I just got Cable high-speed internet from ComCast (www.comcast.com). I am renting a cable modem from comcast, so right now the hardware is linked like: Cable->Modem->My computer

My problem is this. I have a Cable/DSL router, and I want to setup a home network with static IPs. The guy who installed the cable said that the service from ComCast uses DHCP, so my address is always changing.

So how do I go to: Cable->Modem->Router(now IPs are static)->Computers?

Any help would be grateful. I mostly need some explaining on how Cable modems work and how to get from dynamic to static. Thanks in advance.

P.S. The biggest reson I am asking these silly questions is becase the guy who installed the cable also installed software on my computer. He said "it makes it all work", but I have problems with this:
(1): I mostly use Linux, and of course ComCast doesn't have software for that.
(2): The guy said that it is a "backdoor", and I belive him. It disturbes me to say the least.

So, please help me get this software OFF my computer, and help me setup my network so that I don't need any "backdoors", I can use linux, and I don't always have to lookup my address every time I need to use it. Thanks again!

The router is probably configured for a dynamic IP (DHCP) already. It is also probably setup as a DHCP server on the internal network. The router will be assigned a dynamic IP address from the comcast for its WAN side. A static IP address might be available but it cost extra. What you do on the internal LAN side is up to you. You can configure for static or dynamic IP addresses. These are called local or private IP addresses.

1. Power down the modem in case it remembers your PCs ethernet MAC.
2. With the power off of the router plug the cable modem cable into the WAN 3. connector of the router.
4. Plug the PCs into the router LAN side.
5. Power up the modem.
6. Power up the router.
7. Check the router's manual to determine its LAN IP address. Configure your PCs IP address for the same subnet etc.
8 You should be able to ping the router's IP address and access its configuration web pages.
9. Disable the internal DHCP server if desired.
10. Set the PC gateway to your router's IP address.
11. Since you desired to use static IP addresses you will not have any nameserver info. You can manually enter the info in the resolv.conf file for each PC or setup a DNS server. You can get the namesever info from the router or from the network settings on the PC connected directly to the modem as it is presently connected.

Now after I type this all in... does your modem have an ethernet connecter or is it just USB.

If you get a D-Link router, you can configure static IP's or DHCP on the router.

Ok! I'll try that out michaelk. Thanks for the response. In the mean time, is there any hope in me ever setting up my server again?

"P.S. The biggest reson I am asking these silly questions is becase the guy who installed the cable also installed software on my computer. He said "it makes it all work", but I have problems with this:
(1): I mostly use Linux, and of course ComCast doesn't have software for that.
(2): The guy said that it is a "backdoor", and I belive him. It disturbes me to say the least."


I guess you're talking about the software that the guy installed on Windows?
They have software to get you signed up (connects to their proxy and what not)
then they leave some kind of help center or something on there. It does
connect to the internet if you don't block it but I really don't know what it does.
I have comcast that I installed myself and I didn't install the thing. You should
be able to remove it with the "add/remove programs" thing. Once your signed
up you don't need anything from them.

There is always hope

Sure, you will need to configure the router to foward port 80 to the IP address of your server.

How will a DNS know what IP address to assign to my servers name? What if I want to connect to my server from the outside world? What happens when I am running a game server and my IP changes, then the "master server" wont see me any more!

Right?

There are free dynamic ip services like www.noip.com. A client program runs on your PC that updates the nameservers.

Most routers also have built in clients for many of the free dns providers. This way when your ip changes it will automatically update your dns for you.

As for a gaming server, you don't need to worry about that. The next time your server sends a heartbeat after the up change the masterserver will have the updated ip.

Ok! Thanks for all your help guys! I have the static network behind the router setup now. I am getting my server setup and it all works from the inside... Now for DNS...

I looked over "no-ip.com" and it looks like it will work fine. But it sounds to me like you pick the name of your website from their site. What if I already have a registered DNS and I want to use it on "no-ip.com" can I do that?

Be careful. I don't think Comcast allows servers in their TOS.

I already asked that and they said they don't care.

I found out that I can transfer my domain name "restorides" from godaddy.com to no-ip.com... The only problem is that no-ip.com is $20 a year and go-daddy.com is 7$. Is there any cheeper dynamic-ip place?

Thanks again.