Modem to hub, hub to PC and powerline, Powerline to laptop

Hi Guys,

I've done some searching on this and other forums but never really found an answer.

I have a PC upstairs with a cable internet connection.

Because of the limitations of wireless, and our house having thick double brick walls, i needed a way of getting internet downstairs, so i did the following:

Bought a netgear wireless powerline kit.

My cable internet connection comes into my modem, and out (via cat5) to the first powerline adapter which is plugged into the power socket upstairs. The second wireless enabled powerline adapter is plugged in downstairs, and my parents laptop connects to it wirelessly, and the internet connection is successful.

My problem is, upstairs, i also have a PC, but the ethernet cable from the modem is going into the powerline adapter so i have no connection to my PC.

I bought a small 8 port hub, plugged my PC, modem, and powerline adapter into that. But the issue is i can still only get one to work at a time!

If i disconnect the powerline adapter from the hub, and restart it and my modem, then the computer works. If i plug in the powerline adapter it wont work. But if i disconnect the PC and get the powerline working, then i connect the PC and that wont work.

I would appreciate any help with this as i've fiddled and fiddled and restarted everything 500 times and i've searched but cant find any answers =(

Ok, if this is what i think it is then i feel like an idiot.

There are 2 devices connecting to one modem and in this setup requiring 2 public IP addresses.
So this hub is pretty much useless to me and i should be getting a router in its place, am i correct in saying this?

EDIT: I just checked my modem, and its a 'Surfboard 5101'

I read the user guide which says i should be able to connect something like 60 devices to the same cable internet connection using a HUB or Switch.
All i have to do is use a crossover cable going from my modem to my hub, and then 'ethernet' cables going to my 2 devices, i would assume these are straight through.

If i need a crossover cable going to the hub for it to work, doesnt that mean that NO devices would work on my current setup? Because one does, but not 2 at a time

Also the FAQ shows this:

Q I have more than one computer. Do I need more than one SURFboard cable modem?
A No, not if your computers are connected on a network. The SURFboard cable modemc supports current Internet connection sharing
technologies to enable you to connect up to 63 PCs to the Internet using a single cable modem.

Would the technologies mentioned be run on the PC's or automatically handled by the modem? confusing stuff


Thanks in advance