Solved Do 'internal' Routers exist for Tower PC's?

[Mike Lynch]

Is there a PCI Card type Router that can be used in place of an external Router?

Like most PC Users, my home has an External Modem which attaches to the Internet.
In turn, we have a Router that attaches to the External Modem.
Then we have our PC which attaches to the Router.
That's all fine, however might there be a device that could eliminate some of that clutter?

If there were a PCI type device or two devices that could be installed internally in our PC, taking power from the PC but only occupying an unused PCI slot, why not? It would eliminate two Power Cords plugging into our UPS, free up some space used by the external Modem and Router. I have tried to search for such a device but haven't used the correct key words or perhaps it just doesn't exist.

Has any Forum Member heard of such a device(s)?

 

[samuria]

They do exist ASUS PCE-AC88 WLAN Internal, Router Internal, Wired, PCI Express, WLAN, Wi-Fi 5 '('802.11ac')'

 

[maxseven]

Hmm that listing SAYS "Router" but then in description "pushes your desktop’s Wi-Fi reception to higher level, and allows you to unlock the full potential of your 4x4 router!" It seems it is just a 4x4 WiFi adapter?

 

[file3456]

You could go the software side and use Pfsense or Untangle to name two in VMware Workstation Player. But the computer would have to be on constantly. Just like the PCI router would have to be on constantly. Or you dedicate a PC to it which defeats the idea of reduced clutter. I think Sophos XG Firewall or something else had a small firewall device, but I don't know what ever became of it.

 

[Alejandro85]

Many modems actually bundle a router with it, even if it has a single port, plus being a wifi access point. If you only use a single computer, you don't really need the second router. Or you could try with a switcher if they come smaller (certainly cheaper).

A computer in itself could act as a router with the proper configurations and hardware. Normal Windows installation can be configured if you have at least 2 network cards to work as a NAT router, if you really want.

 

[Megahertz07]

If you only have one PC to connect to the internet you can connect the PC to the External Modem directly.

But if you connect the PC and a smart phone to the internet you need a router.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Alejandro85

I do not recognize the term: NAT router.
Would you elaborate?

 

[Mike Lynch]

Megahertz07,

Perhaps I haven't been as clear as I should have been.

I want to consolidate external device into a Tower.

Much like a Commodore 64 with all of it's external devices, many if all were consolidated into the Main Unit.

Many IBM Mainframes had External Channels, Disk Control Units, Disk Drives.

These were eventually integrated into the Main Frame.

I have a Tower with all of it's external adapter slots empty.

It has an Internal Modem built into the Mother Board.

I have a stand alone Internet Modem supplied by Spectrum.

I have a stand alone Router supplied by Spectrum.

Prior to these two devices from Spectrum I had an External Combination Spectrum Modem/Router.

Spectrum said I needed to have separate devices to support their Internet Telephone, which we went with.

I know this was a lie on Spectrum's part as the Combination Unit could support two Internet Phones.

The place where I worked had the same Combination Unit and they utilized an Internet Phone through it.

I believe Spectrum did this to reduce the number of differing technologies they supported / reduced costs.

Any how, I would like to just consolidate devices into one Frame / Box / Tower.

Physically, a Tower has the ability to house Devices in the form of PCI Cards.

These cards can interact with the O/S and draw Power from the Tower itself.

Similar cards can reside in the Tower, using the PCI Mounting and Power but not interact with the O/S.

This is what I am searching for!

It would be a Modem AND a Router "combination" PCI type card to replace my Spectrum devices.

It could be a separate Modem AND a separate Router, occupying two PCI Slots, replacing my Spectrum devices.

With the number of PCI Cards, doing many things, adding / extending the capabilities of a Tower, it seems it would exist.

If it does, finding it seems to be a dilemma.

 

[Megahertz07]

If you install the cable modem and the router in the computer you will need to have the computer on to use the WiFi in other devices as a smart phone.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Megahertz07,

If I could find a cable modem and router to install in our Computer, I would be happy.
Our Computer is on 24X7X365.
Actually, we do not have any WIFI Devices that I know of.
Everything has a hard wire going to and from the PC.
The house is 70 years old, we are older.
Wires work well and are simple enough for me to understand them.

 

[Megahertz07]

You need the cable modem provided by Spectrum. Your internal MoBo modem is a telephone modem. Can't be used on a cable or fiber.
You need the router provided by Spectrum to be able to have the phone line.

As I wrote on post #6, IF you don't use the telephone line you can connect the PC to the External Modem directly (and removing the router)

 

[townsbg]

I have spectrum but I don't have to pay a renter's fee because all I have from them is a modem. I own my own separate router. They only rent for a router/modem unit. You can ask them for a stand alone modem and buy a separate router or use the one listed by samuria. You can also buy your own router/modem unit. I have done that as well. I'm not sure how that internal router works but I suspect that your ethernet card would plug into the modem. What I don't like about the looks of that unit is that it doesn't have ethernet so if you need ethernet you will have to add a separate card. That ethernet card will have to plug into a switch if you want to connect multiple computers through ethernet and that will still require an external device in addition to the modem. More than likely what you have built into your computer is a dial up modem and those aren't compatible with cable, fiber, or dsl. The only advantage I see to that setup would be to have a customized firewall or if you have a hardware firewall built into your computer. Even with that there are workarounds.