Cable "AND" DSL WAN/LAN network(s) setup

[iismcs]

I currently use a cable modem running off a router so my five computers can access the internet. I have the computers wired to an 8port hub that I also wire in the router.

I'm adding a second access, DSL, to the mix. I've gotten a second router.

Question: Can I connect both routers to the 8 port hub and have all computers have access to either the DSL or Cable modem?

Thanks for any assistance.

Andy G

[YeOldeStonecat]

You can....you can have two routers, hence two gateways, on a network. Set some computers to use one router, the other computers to use the other router. Basically, you have one router run 192.160.0.1, and computer use that for their gateway, and the DNS servers of that ISP. You'd set the other router for 192.168.0.2, and set those computers to use it for their gateway, and those ISP DNS servers. Or run the second router on a 192.168.1.1 setup if you use NetBEUI for local file sharing. As long as each router is on it's own IP address.

Here's a configuration guide on setting up fixed IP's on your workstations.

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=177

Better yet....get a router that supports two WAN ports, such as Nexlands Pro800 Turbo. One router, two broadband connections, be it two cable, two DSL, or one of each!



http://www.nexland.com/turbo.cfm

[iismcs]

I want to be able to have my computers access two different LAN's. One has the Cable modem for access to the Internet, the other LAN will use the DSL modem. Each router would have it's own IP and the computers IP's would be dynamic.
Is my thinking incorrect?

I don't want to use both at the same time but one or the other. I would like to compare the performance of each, Cable and DSL, seperatly.

What I've been doing so far is unpluging one router, then the other to control which modem is used.

The computers are plugged into a 8 port hub, and the routers are plugged into the same hub, with the Cable modem on one router and the DSL modem on the other router. I'm thinking I can control which is used by software. Like you would select which dial-up modem to use when you have more than one 56K modem. I previously had an internal 56K modem and an external. I was able to select which to dial out on. Can't I do the same thing with Cable and DSL?

Thanks for your responce and assistance
Andy G

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by iismcs
I want to be able to have my computers access two different LAN's. One has the Cable modem for access to the Internet, the other LAN will use the DSL modem. Each router would have it's own IP and the computers IP's would be dynamic.
Is my thinking incorrect?

I don't want to use both at the same time but one or the other. I would like to compare the performance of each, Cable and DSL, seperatly.

What I've been doing so far is unpluging one router, then the other to control which modem is used.

The computers are plugged into a 8 port hub, and the routers are plugged into the same hub, with the Cable modem on one router and the DSL modem on the other router. I'm thinking I can control which is used by software. Like you would select which dial-up modem to use when you have more than one 56K modem. I previously had an internal 56K modem and an external. I was able to select which to dial out on. Can't I do the same thing with Cable and DSL?

Thanks for your responce and assistance
Andy G

Yeah you can do what you want above, depends on how complicated you want to make it.

To compare performance, you can do as you are now...manually switching the cable/DSL on each network.

Or, on the Nexland router, you can easily turn off each WAN link in the control panel.

Or, on a variation of what you're doing now, leave one router as .1 with cable, and have your other router as .2 with DSL. Win2K and XP, you can change on the fly gateway and DNS.

Or as a variation on the above, use a network profile software package such as Netswitcher

[iismcs]

Thanks much for the help.
I think the .1 .2 config will be the best for what I want to do.

BTW, FYI the results I have found so far, using Time Warner RoadRunner for cable and Verizon DSL, The cable is 60% faster than the DSL.
The stated speeds from the vendors is 2mb/384kbps for the cable and 768/128 for the DSL. These are the "Basic" plans. So my tests results fall in line with these.

The costs for cable is 44.95/mo and DSL is 34.95/mo, so it appears that you get more for your money with the cable.

Now I have an extra router to figure out what to do with. Oh well, its always good to have a backup.

Thanks again
Andy G

[cyberskye]

BTW, FYI the results I have found so far, using Time Warner RoadRunner for cable and Verizon DSL, The cable is 60% faster than the DSL

Are you mesauring responsiveness as well or just raw donwload speed? I would never purchase DSL from the phone company if I had the choice. I get 15-30 pings from speakeasy. It was up over 100 with comcast after the @home disaster. Downloads were faster, but downstream speed is not the primary performance factor that I really consider.

Skye