Help with wired home LAN

[eagl]

Do NOT waste your time with a crossover cable or any other half-baked ideas involving windows internet connection sharing or requiring one computer to have 2 network cards.  That's a total waste of effort and it's not secure at all.

Get a "broadband router" (typically under $60).  These are available from any computer store.  You should check with your DSL provider to find one that is compatible, but this should not be very difficult.
Plug each computer into the router.
Change the default password on the router to something non-obvious.

That's it.  It's that simple.  You get a home LAN and improved security because the broadband router also acts as a simple but effective firewall.

[Balsy]

Gunthr,

When you setup your router, be sure and use your primary computer to connect to its. When it asks how you want to connect to the internet, DO NOT USE Internet Connect Sharing (windows software). select OTHER, than next menu will let you select router (hardware).

Otherwise, you end up with ICS fighting with the router.  

Balsy

[Gunthr]

whew, i had a lot of misconceptions.  i'll go with the router.  thanks all -

[Reschke]

I bought a new router at Best Buy about a week ago. I bought the Dlink DIR-625 and a wireless network card DWA-542. I had a wireless G router from Dlink that never provided a consistent signal to my mother-in-laws computer in her bedroom but with the N router it pushes the signal just fine to her room. It also has 4 ports on the back for wired connections and comes with a network management software trial thats pretty easy to deal with.

With the wireless card I bought I get great signal strength all over the house. If you do go wireless you may want a booster/antenna extension if you have a larger home with lots of hallways and other electronic things in the house.