simple broadband home network-- clarification please

[PrineFan]

here's what i assume i need to do to hook up just two computers in a home network:

i currently have a cable modem through my time warner cable .... they hooked it up to my computer here--motherboard had an onboard LAN jack-- simple so far.

i am building second computer... no onboard LAN so will have to buy a PCI card (office MAX has em on sale this week for $9.95)

i assume all i need now is a router (not a hub?), and what they call CAT 5 cable to run to the second computer.... i might need to buy a crimp tool so i don't have to make the holes too big in the floor or wall.......and once attached to second computer, I have a home network? i can share broadband? I can share files? I can use the one printer for both computers? is this right?

or, once i get all the hardware installed, will i have to jump through hoops with the software or bios or settings? i think i can handle the hardware aspect-- it's the software or computer settings that i'm a tad hesitant about. thanks for any clarification

(I'm not going wireless, unless someone can convince me otherwise. One computer will be in basement, the other one on first floor almost directly above).

 

[Nutz]

No router is even needed if its only going to be the two machines. Just install a second NIC into the one with the connection to the cable modem, and one in other machine you want to give access to. Connect them with a CROSSOVER cable and give them static IP addresses from the 192.168.0.0 range (see RFC 1918 for more info). Then you'll need some sort of internet connection sharing software. Forturnately Win98SE on up has this included. Its not hard at all to set up. Actually, come to think of it, you won't need those statics after all because the ICS software will give out the addresses dynamically. Setting up ICS is quite simple really. Everything you need to know is in the help system Windoze includes.

 

[Kadarin]

I tend to prefer the hardware router solution. It's more elegant, and easily expandable.

 

[Nutz]

I tend to agree.

 

[JackMDS]

There are few feasible ways to deal with this issue.

Look into these links:

The Basic Options to Share Internet Connection (Internet Sharing 101).


Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

 

[SaigonK]

ummm...last i checked Time Warner cable allowed up to 5 pc's in your home under one connection...check with your local office.
If they do hand out more than 1 ip then geta switch....problem solved.

 

[BrianBBB]

I would say go with a router, you can get a great one from Linksys with a built in 4-port switch for $80. For the majority of broadband customers, setting one of these up requires no configuration whatsoever, and if you ever expand in the future it's just as easy as plugging the next computer into the router.

As a side note, I have Time Warner cable in my apartment at school, and my Linksys router worked great after just hooking all the computers up - no extra setup at all.