Miscellaneous > Programming & Networking

Put your design hats on

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worker201:
I am in need of a home networking solution.

Minimal components:
- Apple MacBookPro (Bluetooth, Wireless, and Ethernet), running OSX 10.5.5
- IBM Thinkpad T-60 (Bluetooth, Wireless, and Ethernet), running Windows XP SP3
- HP Officejet 6310 (Bluetooth and Ethernet)
- Motorola Surfboard SB5101 cable modem (Ethernet)

Hardware currently available:
- Linksys 5-Port Workgroup switch EZXS55W
- bunch of cat5 cable

Network requirements:
- print from both computers
- use internet on Mac
- internet available to PC only in emergency cases, with explicit permission
- file transfers available between both computers on as-needed basis
- both computers and printer may go on or off randomly, for energy-saving purposes

Design considerations:
- everything is close together, so wireless is not required
- where does the printer get its IP address from, anyway?

All serious options considered.

Lead Head:
You need to find the documentation for the switch and printer. The switch should have a configuration page (at least I'd imagine it would, which should allow you to control with PCs get internet). Older printers you would have to manually set the IP, or they would have a set static IP. Newer printers are DHCP compatible however - the router/switch assigns it an IP

worker201:
This switch has no documentation.  For all intents and purposes, it is a hub with 5 outbound ports and 1 inbound port.  Maybe what I need to get is a real router.

It seems like the printer is taking orders from somebody - the Mac probably.  There's no way that I can find to set the IP, so it must see the Mac as the DHCCP server.  This would explain why the Mac has no trouble connecting to the printer ever, while the PC forgets the printer's address everytime one the printer cycles power - which is after every use.

Lead Head:
If its a switch - it *MIGHT* have a configuration page, if its a hub there is almost no chance of it at all. Hubs are pretty cruddy little things, even the cheapest routers these days have 4 port switches. That is the first thing I would do personally, is get a good wireless router.

worker201:
Why wireless?  The printer and cable modem have to be wired, no reason not to wire the 2 computers as well.  Everything sits in a 5-sqft area anyway.  One of the computers has no battery (still), and the other has 3 external hard drives attached, so it's not like I'm going to be wandering around the house with them.

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