[adilas]

G'day ALL !!
I'm a new switchover to FLOW u-Click service after years of TSTT DSL (including BLINK briefly). Previously I used my TSTT-issued Speedstream 5200 connected to a switch (standard white CNet 8-port model) to share my Internet among 3 house computers and also for simple home networking, Windows file & printer sharing, and iTunes Library sharing. The Speedstream router acted as DHCP server and an Internet Gateway Device, which it also supported.

Now with the new FLOW service, I have the Arris TM502G cable modem connected to the switch which assigns all PC's a public IP address. This is unlike the previous Speedstream router, which featured Concurrent NAT/NAPT & UPnP that I employed to keep my LAN protected and private with a single WAN address.

Under this new configuration, how do you setup Windows File & Printer Sharing between the PC's like before? Previously, my other WinXP & Mac OS X computers would automatically show up in My Network Places under the same workgroup, but not anymore. How can I get them to again seem to be on the same local subnet? Any ideas?

iTunes, however, on all the PC's continue to detect each-other's shared Libraries and streams music fine.

Also, since I've been using the Arris cable modem, I see the status lights on my CNet switch constantly blinking with activity as if something is always permanently active. The "Link" L.E.D. indicator on the cable modem also blinks non-stop, despite no internet activity. This continues to happen even after all PC are turned off. Is this the normal, expected behavior based on how cable modems work?? Anyone else with their Arris modems connected to switches/hubs experience this??

After some initial investigating, it seems the Arris is constantly refreshing the DHCP lease every 10 or so seconds for all PC's connected to the switch. Is this standard behavior?

Thanks in advance for any input,
Johann

[jaiume]

You need to buy a broadband router.


Cable ----- Aris Modem -----(WAN Port) Router (LAN Ports)-------Switch------PCs

Otherwise all your PCs are directly on the internet, and all the traffic on the cable (which is like a big LAN) comes straight into your LAN.

Also as each of your PCs has a different MAC address, FLOW's provisioning server may continually try to provision for different addresses.

in short, you shouldn't connect multiple PCs to you cable modem via a switch - you need a router

[deathwinger]

I heard people who use switches instead of routers have no soul.

[adilas]

Thanks jaiume for the detailed information about what I would need to get the PC's locally networked again.

Had assumed the Arris would feature some sort of router-like functionality (NAT, UPnP, Internet Gateway, hardware Firewall) as the Speedstream (& Paradyme too) and many other DSL modems support those.

I dont mind the PC's being directly connected to the internet. Windows is well protected and they run various Linux distros of late.

I've seen some routers and "residential gateway devices" from Linksys, etc that include multiple LAN ports (among plethora of features), which would incorporate and eliminate the function of the Switch. Or is their any advantage to still use the Switch?
By chance, what particular model broadband routers would you recommend I look at to fulfill these needs?

Thanks again,
Johann

[zolr0a]

Guys,

Please don't loose sight that a CMTS Cable Service is a huge "peer" to "peer" network. All PC's connected to a Cable Modem creates a local area network on the same node. Therefore ensure that File and Printer Sharing is turned off if you are not behind a firewall.

[srnoth]

You need to get a router... any brand will do really, although I prefer the Linksys WRT54g and the others similar to it that you can run custom Linux firmware on, and basically control everything yourself. But you don't really need all that functionality. As you said most routers also come with a 4-port switch built in, so if you only have 4 or less computers, you won't need your existing switch. But the switch can simply be plugged into one of the LAN ports on the router and then you can connect even more computers.

[adilas]

Thanks for all the info guys!!
Hope it was helpful to anyone else with a similar network setup like mine.

Was meaning to get a wireless router sooner or later since IT friends re-discovering where I live now that I have FLOW 6MB...
lol ;p

[unimatrix001]

when i did a setup for a friend who was too cheep to buy a router, i plugged the cable bridge (well u would call it a modem) directly to the switch and all the computers to the switch, noted the public IP for each computer, and under advanced settings for the network connection, gave each computer the public IP they were given, as well as a class C IP (192.168.x.x) and they communicate just fine. 2 months now they so, so i guess Flow gives static IP's