new to home networking

[minofifa]

hello.

well currently, i have my PC hooked up to ADSL internet via a D-link modem (ethernet). My parents want to buy an imac so we are going to have to share an internet connection. They are also getting the airport express for wireless networking. I'm just wondering what i'll need and what to do to get this system working.

is it as easy as buying a router, connecting both my computer directly to it via ethernet cord and connecting their airport express hub? then connect the router to the modem? or is the router, itself a modem?

thanks for any advice.

 

[spherrod]

a good read http://www.ezlan.net/

courtesy of JackMDS

 

[minofifa]

cool thanks for the link

this will be just a temporary setup until i go back to school (maybe 3 months or so) and i don't ahve time to learn the theory and philosophy of networking (although i really should and plan to one day). Maybe i'll pop into future shop next weekend and see what they suggest i need. I'm sure with windows XP and OSX tiger, things should be simple enough to figure out. i'm pretty sure all i'll need is a router.

 

[spherrod]

XP and OSX should be very easy to get working and sharing together - apparently 10.4.1 fixes a few issues so make sure you're using that (I assume you have XP SP2?). For ease of connection I would get a built in DSL Modem/Router

 

[minofifa]

right, thanks for the suggestion.

now, at home, i'm using ADSL but when i go back to school i'm probably gonna get cable. I will also need to network my roomate's computer and mine. do routers exist that support both cable and DSL hookups? is that just overkill? if so, i sould possibly get DSL again next year.