Emergency Tech question:

I'm far from civilization, my only contact with the world is a Salelite Internetnet hookup. (I only use it for internet)
I am trying to build a home network...here's the situation:

Unless the main computer is on, no one else in the house gets internet access!
The signal goes: 1) Satelite dish 2) Salelite Modem 3) the main computer 4) Hub 5) To the other computers.

You might think: "No problem Brainshrub, get a Gateway hub and connect it to the Salelite Modem."
I bought a gateway hub...but as soon as I looked at the Satelite Modem I saw a problem...the mother-fuckers from Direc Satelite DO NOT have a network plug on the back of the Satelite modem...the way the signal currently gets to the main computer is via a USB plug.

Here's the question: If I buy a USB to Network plug, and connect the satelite modem directly to the Gateway hub, WILL THAT WORK? (Example: 1. Satelite dish 2. Satelite modem that sends the signal via a USB to Network plug 3. gateway hub 4. All the computers in my house.

WILL THIS SET UP WORK???

It's a 2 hour drive to town & I don't want to make the trip unless I have to. Does anyone have an answer???

usually works. :)

Hawkeye-X

If the internet comes through a USB cable the only thing you can do is use the PC it plugs into as a gateway. I don't think there is such a thing as a USB to ethernet converter.

Some services offer the choice of USB or ethernet. You could check with your provider and see if you can get a different interface.

I only shut my down if I need to reboot for an update or somesuch.

Otherwise it is on 24/7.

Just make sure you have a firewall and up-to-date AV.

Mojo

Electricity is generated via solar cells, so the computer can't be on all the time.
At the current time, if someone wants to use the downstairs computer, the upstairs computer must also be on. This is a waste of electricity.
Another reason this is inconvienant is that there two old, sick people who literaly can't come up the stairs to turn on the machines if they are alone.

if you have a spare network card for the main computer, you can convert it to a LAN and leave the satellite USB for WAN use.. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't...

Check it out.

Hawkeye-X

Hello out there in the wilderness.

If I understand your situation, your current configuration has a Satellite modem connected via USB cable to a USB port on your "Main" computer which is connected via standard ethernet cable to a Hub, which is in turn connected to the remaining computers.

You wish to remove the dependency for the "Main" computer to be on before any other computer can get internet access.

Your proposed solution is to buy a "USB to Network plug" and connect the USB end to the Satellite modem and the other end directly to the ethernet Hub.

Will this work. My short answer is "I doubt it."

I recently managed to get an old iMac with a dead ethernet port connected to the internet via a USB attached wireless internet adapter, after failing to find a USB to wired ethernet connector with a driver for the Mac. I suspect your problem will be that your hub will be expecting normal Ethernet signaling on the line from the Satellite modem and the modem will be expecting USB signals.

My suggestion is that you try a google search of usenet with the names of your brand of Hub and Satellite modem and see if someone has already solved this problem.

I tried a generic search and found this thread, which appears to be on point and agrees with my assessment. Do a Google Groups search on - satellite Prest modem router connection - and you will get a single thread with 7 entries, which you may want to read (although it is not the answer you were hoping for.)

Sorry I couldn't be more encouraging.

Schmendrick

USB to Ethernet Converter

I'd recommend that you use a firewall instead of a hub, check
linksys to see if they have a firewall adaptor that will take USB as an input

Send your modem signal to the hub using a USB cable, and plug all the PCs into also via USB. Might work. There are a few to peruse at www.pcconnection.com such as this one: http://shop.pcconnection.com/web/Shopping/Product.htm?catalog%5Fname=PCCGeneral&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=244412&variant%5Fid=&SearchLogID=%7BF3D893E5%2D5F31%2D41F8%2D848B%2D3A2DB6F2930E%7D

http://shop.pcconnection.com/web/Shopping/Product.htm?catalog%5Fname=PCCGeneral&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=198794&variant%5Fid=&SearchLogID=%7B2443B138%2DDFF7%2D4ECA%2D893D%2D4C8BC30FA65D%7D

For $100. USB modems, cables, and hub all in one. Will uplink too!

I am writing this from a kiosk in a Circuit City here in Asheville, NC.

I asked the salespeople, but they fired all the competant people here about 9 months ago to save money...so I stuck with talking to slack-jawed teens who have no idea about networking.

There is a Kiosk here to demonstrate high-speed internet access. I logged onto DU and found your links to exactly what I need & where I can find it.

Thank-you from the bottom of my heart.

If anyone else has suggestions, please post.