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Getting Your Stuff
1) WHAT YOU WILL NEED

The BASICS are -- a cable from your TV outlet and a MODEM.  Go to the Comcast office and they will sign you up and give you a MODEM and a Self-Install Kit.  The latter has coax cable and a splitter.  If you are squimish about anything electronic, they will install this for you.

NO WAY was I going the basic route.  Our home has three computers: two Dell Towers and a Laptop.  Plus I repair computers and need a connection to my newtork for it.  I chose to hard-wire the Towers and put a wireless network interface card (WNIC) in the laptop. This way I can move the laptop around without dragging wires.

I needed a Wireless Router in addition to the Comcast stuff.  I selected the LinkSys 802.11g Wireless Router with 4 hard-wire ports (WRT54G) because it costs less than $50, provides a firewall, and is widely recommended by the experts.

NOTE: If you are leaving your network connected to the Internet, a firewall is IMPERATIVE.

I bought the router at my local appliance store - Best Buy. (Boy, how times have changed!)
Hooking It Up
2) MARRYING COMPUTER TO TV

I didn't use the splitter that came from Comcast.  I already have splitters upon splitters and decided to be safe, spend a couple of bucks, and get a three-way splitter.  I bought this at Lowes Home Improve-ment store.

I connected one line to our upstairs TV (on the -8db port), I ran a second line to our Home Theater (on the -8db port), and I ran the cable in the self-install kit from the third port (-4db) to the MODEM.  I put it near one of the Towers. 

Lastly, I ran the CAT-5 cable that came with the MODEM from the MODEM to the NIC on the tower.  I was ready to go.  I put the INSTALL CD-ROM in the computer and followed the instructions PRECISELY.

IT DID NOT WORK!!!

I got on the phone to 1-800-COMCAST.  After pressing a half-dozen buttons on their automated system I hear "we have outages in Hendersonville, Madison, etc."  Surely, that was my problem.  After a couple of hours and after I verified Hendersonville has service, I tried again.

IT DID NOT WORK!!!


3) WHAT COMCAST DOESN'T TELL

After waiting in a telephone queue for 15 minutes, I got to talk to a tech.  I gave him my phone number and he gave me an ID and a Password. He then checked the strength of my signal (which he said was unusually strong).  But the connection would not work.

We tried the CD again and it still failed.  It was now doing strange things that the tech said he had never seen.  Finally, after nearly thirty minutes with nothing working, I told him I assigned an IP address to my computer, rather than letting Comcast assign it.  That approach works fine behind a router but does not work with the MODEM connected directly to the computer.  I switched the setting to allow ISP assignment and I WAS ON-LINE.
4) WHY a ROUTER?

A router is extremely important. First, it provides an access point for my wireless laptop connection; second, it allows several computers to share concurrently the same Internet connection; and third it protects you with a Firewall.

Although the router broadcasts a signal, to which any wireless computer could potentially connect, they can't because the router allows me to encrypt the transmissions.

The firewall hides the computers on my network from the internet, making it nearly impossible for someone to "hack" into it.  I can stay conneted without worrying.
Making the Connection
5) COMPUTER BASICS

You can connect your computer to the MODEM either by Network Interface Card (NIC) or by Universal Serial Bus (USB).  The $50 Motorola SURFboard Cable MODEM (Model SB5120) that I received from Comcast has a cable for either connection.  I chose the NIC because I wanted to connect Comcast Internet to my home network through a router and not just to a single computer.

As I mentioned before, in the initial setup where the MODEM connects directly to your HOST computer, you must have your TCP/IP protocol set to receive a IP address from Comcast, which must download that address in order to communicate with your computer.  In the router setup, Comcast downloads the IP address into the router, which in turn acts as the gateway to your home network.  In this case you can give your computers fixed IP addresses or let the router assign them automatically through a DHCP Server (more about DHCP later.)

You get to the TCP/IP protocol settings by going to your network setup (unfortunately the path is different for Win 98, ME, 2K, and XP so I am not going to try to detail it for each of these platforms).  Highlight the TCP/IP binding to your NIC that appear in the little window and click the Properties button.  For a direct to MODEM connection you must have "Obtain IP Address Automatically" and "Obtain DNS Address Automatically" selected.  I will describe the router configuration later.

Before adding the complexity of a router, get the direct to computer connection working.  However, before connecting the Cable MODEM to the computer CONFIRM your dial-up connection works.  This way if the Cable MODEM fails to connect, you will know it is the cable MODEM at fault and not your Browser or computer.

When you connect the MODEM to the computer (and turn-on the MODEM), the power light turns green.  Then one by one each of the following lights turn green: Receive, Send, and On-line.  The PC Activity remains orange.  Insert the CD-ROM (from the self-install kit) into your computer.  It tests your connection.  If anything fails, call Comcast at 1-800-COMCAST.

The next step is to test your Internet Connection from your HOST computer.  Right click the Browser icon, then left click the Properties menu item.  Go to the CONNECTION TAB and set the connection to "Never Dial a connection."  Close everthing and double click the Browser Icon.  Your Home Page should appear after a few seconds.  If it doesn't, you don't have a connection.  Time to call Comcast.

The Comcast Internet line could be down.  When you call and enter your phone number, the call center automatically reports any outages in your area.  If your area has no problems, stay on the line for the next customer service rep.
6) ROUTER BASICS

The router uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to enable more than one computer to communicate over the same internet connection.  Comcast gives you one (1) IP address but your router with a bit of magic known as port multiplexing allows as many as 254 IP addresses.  These IP addresses are unique to your local area network (LAN) and can not be seen by the Internet.  It may be possible for criminals to "hack" into your router using the IP address that Comcast gives you, but they can't go any further.  Be sure to change the default password of your router from the default of admin.

Using a protocol known as Dynamic Host Connection Protocol (DHCP), your router can also automatically assign each computer on your network its own IP address along with a subnet mask ( required by TCP/IP.)  In general your LAN uses IP addresses 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.254 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0.  The default setting for the router is for it to act as a DHCP server.  Use this default, unless you must give different computers on your network special connection privileges, which is seldom the case on a home network.

Wireless routers (such as my LinkSys) have one additional security feature -- they provide encrypted communications.  Without it anybody within a reasonable distance of your router can connect to your LAN and download data from any shared drive. BUT, you must set it up, the default is no encryption.

To access your router's setting, launch your Browser  and select OPEN under the Files button.  Type in the following IP Address "192.168.1.1" (no quotation marks).  Enter no ID and click down to the Password. Enter the default admin (the setup program give you the opportunity to change that PW. DO IT!) and press the enter key.  From here you can access all the features of your router.

The initial setup of the router on your LAN is easy. Insert into your computer the CD-ROM that comes with it and follow the SIMPLE instructions.

1) With the router disconnected from power, connect it to the MODEM using the CAT-5 special cross-over cable that comes with the MODEM. Be sure to put that cable into the Internet Port and NOT into any one of the four network ports.

2) Connect the router power cord.  At this time the router automatically downloads setup information from the MODEM.

3) Connect the router to a computer on your network by placing one end of the blue CAT-5 cable that comes with the router into one of its four network ports and the other end into the NIC in your computer.

Click your browser.  You are on-line.  That is all there is to it.
Setting up your LAN
7) NETWORK BASICS

The procedure for setting up your network is the same for all flavors of Windows, but the screens differ.  I am going to describe how to setup a Windows XP system (Home Version) that uses Classical Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI). (This setup should be done with Administrator User Privileges.)

The first assumption I am going to make is you chose to let the router be your DHCP server, which means you don't have to worry about entering IP addresses and subnet masks into any of your computers.  Just plug that computer into any of the four ports and it is ON-LINE.  I'll talk about that wireless connection to the laptop later.

In order for your computer to talk to each other, they have to be in the same WORKGROUP. 

1) Click START, Settings, Control Panel, and select System.

2) Select the TAB Computer Name and click on the Change button along side To rename this computer or join a Workgroup.

3) Enter the same WORKGROUP Name for ALL the computers on your LAN.

Save everything and you will have to reboot the computer.

Next VERIFY you have a functional LAN. 

1) On your desktop click My Network Places icon and select Entire Network.  Select Microsoft Windows Network.

2) On the next screen you should see three little computers and the name of your WORKGROUP.  You have got a LAN.

3) Click on your WORKGROUP and you will see the computers on that WORKGROUP with available shared resources.  IMPORTANT: If you have not setup your computers to Share Files or Printers or your wireless machines are not logged on, you will not see an icon for them.

To Share Files or Printers of on an XP computer follow the next procedures:

1) Click on START, Settings, Network Connections, Local Area Network, and then Properties.

2) In the window This connection uses the following items you should see File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.  Make sure it is checked.  If you don't see it, you will have to INSTALL it.

The last task is to setup the directories and printers that you want to share. For directories do the following:

1) Click on My Computers on your Desktop and then your C-drive.  You can share any of these directories or you can click on one and share a sub-directory.  When you find anything you want to share, RIGHT click on it and select Sharing and Security.

2) Under the Sharing TAB look in the window Network Sharing and Network Security. Click the box Share this folder on the network.

3) The program asks you to assing a Share Name.  Enter whatever you want.  That is the name users will see when they click on this computer in the WORK GROUP.

Sharing a printer is just as easy.

1) Click on START, Settings, Printers and Faxes.

2) From this window RIGHT click on the printer that you want to share and select Sharing.

3) Click on Share this printer and give it a Share Name.

Your network is now setup.

8) CONFIGURING THE ROUTER

The router provides all kinds of fancy features, most of which are well beyond the scope of the typical home network.  However, one feature you should use is encryption of your wireless connection.  Otherwise anyone within reach of your signal can intrude on your network and access your shared directories.

Your router provides several different kinds of encryption techniques.  However, you must use the same encryption method on your wireless NIC and it often has more limited options.  For our network we chose 64-bit WEP.  We aren't worried about heavy security.  We just want to keep the neighbors off our network. (Not a joke!  When my son fires up his wireless, he can see LANs for several of his neighbors.)

From any hard-wired computer on your LAN, launch your browser.  Click on file button, select OPEN, and enter 192.168.1.1 and log-in to your router.

First click on Wireless in menu items across the top of the screen and get your SSID. You had the option of changing this ID when you setup the router.  The default is LinkSys.  I changed it.  You will need this SSID to setup your wireless connections.

Click on Wireless Security in menu items across the top of the screen.

1) Select WEP as the Security Mode.

2) Leave the Default transmit key set to "1".

3) Enter your WEP encryption mode - we used 64 bits 10 Hex digits.

4) Enter your Pass Phrase.  Write this down because you must enter the same Pass Phrase on any wireless connection you permit onto your LAN.

Exit by closing your browser.  Your router is setup.  Now you must setup your wireless connections to it.  The following instructions are for the LinkSys Wireless-G Notebook Adapter (Model WPC54G), which also costs about $50 at Best Buy.

1) Put the CD-ROM that came with the wireless NIC in your computer and install the driver software.  Be sure to have a copy of your Windows software because you may need it to complete your installation.

2) Shut-down the computer and insert your wireless NIC.  Boot-up. The computer will recognize the NIC and setup your driver software.

3)  In your program list you will find Wireless-G Notebook Adapter/Utility.  Select it.

4) Select the TAB Profiles.  If you have a good signal you will see the SSID of your home network (and maybe a few of your neighbors). 

5) Highlight the SSID of your LAN and click on Edit button along the bottom of the screen.

6) It shows your SSID.  Click on next. Select WEP as encryption mode. Click next.

7) Enter the Security Settings  of your LAN.  I used WEP = 64 Bits, Authentication = OPEN, Passphrase = same as above for LAN, Transmit Key = 1.

8) Save settings and go back to Link Information TAB. You should see a motion picture showing your signal leaving your laptop, going to the router, and then to Internet.

You now at ON-Line with your wireless.

You can set up the shares on the laptop in the same manner as described to the left for the hard-wired portion of your LAN.