Computer question....or 2!

[QWIKTURBO]

I have a lil problem. I just bought a new Laptop(Dell). My roommate and I had an older computer that has seen better days. We have Roadrunner Internet cable access and figured I could just unplug the old one from the cable modem and plug it into my new one. I cannot get to the internet. I have been told that I need to download the Roadrunner software to my new one so they can "recognize" the IP address. Is this necessary?
Now then....IF roommate gets her dinasaur PC fixed...can we have RR internet on both without paying for 2 accounts? My laptop has the Wireless card to use with a wireless router. Can this be done without getting billed double? Sorry for being so lengthy...but anyone who has any kind of info would be greatly appreciated.....TIA

 

[3mta3]

You need to go out and get a router (Linksys) that supports mac spoofing. In the setup of the router you can setup the router to use the existing mac address of the existing old pc. you can get the mac address by going into a dos promt and typing in "ipconfig /all" look for either a mac address or a physical address and you would want to set up the router with that. A basic 4 port router with mac spoofing from Linksys is about $60 and you can potentially run 240 some odd connections from it. All the instructions you need for the setup come with the router itself. I use one at my house and all the rooms (7) are connected with no added fees from my broadband service provider

 

[JadeMonkeyStang]

You'll want a router to shar the connection between the two machines. No, you won't be charged extra this way as Roadrunner charges you for each IP they give you. What the router does is assign its own IPs to each machine and then uses the one that Roadrunner gives you for itself. This way it looks to anyone on the outside like you just have one computer connected.

Using the roadrunner software is probably the quickest and easiest way to get connected. Just burn the files onto a cd, ask roadrunner for one, or you might even be able to get one from a local electronics reatailer. You can configure it manually a few different ways but using the software is probably the best for you. Let us know if you need anymore help.

-Jade

 

[QWIKTURBO]

Thanx guys!

Thats kinda what a friend was telling me. RR more or less assigns an IP address to that location or wherever the modem is located. He said a wireless router can connect by hardwire to the existing old PC and communicate wireless with my Laptop in my room. So....1 modem...1 address....1 bill! or at least it "looks" like there's only one PC connected to them on their end...correct? I have looked into the wireless and they arent really that expensive(80-90 bucks). That will pay for itself after a few months of internet connection without having to pay 30-40 a month for an extra service!
I actually have the original disc I downloaded to the old PC. Can i use this one "twice" and use for the new PC as well?

Thanx again guys.

 

[xrunner123]

You shouldn't need to install 'software'. What OS are you on?

 

[QWIKTURBO]

Operating system...

is Windows XP...Home Edition. Yeah...i just thought I could just unbox new one and hook up and go! I guess not...

 

[GHOUSE78]

as far as installing the RR software, you dont need to
I have RR and never bothered to install the software
Go into the internet protocal tcp/ip>properties and make sure you have ip and dns as an optain address automatically
plug into the modem via a cat5 network cable and that should work

 

[QWIKTURBO]

Cool.....

i am heading home in a few and i'll put some of these suggestions to the test.

Thanx.

 

[QWIKTURBO]

IT'S WORKING!!!!!

Well....it was a simple fix. It was a "plug & play" issue....but I didnt realize you had to power off the modem BEFORE you plugged in a PC! I guess you learn something new everyday!! This thing just flat hauls azz with the 2.4 p4 AND cable...it's damn near instant!! Thanx all who replied....now to get my T to run as fast as this laptop does!

 

[Bescurred]

The cheapest way, which is the way i went is two Lan cards and a crossover cable no hub or router needed if you only have 2 computers thats the cheapest/easiest way to go. I can help you with it if you want. Lawesmif@hotmail.com anytime

 

[QWIKTURBO]

I'll keep it in mind.....

I am going the Wireless router way. I have been told I can come out of cable modem....go into wireless router....go wireless to my laptop in the other room..and just hardwire the desktop since it's right there by the router anyways. I'll work on that when the desktop gets fixed/replaced with new one. Thanx for the offer!