Edwin,

Yes, you do install both the Home Phoneline and the existing ethernet NIC's
in the main/server box.  Assuming you have Windows, plug & play should
recognize the new NIC and install drivers.  You will probably need to assist
with a CD from Diamond and your Windows installation CD.  It will probably
also set up TCP/IP for the new hardware automatically since you are already
using the internet from the existing NIC.  The question is in how the boxes
will receive an IP address.  Diamond likely has their own setup routines
which will define the local network.  However, if your Windows version
supports it, I'd recommend using Microsoft's ICS (Internet Connection
Sharing) instead.  I have not used the Diamond software, but instead started
our home network with Intel Anypoint.  The ICS direction has proved to be
much more stable, so I'm assuming it would be more stable than the Diamond
approach as well.

I think that ICS was first available with Win 98SE and it certainly is with
Win Me and Win XP.  So if your server has one of those, install ICS from the
Windows Install/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel.  You find it in
different places in the different OS versions, so if you don't find it right
away, use the help system to tell you where it is.  When you run it, it will
ask for your computer name and a name for the work group, where the default
works fine.  It will also provide a means to create a diskette to install on
your client boxes, in case they are older (Win 95, 98), which you would then
run after installing the new NIC's.  All of the questions that these wizards
ask are pretty self-explanatory - just indicate which box will connect to
the internet through which NIC and which will connect through another box on
the network.  Also identify whether you want to share files and printers.

If your OS does not support ICS, you should be able to install the Diamond
software from a setup utility on their installation CD.  Since there are not
that many settings, it should be fairly straightforward as well.

With respect to the cabling, you use standard RJ-11 phone cords to connect
the new NIC's to your phone jacks.  Plug one end into the wall and one into
the socket labelled LINE or WALL.  The other plug is an output to plug into
a modem or to run to a real phone.

Good luck,
Rand Blunck
Why Not Try Computing
Glendale, AZ


> Recently I became the proud owner of a Homefree Phoneline Networking
system made buy Diamond. It assured me that I would be able to network and,
share data and files with another machine in the next room using only their
nic cards and the existing phoneline. It also states that I would be able to
share the internet as well between the two(including modem,DSL,Cable etc.
etc.) The instructions for installation of the hardware are very vague when
using an existing DSL modem and an existing ethernet nic card already
installed on the main computer. Do I install their pci card on this computer
in addition to the existing ethernet card and, if so how would I hook it up?
I've tried contacting DiamondMM tech support with numerous e-mails but to no
avail. I'm currently using a Efficient Network 5260 dsl modem coupled to a
Ki
> ngston KNE111tx ethernet PCI card with RJ45 and RJ11 connectors. The
Diamond cards are only equipped with (2) RJ11 sockets( in & out). Does this
inquiry make any sense to anyone on the list that may or may not have had
the same experience or is there anyone that may be able to help? TIA.  Edwin
Bogert

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