Is this scenario possible?

[Crono]

Okay, I'm going to be going online with both PS2 and GCN this fall. On one side of my room, I have my computer and a cable modem, at the other side, I have my tv, ps2 and gamecube. I need to know if the cable wire that is currently connected to my tv can also be used for internet. (I'm assuming it can be cuz I think cable internet runs through the entire house...). So, can I split the cable wire thats connected to my tv into 3 different wires...one for GC, one for PS2, and for my cable on my tv. I have attached a little picture to help visualize the situation, so I need to know if its possible. Thanks.

[Jonbo298]

I think its possible, but not just from the cable running from the TV. I think you have to run the splitter from the Cable Modem. If Im thinkin right, you basically have to split it from the comp. to your PS2 and 'Cube. But I'll wait for pika, he will know.

[manasecret]

The cable from your TV is not cable internet. Usually Cable TV wire is a bit thicker and/or tougher, and has two male ends that are usually metal screw-like things with a skinny metal wire in the middle of the big plastic wire, which is what you see all along the outside of the wire (pretty much).

Cable Internet wire is usually Category-5 networking wire, and it's usually more flimsy and the male ends are plug-like things that lock into place where they are plugged through a little plastic latch.

You should be able to tell the difference if you look at the wire connected to your TV and compare it to the one coming from your cable modem and connecting to your computer.

How cable internet works is that you take the TV cable wire and plug it into the cable modem, and there's an out port on the cable modem where you plug one end of a network wire into and the other end into your PC. So that wire you have for your TV could be used IF you put your cable modem over there with it and went through that.

What you want is a splitter for the network wire, though I'm not sure if they are made or sold because splitting internet so that it can be used by multiple pieces of hardware at the same time is a bit more complicated than say splitting cable TV wire or telephone wires; you would need a network hub or router or some equivalent.

However, splitters may be sold. Just be warned that if it's a simple splitter, then it doesn't really split the internet, it only allows one connection at a time. In other words, your PS2 and GCN couldn't be using the internet at the same time through the splitter, or you couldn't use your PC and game console at the same time through the splitter, or whatever your setup. Only one piece of hardware could connect to the internet at any one time.

Hope that helps. If you can't find a splitter, then all you have to do is plug the network wire from the cable modem into whatever piece of hardware you want to use at that time, and unplug and replug it into the other stuff as you need it.

db

[Angrist]

1 word: HUB.

[Crono]

Originally posted by manasecret
The cable from your TV is not cable internet. Usually Cable TV wire is a bit thicker and/or tougher, and has two male ends that are usually metal screw-like things with a skinny metal wire in the middle of the big plastic wire, which is what you see all along the outside of the wire (pretty much).

Cable Internet wire is usually Category-5 networking wire, and it's usually more flimsy and the male ends are plug-like things that lock into place where they are plugged through a little plastic latch.

You should be able to tell the difference if you look at the wire connected to your TV and compare it to the one coming from your cable modem and connecting to your computer.

How cable internet works is that you take the TV cable wire and plug it into the cable modem, and there's an out port on the cable modem where you plug one end of a network wire into and the other end into your PC. So that wire you have for your TV could be used IF you put your cable modem over there with it and went through that.

What you want is a splitter for the network wire, though I'm not sure if they are made or sold because splitting internet so that it can be used by multiple pieces of hardware at the same time is a bit more complicated than say splitting cable TV wire or telephone wires; you would need a network hub or router or some equivalent.

However, splitters may be sold. Just be warned that if it's a simple splitter, then it doesn't really split the internet, it only allows one connection at a time. In other words, your PS2 and GCN couldn't be using the internet at the same time through the splitter, or you couldn't use your PC and game console at the same time through the splitter, or whatever your setup. Only one piece of hardware could connect to the internet at any one time.

Hope that helps. If you can't find a splitter, then all you have to do is plug the network wire from the cable modem into whatever piece of hardware you want to use at that time, and unplug and replug it into the other stuff as you need it.

db

K, Thanks for all the help.
I compared my cable tv wire and my cable internet wire and they both feel the same to me. Anyway, what I'll do is I'll split the cable tv wire, and I'll just use one thing at a time, like when I go to play PSO on GC I'll just shut down my PC...less complicated that way..unless I could get one of those "hubs". But I dunno where to find them.

[Angrist]

Every store sells them. Well every computer store anyway.
To use 2 things at the same time, you'll need a second IP adress, which often means you have to pay (a bit extra) for a second account.

We already have 2 cable internet accounts here, for 2 PCs. We'll probably need another one for our GCN.

Perhaps your internet provider can help you with it, ours did (on their website).

[Crono]

Originally posted by Angrist
Every store sells them. Well every computer store anyway.
To use 2 things at the same time, you'll need a second IP adress, which often means you have to pay (a bit extra) for a second account.

We already have 2 cable internet accounts here, for 2 PCs. We'll probably need another one for our GCN.

Perhaps your internet provider can help you with it, ours did (on their website).

I'll call my ISP sometime in August, I guess...I just wanna have everything set up and ready to go for when PSO comes out.

So if I use the HUB, to split the cable connection..I'll have to pay for a second account?..We're already paying for 3 cable internet accounts at our house (one in my room, one in my parents, and one in my sisters).

Can't I just split the wire and not pay?

[bobcat]

Originally posted by Crono


I'll call my ISP sometime in August, I guess...I just wanna have everything set up and ready to go for when PSO comes out.

So if I use the HUB, to split the cable connection..I'll have to pay for a second account?..We're already paying for 3 cable internet accounts at our house (one in my room, one in my parents, and one in my sisters).

Can't I just split the wire and not pay?

Not really.......I know plenty of friends of mine that have used a router to host their internet locally :)

Therefore the PC doesn't need to be on 24/7 for an internet connection. So far so good, they haven't been sent to jail :cool:

[Jonbo298]

Originally posted by Crono


So if I use the HUB, to split the cable connection..I'll have to pay for a second account?..We're already paying for 3 cable internet accounts at our house (one in my room, one in my parents, and one in my sisters).

Can't I just split the wire and not pay?

Steal your sister's:devil:

[Crono]

Originally posted by bobcat


Not really.......I know plenty of friends of mine that have used a router to host their internet locally :)

Therefore the PC doesn't need to be on 24/7 for an internet connection. So far so good, they haven't been sent to jail :cool:

heh heh...great. I'll be all set for PSO. :cool:

Originally posted by Jonbo298
Steal your sister's :devil:

If only that was possible...

[manasecret]

Originally posted by Crono


I'll call my ISP sometime in August, I guess...I just wanna have everything set up and ready to go for when PSO comes out.

So if I use the HUB, to split the cable connection..I'll have to pay for a second account?..We're already paying for 3 cable internet accounts at our house (one in my room, one in my parents, and one in my sisters).

First off, I think I'm confused by your setup. :unsure: Do you have a router or a hub somewhere in your house? And where is your cable modem?

As for the feel of the wires, that's not really important. What's inside of them is what's important, and since you can't see the insides unless you cut them open, the connectors are what are really important.

Can't I just split the wire and not pay?

Right. You can split the wire (which a hub can do, which can come really cheap), but two things won't be able to use the internet at the same time. You wouldn't even have to worry about paying extra because the hub won't let you share the internet.

However, if you get a Router (looks similar to a hub), you can share the same internet connection with no extra cost. That's what we do at my house, and it's rather simple as long as the router works right.

So you would only be paying for one account while as many computers as you want (well, as many as your router can handle) can use the internet at the same time. You wouldn't have the same speed as you would have with three dedicated IP's (dedicated accounts), but even if all of your computers were surfing the net at the same time the speed would be many many times faster than 56k. And you would pay less than having three or four accounts.

But that can be complicated, as you might have to reroute many wires and do a lot of stuff in the attic and stuff, and as long as your parents don't care about paying extra it's no big deal.

So I'd recommend just to get a splitter, which I think means you will simply have to buy a hub. But you don't need an expensive hub; I've seen these really small, cheap hubs that would probably do the job fine.

But please tell me about your setup. :D If you already have a router somewhere then I think your consoles and PC can use the internet at the same time simply through a hub. Or if the router you may or may not already have has some extra ports, you could just run some wires from that.

So please tell. :roll:

db

[sdtPikachu]

This is what you want:

Cable Connection
|
V
Router/hub
|
V
All the rest of your stuff that has an RJ45 plug

In this house, we have a redhat box which is left on 24/7 acting as file server/firewall/internet gateway. It has a modem plugged into its serial port, and the network card goes into the uplink port of a 4 port 10Mbps hub, which the rest of the computers plug into.

Net result (pun not intended) is that any PC in the house can go online via our server box even whilst other people are online. Why pay for extra accounts when you can just share one?

[Crono]

Originally posted by manasecret

But please tell me about your setup. :D If you already have a router somewhere then I think your consoles and PC can use the internet at the same time simply through a hub. Or if the router you may or may not already have has some extra ports, you could just run some wires from that.

So please tell. :roll:

db

well, the cable modem is at one end of my room. maybe this is important: there is already a hub (or a router I am not sure) behind my computer...one end of it goes to my modem, one goes into the bottom of the wall...and the other end goes into the wall again...the stuff I want hooked up is on the other side of room (my room isnt big its just rectangle shaped).

Originally posted by sdtPikachu
Why pay for extra accounts when you can just share one?

Exactly. :D

[manasecret]

Originally posted by Crono
well, the cable modem is at one end of my room. maybe this is important: there is already a hub (or a router I am not sure) behind my computer...one end of it goes to my modem, one goes into the bottom of the wall...and the other end goes into the wall again...the stuff I want hooked up is on the other side of room (my room isnt big its just rectangle shaped).


Yes, that is very important. :D Look at the hub-like machine; is there anything written on it? Anything at all, such as brand or the name of thing?

I'm not sure if you need a router when you have multiple IP's to use, so I couldn't tell you what you have unless there's something written on the router/hub thing.

If it is a router, all you should need to do is run a couple cords from open ports in the router/hub thing to the PS2 and GCN and you won't have to pay extra and everything would be able to use the internet at the same time. :cool:

If you don't have any extra ports on your router/hub thing, I think you can just buy a regular hub, connect it to the router/hub thing through one of ports that being used right now, and then connect your PC/PS2/GCN/whatever to the hub and still be able to share the internet at no extra cost. I think...

Anyway, please see if you can see anything that might describe what the router/hub thing you have is.

db

[Crono]

Originally posted by manasecret


Yes, that is very important. :D Look at the hub-like machine; is there anything written on it? Anything at all, such as brand or the name of thing?

I'm not sure if you need a router when you have multiple IP's to use, so I couldn't tell you what you have unless there's something written on the router/hub thing.

If it is a router, all you should need to do is run a couple cords from open ports in the router/hub thing to the PS2 and GCN and you won't have to pay extra and everything would be able to use the internet at the same time. :cool:

If you don't have any extra ports on your router/hub thing, I think you can just buy a regular hub, connect it to the router/hub thing through one of ports that being used right now, and then connect your PC/PS2/GCN/whatever to the hub and still be able to share the internet at no extra cost. I think...

Anyway, please see if you can see anything that might describe what the router/hub thing you have is.

db

it says......
DigiTap
Low intermodulation Splitter
3.5 db

..and all of its ports are full. it has 3 thingies.

[Jonbo298]

Heh, Im waiting for about the month before till the month after when PS2/GC/XBox go online and the cable people getting swamped with phone calls from people asking how to hook up their console and whatnot.:rofl:

[manasecret]

Originally posted by Crono


it says......
DigiTap
Low intermodulation Splitter
3.5 db

..and all of its ports are full. it has 3 thingies.

That means installing a router, sharing one IP, and paying for only one account is really easy. You would just have to replace that DigiTap with a Router, and you would be set.

But you may not want to mess with what's working. :) So it comes back to your question in the beginning; just buy a splitter, which I think may mean a hub. So if you have to buy a hub (which would have multiple ports), just take the wire going to your PC and plug it into the hub, and then plug in your PC, PS2, and GCN into the hub. You should be all set then, but, just to repeat, you won't be able to share the internet between the one PC and your PS2/GCN at the same time.

db

[Crono]

Originally posted by manasecret


That means installing a router, sharing one IP, and paying for only one account is really easy. You would just have to replace that DigiTap with a Router, and you would be set.

But you may not want to mess with what's working. :) So it comes back to your question in the beginning; just buy a splitter, which I think may mean a hub. So if you have to buy a hub (which would have multiple ports), just take the wire going to your PC and plug it into the hub, and then plug in your PC, PS2, and GCN into the hub. You should be all set then, but, just to repeat, you won't be able to share the internet between the one PC and your PS2/GCN at the same time.

db

Heh...thanks, I understand everything...I think. Shouldnt be that hard.

(btw I sent you a PM)

[manasecret]

Crono:

barneyis666 is the PM answer

BTW, since you won't be able to share the internet at the same time anyway unless you mess around with a router, you could just skip buying a splitter/hub. Instead, you could just buy one extra wire (or use the wire going from the DigiTap to your PC if it's long enough) and simply plug in the PC or GCN or PS2 as you need to. It would be more of a hassle, but it would be cheaper. Or you could buy two more wires for the PS2 and GCN and just have them ready to be plugged in when you need them; that would still be a lot cheaper than buying a hub.

db