You use a cable modem, right? And your Internet Service provider doled out that IP address to you, right? They may have assigned you a fixed IP address which you hand-entered into the configuration screen, or the IP address might be a dynamic one that was automatically assigned from a DHCP pool-- the "pool" representing all the computers in your neighborhood.

As far as I can tell it's DHCP assigned.I was not given an Ip address and I think the modem gets it a DHCP server back at base. If I tell my empeg to get it's network configuration from a DHCP machine emplode cannot find it.

Here's the situation: The Empeg is like another computer on the local sub-network. And in the case of cable modems, the "local sub-network" is your neighborhood. So if you take it upon yourself to hand-assign the IP address to the Empeg, you're essentially preventing someone else on your sub-network from getting that IP address. And the minute you unplug the Empeg, then the address becomes "free" again, so someone else might use it. Then the next time you plug in your empeg it won't work and you'll have to go chasing for another IP address.

Excuse me for being dumb here but surely the person using the same IP as I have given the empeg will have no idea that I have used or nor will the cable service provider as it does not connect to the internet? I may of course be wrong.

Another option would be to set up one of those SOHO router products. These are basically a little router, NAT Gateway, firewall, and hub, all built into one little box. They allow multiple computers to share a single internet connection (like your single-ip-address connection), essentially doing in a piece of self-contained hardware what the ICS software would be doing. The advantage is that you don't have to mess up your PC's configuration to do it. And if you're not already using a firewall product with your "always-on" cable modem, you should be, so this could be the best option for you. There are many of these on the market made by dozens of different companies, check them out.

I have see mention of these in my providers cable newsgroups but it is a bit out of my price range at the moment. I do have a firewall running just to be on the safe side though. I have also ordered a second ethernet card but this appears to be stuck in a postal strike at the moment. when this turns up I will plug the modem into one and the hub & empeg into another. This will then sort all of this out.
At the time I wanted to see if it would all work through my hub as I wanted to upload some stuff to the empeg. Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Your help has been brilliant.



ChrisTall
That really is my name!