Hi,
This may seem like a simple question, but really it is not. This is the fundamental question you are hit with when you network 2 or 2000 computers. What you must do is assess your needs, both now and in the future. Here are the two major questions:
1. Will there ever be more PCs in the office?
2. Do you want to share internet or a printer?
Networking three PCs together is easy, really it is. If all you want is to share data and no internet or printer, then buy a linksys network in a box or another network in a box setup. These kits usually contain two NICs, a hub and two cables(20'-25'). This is a great start if your distances between PCs is less than the cable length. With a notebook, you will need a PCMCIA NIC. I just picked a 10mb (not10/100) for ~$20 from axiontech. It came with a NIC and a dongle cable(the necessary cable for most PCMCIA NICs). Together, this setup should run you ~$70-$80 with a ceiling of $100.
However, there is always an option 2. I started with a box kit and I'm glad I did, but now I have a completely different setup. First, you may want a switch instead of a hub. Switches can better controll data through them, so you get less collisions and faster transfers. Switches usually cost a little more, but are also worth it usually. Linksys makes a network kit with a switch and I've seen it fo $50-$110 (depending on sales and rebates). If you want to share the internet, an easy way is to buy a switch/router. These will allow all PCs to share the same internet and share files. Again, this raises the cost to ~$110-~140 (I got mine for $50, but it was a hassle with rebates and all). Finally there is print sharing. Netgear is one company that included a printer port on their switch/router. This is a reall nice way to keep everything simple. Now with both internet and print sharing you can use a PC to do it, but that PC must be turned on. External devices, like routers, are nice in that they allow all functionality reguardless of how many PCs are turned on, each PC is independent.
So, in conclusion, you will need:
2 NICs for your desktops
1 NIC for the notebook
At least 3 cables (one may be a dongle from the notebook)
A hub, switch, switch/router, or switch/router/print share
The cost ranges from ~$70 for a hub and a simple setup to ~$200 for a S/R/PS and cables to connect. One more thing, try to get 10/100Mb NICs. The old 10Mb just isn't fast enough for most connections. I have 10Mb with my old notebook and it is OK, but the connection between my PCs is 100Mb and it screams. Best of luck and I hope this rambling helps.
As Always,
D
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