I have cable modem from Comcast. I am getting a second computer and called Comcast twice about getting a second IP address. The first guy said if I get a router, then I don't need to pay $4.95/month for an additional IP address. I called again and second guy said that I have to pay for an additional IP address, router or not. He said that Comcast does "internet audits" that will retroactively bill me for having the second computer on the internet through Comcast. Which guy is right ?
I use COMCAST and have been doing so for the past year. I also use a Belkin Router ( on sale at COMP-USA sometimes for as little as $29.95 after rebates ), although I only have one computer hooked-up to it and use it simply as a Hardware Firewall, which I recommend to everyone. I have never heard of the issue that you have raised. To my knowledge, I have not seen any additional billing on my statement.
Waggie: I am not trying to be a wise ass, he asked if COMCAST charges for a second computer and does he need a second IP address. You are only using one computer with a router and ONE IP address. What does your response have to do with his question? ebo
i've used comcast before and I had a router with 2 computers on it with no problems. You don't need a 2nd ip address.
I have Comcast cable internet, a linksys wireless-g router, and four computers all connected. You don't need any extra IP addresses. In fact, you may never even need to know the first IP address they assign you. If you get a router, you should set up the router for DHCP (and assign fixed internal network IPs to those computers which need to get out on non-standard internet ports, like your PC running TWS or related). You also have to set the router up to give back the NIC ID of the card you had the cable modem working on before. The other option, but not as nice because you need to leave the PC on which is connected to the cable modem, is to use the Windows OS-based internet connection sharing. I can't think of a reason why you would need a second IP address. When you decide what you're going to do, you can get more detailed setup help from me or other people here. Good luck.
With a router you would have 1 IP address on the WAN side and multiple "local" IP addresses on the LAN side. This is called NAT translation. Configure your router to act as a DHCP server to your LAN and it will assign a local IP to each connected computer when you boot it. Or, you can assign static IP addresses to each comp on the LAN side if that matters to you. "Firewall" routers have extra added advantages in terms of isolating your home network from the big bad interenet. It's well-worth the investment of a few hundred dollars for such a router. Linksys and Netgear are two popular manufacturers of these home cable/dsl routers.
"You are only using one computer with a router and ONE IP address. What does your response have to do with his question?" Quote from Ebo The fact of the matter is that if you knew anything about networking and routers, you would know that the routers MAC is used for the DHCP connectivity. Requests come from 1 MAC under 1 IP. THEY DO NOT SEE PAST THAT. Thus, it does not matter whether you have all 4 ports of a Belkin 4-port DSL/Cable Modem filled with connections to 4 computers, or if you have just 1 computer connected as I do. The bottomline: The COMCAST rep that told "duke-1702" to get a Router is correct.
Duke, The short answer is that Comcast cannot see past the router once you install it. You could be running 50 computers behind there and they would have a very hard time figuring it out.
Model # F5D5231 http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProd...=&Section_Id=201487&pcount=&Product_Id=136521 Offers both NAT ( Network Address Translation ) as well as SPI ( Specialized Packet Inspection ). A great example of a Hardware Firewall that is super cheap insurance against all of the hackers on the Internet. The Router basically HIDES your IP from intruders. No more annoying pop-up ads! $59.95 at COMP-USA without rebates. http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?sid=3FD3BF005262617F&product_code=306630&pfp=SEARCH