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NTL to PC and Xbox
Hi all!
I posted in the Xbox newsgroup trying to get help with this and although it has been a great help, I thought you guys might have a little knowledge on this also: "When i log on to my computer at home the NTL broadband connection is always on but when i get to work i have to connect myself to my BT broadband connection. Are my details (username and password) stored on my NTL modem for it to connect all by itself, or does it require me to have my pc on? The reason I ask is that I was just wondering if i can connect my xbox (chipped) directly to my modem, without the pc being on. At the moment the modem is connected to the pc using USB, the Ethernet connection on my modem is free. Can both be in at once, and the modem still work?" What I'm looking for (which was advised by the Xbox group) is a router/modem. Must be a cable modem with built in router so as to connect to the internet by itself when switched on, and then for the xbox to be able to connect to the internet without the pc needing to be on (through Ethernet) and also for the pc to do the same. I also need for the xbox to be able to 'talk' to the pc for streaming music and video files from the pc. I hope i haven't confused anyone as i think I've really confused myself!!! Thanks for any help that can be given Scott |
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My pc does not have to be on for my kids pc to access the internet through
my wireless router so i should think it should be the same for the xbox. I to have ntl broadband and also will be getting an xbox soon so let me know how tou get on. "Scott" wrote in message ... Hi all! I posted in the Xbox newsgroup trying to get help with this and although it has been a great help, I thought you guys might have a little knowledge on this also: "When i log on to my computer at home the NTL broadband connection is always on but when i get to work i have to connect myself to my BT broadband connection. Are my details (username and password) stored on my NTL modem for it to connect all by itself, or does it require me to have my pc on? The reason I ask is that I was just wondering if i can connect my xbox (chipped) directly to my modem, without the pc being on. At the moment the modem is connected to the pc using USB, the Ethernet connection on my modem is free. Can both be in at once, and the modem still work?" What I'm looking for (which was advised by the Xbox group) is a router/modem. Must be a cable modem with built in router so as to connect to the internet by itself when switched on, and then for the xbox to be able to connect to the internet without the pc needing to be on (through Ethernet) and also for the pc to do the same. I also need for the xbox to be able to 'talk' to the pc for streaming music and video files from the pc. I hope i haven't confused anyone as i think I've really confused myself!!! Thanks for any help that can be given Scott |
#3
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----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott" Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 12:41 PM Subject: NTL to PC and Xbox Hi all! I posted in the Xbox newsgroup trying to get help with this and although it has been a great help, I thought you guys might have a little knowledge on this also: "When i log on to my computer at home the NTL broadband connection is always on but when i get to work i have to connect myself to my BT broadband connection. Are my details (username and password) stored on my NTL modem for it to connect all by itself, or does it require me to have my pc on? No - it's perm connected even when PC is off. I have 5 machines all plugged into a router - doesn't matter which if any is turned on for them all to see internet The reason I ask is that I was just wondering if i can connect my xbox (chipped) directly to my modem, without the pc being on. At the moment the modem is connected to the pc using USB, the Ethernet connection on my modem is free. Can both be in at once, and the modem still work?" What I'm looking for (which was advised by the Xbox group) is a router/modem. Must be a cable modem with built in router so as to connect to the internet by itself when switched on, and then for the xbox to be able to connect to the internet without the pc needing to be on (through Ethernet) and also for the pc to do the same. I also need for the xbox to be able to 'talk' to the pc for streaming music and video files from the pc. How do you connect at moment? Set top box or standalone modem? Either way a router (not modem/router will do the job. I hope i haven't confused anyone as i think I've really confused myself!!! Thanks for any help that can be given Scott |
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#5
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"Scott" wrote in
: Are my details (username and password) stored on my NTL modem for it to connect all by itself, or does it require me to have my pc on? No. Typically 'always on' connections do not require usernames and passwords. And, no, your PC is not required to be on or connected for your broadband connection to function. BTW, is your connection cable modem or DSL? The reason I ask is that I was just wondering if i can connect my xbox (chipped) directly to my modem, without the pc being on. Yes, you can connect your XBOX directly to a broadband modem (not a phone modem) without your PC any any other device being involved. Whenever you switch from PC to XBOX you may need to re-boot your modem by removing power momentarily. This would not be necessary if you add a router or hub to your system. See below. At the moment the modemis connected to the pc using USB, the Ethernet connection on my modem is free. Can both be used at once, and the modem still work?" Probably you cannot use both the USB and Ethernet connections on the modem at the same time. All my experience thus far has been that is an either/or situation. Use either USB or use Ethernet but not both at the same time. To connect more than one device to the modem at the same time you will need either: 1. A modem with an internal router and an internal hub or switch. I'm not sure these even exist. Anyone know what the combination broadband modem/router/hub or switch availability situation is? You would also have to check with your ISP to see what is supported by your ISP. or 2. A stand alone router with internal hub or internal switch. Being external to the PC will allow using it without the PC being on or connected. These are common home networking components available wherever computer stuff is sold. I recommend a stand alone router (external to both the PC and modem) with an internal hub or an internal switch. The router will typically include a hardware firewall thus improving your Ethernet security. The internal switch or internal hub will allow connecting mutiple devices to the web. Also, a router external to your modem will be a more versatile solution. If you switch ISP's your external router will be compatible with the new modem (assuming it has an Ethernet connection which it probably will). A Switch is a little smarter than a hub so it would be more expensive. A hub should do just fine. You CANNOT connect a switch or hub directly to the modem. The modem will not function correctly connected directly to a hub or switch unless the modem has an internal router. Keep in mind that many ISP's charge more if you use more than one IP address or connect more than one device to the modem. Your ISP will claim you are doing this if you use a modem with an internal router and will try to charge you more for this 'additional' service. A modem with an internal router will tell your ISP that this is what your are doing so, your hardware will give away what you are doing. However, if you use a router external to your modem you will still be using only one IP address and your hardware will not give away the fact that you have multiple devices connected to the internet through your modem. Some ISP's claim that they do not support this configuration but all that means is that customer support will not help you out if you have a problem with the router. They are just trying to get you to pay more for no good reason other than their profitability. It does NOT mean that it will not work. It very definitely WILL work. To be extra cautious, some routers will copy the MAC address out of your PC and use it to communciate with the modem. By doing so your ISP will never know that your hardware has changed. I know that at least one Netgear wireless router does this. Respond and I can get the model number for you. In short, use a stand alone router (external to your PC and broadband modem) with an internal hub or an internal switch. If the router does not have an internal hub or an internal switch you will have to get a separate hub or switch. You CANNOT connect a switch or hub directly to the modem unless it has an internal router and I recommend not getting a modem with an internal router (see above). What I'm looking for (which was advised by the Xbox group) is a router/modem. You want a router, not a modem. They are not the same. Must be a cable modem with built in router so as to connect to the internet by itself when switched on, and then for the xbox to be able to connect to the internet without the pc needing to be on (through Ethernet) and also for the pc to do the same. Doesn't 'need' to be a cable modem with built in router. There are other, much better, options. See above. I also need for the xbox to be able to 'talk' to the pc for streaming music and video files from the pc. A router in combination with a switch or hub will make this possible from the hardware standpoint. Can the XBOX stream music and video right out of the box? Check out: http://kevinrose.typepad.com/ http://www.g4techtv.com/screensavers/index.html I have seen Kevin demo stuff that may do the streaming stuff you want to do. He has one XBOX hack that does not require a mod chip and will install linux on the XBOX. Linux may provide a platform which will enable media streaming. Some more basic info: A router will typically have two kinds of Ethernet ports on it. 1. It will have one Upstream port. Connect this port to the broadband modem. 2. It will also have some number (possibly 4 or 8 or more, how many do you need?) of downstream ports. Each device you want to connect to the Web, and to each other, will require at least (and generally not more than) one downstream port. So far I think you need two downstream ports. One for the PC and one for the XBOX. If you hook this up, you should remove power from the modem before you hook up the the router. Many modems will 'lock' themselves to the first device they see. So if your modem has been connected to your PC, if you simply move the modem connection to the router, the modem will not communicate with the router. By removing power from the router you will force it to re- boot and look for a new device to communicate with. In other words, the only way to unlock the modem is to remove power mometarily. Give it 15 seconds or so, without power. To enusre all power is removed disconnect any USB and/or Ethernet cables as well. Simply turning off the modem will not work. You must force a re-boot by removing all power sources from the modem. Try these Steps: 1. Shutdown the PC and unplug it. 2. Shutdown the XBOX and unplug it. 3. Remove power from modem. Don't just turn it off. Disconnect the power cable from the modem or unplug the modem power supply from the wall socket. Also disconnect any USB or Ethernet cables. You must force it to re-boot by completely isolating it from any possible power sources. Leave it unplugged or disconnected from the power cable for now. 4. Wait for at least 15 seconds. 5. Connect the router to the modem with an Ethernet cable. Do NOT turn on or plug in the router yet. 6. Connect the PC to the router with an Ethernet cable. Do NOT plug in the PC yet. I don't know if you can get a router with a USB connection for the PC. Have you got Ethernet in your PC? 7. Connect the XBOX to the router with an Ethernet cable. Do NOT plug in the XBOX yet. I'm assuming the XBOX uses standard Ethernet cables. Cable type: Cat5, Cat5e or Cat6, RJ45 connectors, 'patch cable' NOT 'crossover cable'. Cat5 should do the trick. Cat5e and Cat6 are higher performance and also more expensive and probably not necessary. 8. Restore power to the modem. Wait for it to complete its boot process. Give it 3 minutes if you can't tell when its done booting. Look for the lights to settle into some constant pattern. 9. Plug in an turn on the router. Wait for it to boot. See the documentation that comes with it to be able to tell when the boot process is done. Otherwise give it 3 minutes and look for a constant pattern on its lights. 10. Plug in, turn on, and boot your PC. There may be some software to install at this point. Be sure to read your router install documentation carefully. 11. Plug in and turn on your XBOX. 12. You should be 'Good to Go' at this point. You should be able to access the web from your PC. Try your browser. As for the XBOX I'm going to leave that to you. I believe you need an 'Internet Kit' of some kind and I'm not sure what 'streaming media' will require. I don't have an XBOX myself. If you want to avoid cables you might want to look at a wireless router. With a wireless router and a wireless access point you won't need a cable from the router to the XBOX. The router goes to the modem and the access point goes to the XBOX and the access point to router connection is of course wireless. You will need a short cable from the XBOX to the access point. If you put a wireless access card in your PC then you won't need a cable for the PC. Another option is to use a wireless USB access point for the PC. I believe Netgear and Linksys have wireless USB access points. This might be useful if you don't already have an Ethernet connection in the PC. Once it is all hooked up you can connect and disconnect the PC and XBOX to your hearts content without going through all the steps above. If you get a new Ethernet capable device, i.e. a laptop or another PC, just plug it into a free socket on the router. If there are no free sockets just disconnect something and use the newly open socket. Switching back and forth this way will not be a problem. The last thing I've thought of is that you may need to configure your PC and XBOX for DHCP. This will depend on how your modem and PC are currently configured. My experience has been that you duplicate the your current networking config from the PC into the router. (DHCP, DNS, WINS, subnet mask, etc) On win98 use winipcfg to determine the relevant details. WINNT, Win2000, and WinXP have similar commands. You may be able to use 'ipconfig /all' in a DOS box as well. Use 'ipconfig /?' for help on 'ipconfig'. This is most of the big stuff you'll encounter but is NOT a comprehenive guide. See the router documentation and windows networking help files for more details. It probably won't be that difficult to do. Good Luck |
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How do you connect at moment? Set top box or standalone modem? Either way a router (not modem/router will do the job. At the moment I am connecting my modem (standalone) to my PC via USB. Am definitely thinking of getting a cable router to make life easier. I always thought that the point of a cable router was to connect the cable to the router and do away with the NTL modem supplied. If this is not the case, then what is the difference between the cable router (which i assume you connect to modem via Ethernet) and a ADSL router (which i also assume you connect via Ethernet)? Is the signal somehow different? Scott |
#7
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Jesus!
Thanks for all the info! Will give it a better read later when i get home and try and soak some of it in! Thanks again for all the help. Scott |
#8
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Scott wrote:
How do you connect at moment? Set top box or standalone modem? Either way a router (not modem/router will do the job. At the moment I am connecting my modem (standalone) to my PC via USB. Am definitely thinking of getting a cable router to make life easier. I always thought that the point of a cable router was to connect the cable to the router and do away with the NTL modem supplied. If this is not the case, then what is the difference between the cable router (which i assume you connect to modem via Ethernet) and a ADSL router (which i also assume you connect via Ethernet)? Is the signal somehow different? Scott Part of the confusion comes from functions being combined into 'all-in-one' boxes, which isn't necessarily a 'bad' thing, but you need to think of them separately and then look at what 'the box' has. Modem - Modulator/Demodulator: It's function is to provide signals compatible with the external communication medium. Specifically, a medium that uses some form of frequency modulation, as in ADSL, Cable, and 'plain' phone lines. The three use different modulation techniques, and operate at different speeds, dictated by the medium so one type of modem does not work for the other type. Hub: A multiport 'fan out' device that just sends incoming data on any port out on all the other ports, and vice versa. It's cheap, because it needs no 'smarts', and, for very small LANs, the penalty of loading every line with all data is not, usually, unbearable. Router (simple): A router is a multiport device that looks at the intended address of the data and sends it to only the port that includes the destination. The point is there's no reason (except for cheap) to send data to places it need not go and sending all data 'everywhere' would soon overload any network of significant size, rendering it useless. Bridge: A device that translates between two different communication mediums/protocols. Data is embedded in the 'alien' protocol going in, and extracted from it coming out, so that the 'alien' protocol is transparent. It 'bridges' them. That sounds like enough but a home multi-computer setup, I.E. a local LAN, adds another problem: your local LAN addresses are not valid for internet use. They are for local use only. The modem IP is valid, but not the addresses of each computer. Enter a new router function type called "Network Address Translation" or, for short, NAT. The NAT function sits between the internet modem and your local LAN fielding requests from the local computers, reformatting it into a modem IP request, sending it out over the modem and then matching incoming data with who made the request so it can send it back to the computer that asked for it. That's fine for request-reply traffic but still a problem for unsolicited incoming data, such as an incoming call for voice-over-IP, so NAT includes the ability to statically assign ports to a specific computer and, in that case, simply sends whatever comes in that port to the designated machine whether it was asked for or not. That's not perfect either (don't try to call two different machines from the same internet port) but the best one can do. OK, so when one says "a cable modem" we know it has the 'cable modem' function but, with people combining functions yet not adding tons of acronyms to the name, what else, if anything, does it include? A single port cable modem need not have anything other than the cable modem function and a port to the computer. Done deal. A multi-computer cable modem must also have, at least, NAT: a 'router' function. The 4 ports, or whatever, could still be simply, and most likely are, a hub function. It will also have DHCP to assign local addresses and, perhaps, a firewall. (once you have 'smarts' then adding 'extras' doesn't cost so much more) But then we also have "cable modem, with wireless." So now we have the wireless function added, bridged to the ethernet LAN, plus other functions needed for the wireless links to operate properly (Infrastructure mode, station I.D., WEP, etc). And, of course, DHCP and a firewall like the non-wirelss cable modem. Note that, in any of the 'cable modem' types, the 'traditional' computer connection is via ethernet but that isn't the 'only' way (since we know about bridges now), as USB cable modems demonstrate. But USB is not a multiport device in both directions (I.E. you can have multiple USB devices on one computer but not multiple computers on one USB device) so it's a 'one to one' link as far as the cable modem function is concerned. The single USB port is 'bridged' to the cable modem inside the cable modem box. I noticed that your cable modem is a USB connection. If it has no ethernet port too then it can only connect to one computer. A new 'all-in-one' modem would solve that, or you could use Windows "Internet Connection Sharing" (ICS). As you can guess, now that you're thinking 'functions', ICS is simply using the computer to do NAT and routing to the local LAN just as those functions in a separate 'all-in-one' modem would. The down side, of course, is that for those functions to be 'on', so that the other computers can access the internet, the ICS computer must be 'on' too. |
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I noticed that your cable modem is a USB connection. If it has no ethernet
port too then it can only connect to one computer. A new 'all-in-one' modem would solve that, or you could use Windows "Internet Connection Sharing" (ICS). As you can guess, now that you're thinking 'functions', ICS is simply using the computer to do NAT and routing to the local LAN just as those functions in a separate 'all-in-one' modem would. The down side, of course, is that for those functions to be 'on', so that the other computers can access the internet, the ICS computer must be 'on' too. Thanks for the info! I'm currently connected to my modem via USB but it also has the option for Ethernet connection. I choose the USB option as the Xbox is connected to my PC via the Ethernet connection. Scott |
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