The original poster sounds like he is using a cable-modem router to "fool"
his cable provider.  It is much like the proxy server you mention, but does
work a bit differently.  With a router you don't need any computer to be
"server", the router acts like one for you.

If this is what you are using, you might have to check the IP addresses you
have set up for each computer if you are using internal static
addresses.  If you are using the Linksys DHCP server, check to make sure
you have enough users set up on the status page and that you actually have
the DHCP enabled.

It sounds like the one of the above settings is causing your problem.  Why
it changed from the way it was previously set up is another question entirely.

  At 10:48 AM 8/9/01 +0100, you wrote:
>I don't know where in the world you are but over in the UK with
>Blueyonder (Cable Modem Provider) they allow a maximum of 5 computer to
>be connected to the cable modem through a router, they do this by only
>allowing certain MAC addresses, by default only the orginal PC's MAC
>address is set up, we would have to talk to blueyonder to get them to
>Register the other MAC addresses to enable the other computers to work,
>of cause there is a work around, you could set up a proxy server, so
>that the cable modem only thinks there is one computer connected to it,
>and the other computer connects to the internet via the other PC
>
>Si Anderson
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>[log in to unmask]
>Sent: 08 August 2001 12:04
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Lan Connection Problems
>
>On 6 Aug 2001, at 20:45, William Shouse wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >I have a problem with my Cable Internet connection. I
> >have a LAN setup around a 5 port linksys switch. I am
> >only running 2 systems and recently I am unable to
> >have both connected at the same time. They both had
> >been working great for the last 9 months. I made no
> >changes to protocols or hardware.
> >I can have either one connected or able to connect
>but
> >
> >I have to reset the one I want to connect by turning
> >my cable modem off and resetting the IP address. At
> >that time I can go and restart which ever computer I
> >want to connect but then I can't connect on the
>other.
> >It is like one takes over the others place.
> >I thought maybe the switch was bad but I got a new
>one
> >
> >and hooked it up with the same result.
> >Could the cable company have a way to limit my
> >connections? I can't think of anything on my end that
> >could have changed.
> >Any help is appreciated.
> >Thanks
> >William Shouse
>
>   I've heard of a similar problem before, where although the user had
>ordered multiple-address service from their cable provider, the
>provider had configured their access to allow only a single machine
>at any time.
>   It sounds like your provider may have, for some reason, reset your
>service in thsi fashion.
>
>David Gillett
>
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