router?

my mate said that instead of getting another internet connection i should just get a router....

but im dumb

so can someone please explain to me how a router works and wot it does?

 

Your friend is correct.
A router allows one internet connection to be shared by several computers by creating a mini-network on the private side of the router. Depending on the manufacturer, it can do several different things but the most important for you to know is NAT or Network Address Translation. This is where the router takes the IP address from your ISP and changes it to different IP addresses for the computers behind the router.
For example, my Linksys router gives itself the private address 192.168.1.1 and the computers behind it get addresses of 192.168.1.100 and up. The router keeps that information in a table and when a particular computer connects to the internet it directs the flow of information to the correct computer. The router acts as the gateway or access point for your private network.
Here's a couple of definitions also.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci212924,00.html

A different way to share the connection would be to get a 2nd network card for your first computer and wire the other computer to it and use the ICS or Internet Connection Sharing service of Windows. The first computer would need to be on to allow the second computer to connect to the internet. It acts as the gateway in this case.
I prefer the router solution because most routers are also firewalls that give you an added layer of security. (Can never have too much security!)

A good resource for information is this site - http://www.ezlan.net/

Hope that helps you out.

 

thanks, that does help.


can you recommend me a router to get?, one that isnt to much money

 

I like the Linksys models, but that's what I'm most familiar with.
Mine is a WRT54G, about 2 years old and it does have wired and wireless capability.
If I recall, it was $70 when I bought it new.
I think you are probably going to spend $40 or $50 mininum for a decent one.
Check out Linksys, D-Link, Belkin and Netgear. I'm sure there are other manufacturers also.

 

ok, by the way is there lots of wires connecting the two pcs and the router to the 1 internet source?

 

In a wired setting......there will be 1 ethernet cable to the router from each machine, there will be one ethernet connection from the cable/dsl modem to the router and there will be a power connection to the router. For every machine you connect up wirelessly (is that a word), you can eliminate its ethernet cable.

 

ok thanks, do u get the wires with the router, or do u have 2 by them seperately?

 

One 3 ft. cat5 ethernet cable comes with the router. The rest you have to purchase. You want CAT5 or CAT5e unshielded ethernet cable.