[Nobody]

Ok im a little confused, i will be trying to set up 2 macs to share a dsl connection at the same time. but i see on some sites that there's routers and gateways. is there a difference? ok this is goin to sound dumb but, doesnt a router let 2 computers share a single dsl connection at the same time? or does it share the same connection one at a time? ( i hear you laughing) i guess what i'm trying to find out is what's the difference between a gateway and a router is? besides the price, or is there any? any help would be appreciated, thanks

[Tuki]

A router can let more than one machine share an internet connection. Here are some good explinations for you:
Routers
Gateway
If you have a router, you would set it up to act as a gateway to get your computers to share an internet connection. You would then adjust you TCP/IP definitions to reflect the routers address as the gateway. I hope this helps.

[Nobody]

Thanks tuki for the info, now just have to figure out which router would be best for 2 macs? linksys, d-link, or asante? im sure there is others but i see these 3 the most. anyway thanks again /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[AVGuy]

It depends what you want to do... Linksys makes good equipment but they won't pass on AppleTalk Packets so you can't network easily. Asante is a safe bet, they have reliable equipment that is appletalk compatible, but I don't think you can get it as cheap as Linksys hardware. I don't know much about DLink. Has anyone else had experience?
-AVGuy

[Tuki]

I just checked the Linksys site. Here are the only restrictions that Linksys has with Appletalk. In short, Appletalk is not passed over one wireless router that they sell, and all Apple computers that have AirPort cards in them can communicate via TCP/IP.
I have a Linksys 8 port router and it works great.

[Iamanamma]

We've got a little 4 port D-link router at home with two Macs and a Linux box hooked up. It works like a charm. DLink themselves are getting much more Mac friendly. I just bought a DLink NIC for one of our G3s at the office, and not only was it a lot cheaper than MacSense and Asante, it came with the required Mac driver on a cross platform CD. I plugged it in, installed the driver, and now we have 10/100baseT on that old beige G3! Their web site was easy to navigate, too. I checked out the card before I bought, found and downloaded the driver, and ended up not needing it.

[braindoc]

take a look at what you wish to do. Do you need to share a printer? if so what kind of printer is it? Do you need wireless capabilities, also need to decide 802.1.1b=11Mbps or 802.1.1g=54Mbps.
e.g. I use SMC wireless/wired routers, 7004AWBR, they have 3ethernet ports, a parallel print server, and a serial port to hook up an external modem for back up in case my DSL goes down. Typically I have the router hooked up to an additional Ethernet 8-16 port switch. I use the parallel port to hook up to Laserprinter that don't have network capability built-in. This particular router also pass Appletalk packet. My networks consist of mixed OS's, Windows & Mac.
The issue of Appletalk packet is easily solved by adding the inexpensive ethernet switch ($30)/hub ($20). i.e. Cable/DSL modem (WAN) --->router ---> switch --->computers. I use to have a Linksys router and based on the above method I never had any problems with filesharing.
Lastly, if you need to share a USB printer then your best bet is the new Airport Extreme base station. Although this is the most elegant solution it is also the most expensive of the routers on the market nowadays.

[Nobody]

no it wouldnt be wireless, all i want to do is hook up 2 macs to share a dsl connection, and maybe in the future get a printer? i see the asante offers what you were saying about the modem port and the printer share capabilities if i ever need to use them. my prolem is just dont know which to get? right now im leaning towards the asante? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[SueG]

Asante has always been the Mac solution; I like them for that (also the info on the web site is very straightforward and non technical). The other ones are in your consumer electronic stores and will work, too: Linksys at Radio Shack, D-link at Best Buy, etc. They do more volume and you are more likely to find specials/deals. If having a local outlet is important to you, go see if any of them have Mac support available.

[braindoc]

you can't go too far wrong with Asante. They are one of the best companies that develops for the Mac. Their Mac roots run deep.

[Nobody]

Thanks braindoc aand sueG and all for your imput,i think im goin to go with the asante, might cost a little more but ive always lived by you get what you pay for and 9 out of 10 times its rite. Thanks again all /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif