mini network

[pelachrum]

my networking skills are somewhere out there... lost in the woods, anyway...

I'm trying to do a setup as such:
-G5
-PC
-printer
-external hard drive
-DSL modem

i need both desktops to be connected (networked) or at least for both to have access to the external drive, they would also both share the printer and the DSL line

what type of hardware do I need to make this work and how would this whole thing look like??

 

[jsw]

Probably easiest would be:

DSL modem <--> router <-+-> Mac
                        |
                        +-> PC

with the external drive and printer hung off of either the Mac or the PC (the other can share it).

I recommend Linksys routers, but you'd probably be fine with any you'd buy. Shouldn't cost more than US$50 if you don't need wireless. And, since I suck at ASCII diagrams, both computers would plug into the router if it isn't obvious above. Some routers even support a (USB) printer connection as well.

Between each system above you'd need ethernet cables, which can be mildly pricey if you don't already have them.

 

[pelachrum]

to make sure...

suppose the drive attaches to the g5, it would have to be on for the PC to be able to access it right...?

I don't suppose there's a way of hooking up the drive to the router itself for an independent sharing ...without some funky server setup ?

 

[jsw]

to make sure...

suppose the drive attaches to the g5, it would have to be on for the PC to be able to access it right...?

I don't suppose there's a way of hooking up the drive to the router itself for an independent sharing ...without some funky server setup ?

True - the computer hosting the drive would need to be on. There are network drives, which would just plug into the router, but yours would need a computer to connect to at all times.

 

[balamw]

True - the computer hosting the drive would need to be on. There are network drives, which would just plug into the router, but yours would need a computer to connect to at all times.

There's also devices that will allow you to add an external drive to the ethernet network like the US$99 Linksys NSLU2, so you can turn both computers off...

Particularly useful if you run third party firmware on the NSLU2.

B

 

[jsw]

There's also devices that will allow you to add an external drive to the ethernet network like the US$99 Linksys NSLU2, so you can turn both computers off...

Particularly useful if you run third party firmware on the NSLU2.

B

Nice. Didn't know about that - thanks for the info.

 

[pelachrum]

by saying "turn both computers off" you mean they can access the drive independently?

ie. I use PC (with Mac off) access the drive, bla bla..
then I do the reverse (PC off, Mac on)
and then use both machines accessing that very same hard drive while both being online with it?

I read some things about how the drive needs to be formated under this device, would that affects my Mac/PC setup somehow?

is this toy one of a kind deal or can I look for similar options under the same category... what is that category though?