OT: networking computers/crackrack, hub or switch?

[toph99]

i know this is the DC board, but i know you guys will have an answer of some sort
i was wanting to find out if i could share my DSL between my 2 desktops, and a future 3rd dektop and possible crackrack, so i called my isp and found out that they do allow multiple computers on one dsl line with use of a hub. i figured "hey, great, for $25 or so i can newtork the computers to share the bandwidth" then i came on here and saw this post. i decided to do a little price watching and found the same switch for $86 at onvia.ca. then i went to a few stores around here, and found several similar switches for $100+. i came across a little store which i went into, and the person informed me that i don't really need a switch if i'm just going to share my DSL because the bandwidth tops off at 1mbps. now, if i was just sharing the DSL, is he right and i only need a hub? the hub on onvia is about $10 cheaper, and elsewhere i would expect it to be even cheaper, as i have seen some ethernet hubs going tor $30 or less.
now if i were to be doing some lan gaming and file transfers between the computers as well, would the traffic be heavy enough to require a swritch?
and a last question: to set up a LAN between my current 2-3 computers, is there anything really special i have to do? or just plug them in and make sure they see each other? thanx guys

 

[Russ]

Pay a few extra bucks and get a switch. Hub technology is dead.

Do you have an external or internal DSL modem? If internal, you'll need to add a NIC to the system that serves as the gateway to the net in order for the others to share the connection. Then, you'll need some kind of proxy software, such as Sygate, or the ICS built in to 98SE.

If external, you can plug the switch in to the modem, and the systems in to the switch. If it's a Cisco 675, it'll even do DHCP and NAT for you.

Russ, NCNE

 

[toph99]

it's an external Nortel Networks modem



<< it'll even do DHCP and NAT for you. >>



what is that?

 

[Russ]

DHCP serves up the IP addresses for the machines dynamically, so you don't have to assign one in network properties. NAT is Network Address Translation. This allows the use of a single IP address on the WAN portion (the outside world) to serve multiple addresses on the LAN (inside world).

Russ, NCNE

 

[toph99]

ah, ok, i see. i don't really need that, do i?
also, ever heard of Cyclone switches? do you know if they're any good?