Router or hub?

[Wayne Watson]

I have 5 phone lines and when someone is on the internet the credit card machine is tied up. Will a hub or router allow me to assign what phone lines the computers use and keep them off the credit card line? Thanks!

[glc]

What you need to do is put the credit card machine on its own separate line.

How many computers do you have, and are they presently networked?

[Wayne Watson]

I've got six computers...they are not networked...the phone system is an old one that just rolls over to a free line when someone picks up the phone or gets on the internet. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

[glc]

Best solution:

Network the 6 computers, and get cable or DSL for Internet access.

Next best solution:

Network the computers, and get a separate phone line dedicated to Internet access. You can use Internet Connection Sharing or something similar to share a single modem on one of the computers. Another option is a 3Com "Lan Modem" on the network - this will share very nicely without software.

Whatever you do, you should take all modem, credit card machine, and fax lines OFF the phone system and use dedicated lines.

[Wayne Watson]

I can network the computers with no problems but the phone company wants $453/year for dedicated line. Is there not some way of using the existing phone system but keeping things off the credit card machine? Someone here had suggested a router to handle the situation but I can't think of how it would be installed in such a manner. Cable or DSL???...man, we just barely have phone service in this neck of the woods!:-)

[glc]

See if you can reprogram the phone system to not roll over to lines 4 and 5 - and use one for the credit card machine and the other for the modem or modems. Maybe you could get those 2 lines broken out from the system?

You don't have to order a "dedicated" line - how much does the phone company want just to install a new regular phone line or lines that don't run through your system?