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How to share your 3G Broadband connection
to more than one device.
Creating a LAN
First up, you will need to create a Local Area Network, or LAN,
which is simply a name for bunch of computers and other devices
such as game consoles, WiFi phones, media players and/or printers
all linked together either by cables or wirelessly to share resources
including an Internet connection.
Here's an example of a LAN sharing a 3G Internet connection:
In the centre of the LAN is a Router. The 3G modem (USB in this
case) plugs into the Router and the Router then shares the 3G Internet
connection with other devices on the LAN.
Note: The Router in this case has a built-in Wireless Access
Point so we can connect devices to it either wirelessly or with
cables. Not all Routers have wireless capability.
Other Router Features
Besides having the ability to share an Internet connection and
protect devices on the LAN from Internet hackers, a Router might
have other features and capabilities such as a Wireless Access Point
so other devices on your LAN can connect wirelessly, an ATA (Analogue
Telephone Adapter) for VoIP so you can make and receive VoIP calls*
over your 3G Internet connection, and VPN endpoints for remote connections
into other LANs such as your office when working from home.
* Note about VoIP capability. The table below
mentions if a router has a built-in ATA
or not. You can of course purchase
a separate ATA later such as the Linksys SPA3102, and WiFi or
IP phones do not need an ATA. If you plan on adding either of these
options later, one feature I do advise you look for is QoS
(quality of service). QoS ensures the VoIP data gets priority so
other downloads that might be occurring at the same time don't interfere
with the call quality.
For more about Routers click here for my
Router FAQ.
For more about wireless networking click
here for my Wireless FAQ.
For more about VoIP click here for my VoIP FAQ.
Most routers that support 3G modems also accept other types of
broadband modems such as Cable modems, or might even have a built-in
ADSL modem. These capabilities won't be relevant to you if you're
only ever going to have a 3G modem in the forseeable future but
if you think you might want access to Cable or ADSL one day then
one type of Router might be a better choice for you if there is
more than one type of Router for you to choose from.
USB or PCMCIA?
Another important consideration is the type of 3G modem
you have. There are two basic types:
Some Routers such as the D-Link
DIR-451 can* accept both types but most will only
support one so read the manufacturer's spec sheets carefully
or check my table below first.
* Check manufacturer spec sheet for model compatibility.
The Draytek routers in the table below support
USB modems. Originally the USB port on Draytek routers started out
as print servers and most will still
be labled "printer" on the back but don't be thrown off
by that. That's still where the modem goes.
Incidentally, it can still be used as a print server if you don't
need it for a 3G modem.
3G Router Table
The table below summarises the main features most people look for
such as:
what type of 3G modem (USB or PCMCIA) it supports
the manufacturer's compatibility list to check that your modem
will work with it
whether it can support an external ethernet modem such as a Cable
modem (WAN stands for Wide Area Network)
whether it has a built-in ADSL modem if you have or think you
might get ADSL one day
if it has a built-in Wireless Access Point to connect devices
to your LAN wirelessly
if it has a built-in Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) for VoIP
(If you have a separate ATA click the product name to check for
QoS capability)
if it has built-in VPN endpoints (bearing in mind products without
built-in endpoints will still generally support passthrough for
a software VPN)
For more information about each product including prices and
purchasing from my online shop, click the product name in the left
hand column.
For more discussion on this topic check out my
blog entry.
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