home network and Wildblue satelite internet question(s)

Hello all again.

Still researching and learning nets, but came across something ineresting yesterday.

My plan is to network my home machines using the ShieldsUp concept of isolation via differing protocals (see http://www.grc.com/su-bondage.htm). Only the e-machine would use TCPIP, and the others would use something else. Probubly NetBEUI since its actually a series of standalone PCs and software. Been on hold since $ is tight, yea even as low cost as lan cards and routers/switches are now. Still need some more hardware yet. Maybe later this month. I'm sure some of you can relate in today's economic times.

But several months ago we signed up for interest in a satelite two way (no phone lines at all) internet service called Wildblue that is being marketed through our local power company. Broadband at three levels depending on the cost. the lowest is 512 Kb/s dnld with 256 Kb/s upld, midlevel is 1000 Kb/s dnld - 512 upld, and the highest is 1500 Kb/s dnld - 512 upld. They talk in kilobits, not kilobytes though its supposed to be on par with DSL and other broadband providers. says "up to" (what ever that really means) 30 times standard dial up. But out here its a slow dial up ISP or satelite. No other options. The limiter is old ma bell systems. But we should consider ourselves lucky to have grid and county water. County water didn't happen until the late 70s and the first power was in the mid 40s. Not sure when phone service happened.. late 60s I think.

Anyway. Turns out the wildblue "modem" (as they call it) is designed for ethernet and assigns itself an IP on powerup/boot. It uses the same RJ45 and lancards. Says it functions as a "Bridge ", which I'm too ignorant yet to really know what that means. BUT I want my main network totally isolated from the internet, and was going to do so as I mentioned above using diferent protocals (TCPIP for the e-machine) and NetBEUI for the file and printer sharing amoungst all of them. Oh, still using 98SE and not likely to change for some time.

From the sounds of it, seems I'd need two "lans" so to speak. The e-machine would need two lan cards, one using the TCPIP protocal to connect to the internet "modem" that talks to the dish... with the other connected to my home network using the NetBEUI or IPX/SPX. That way the internet world can ONLY see the e-machine.... RIGHT????

Have any of you used Wildblue yet, or other similar ethernet coms for internet and have it incorporated yet isolated from the rest of the home/office network?

Seems dangerous to have the internet come straight into you own network regardless of how hard you maintain your firewall.

Someone please enlighten me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Dave
Hillsboro, OH

 

Maybe wrong.

What you need is a Router.

From each machine NIC to the Router. Then Router to Modem.

The router will not only keep your machines separate from the Wide Area Network where us outsiders can not see you. But it also connects each machine to the LAN. The router assigns address to each NIC. But there settings must be set " Auto optain address"

And it winds up that both the machines and the Intenet use TCP/IP.

Wait for someone to confrim this but I understand that between the Modem and the Router needs a Crossover cable. Router to machines uses Cat5 cable. I was not aware of this till just a short time ago. Even though I have had a Router for a couple of year.

BillyBob