN" ip of those two devices. But, you would have to be able to get into the admin part of the modems to make that change.
The main idea is that you would first go into your cable modem and tell it what the internal or "LAN" IP should be set to.
Then, you'd go into the first computer and in the network TCP/IP settings and give it a static IP and set the gateway to match the IP you set in the cable modem above.
If you did that at each machine, you could tell each machine which internet connection to use by which gateway IP you set it to.
I may be confusing things more than not. If you wanted, I'd be happy to call you some evening and help work through it on the phone.
I may take you up on the phone call, I have a phone card you could use so it doesn't cost anything.
I have to check a few things though. I had a lot of trouble getting the request system running originally and I'm hesitant to take a chance at messing it up again. I'm also just nervous overall that I'd screw it all up and be off the air for a week :)
No problem on the call if you want to do that JR. I can use Skype and its only 1.2 cents/minute. It takes a lot of yacking to create much of a bill at that rate.
I understand your hesitance to make any major changes. Its that "if it works, don't fix it" thing.
Right, I mean it would be GREAT to have em all hooked up together, but man if I wrecked what we got I think I'd lose my mind.
I don't have your computer knowledge. I do a lot of stuff, but for the life of me when I'm done I have no idea how I did it. It's just trial and error, with the emphasis on error
