[pchelpers] A plan for two computers on one internet connection

With my thanks to Bob Mclellan, PC Cowboy, John Bird, John Durham and others, I 
am going to
summarize my plans so as to bring all this together in order for someone else 
to benefit from the
great advice that I have received.

I am a hobbiest with two working computers, one an old with Windows 95, and one 
new with Windows
XP. On both systems, I have a Network Inteface Card permiting me to connect to 
the internet.
I plan to connect both computers to the internet for a variety of non-business 
reasons, but in doing
so I have no desire to be able to shift files back and forth in a direct 
manner. I'll get information back and
forth thru CD, Floppy, Email etc. In effect in my simple fashion the two 
computers will be  networked,
but not directly, it will be through my cable service. I liken this to what I 
would call a
double socket, but in this case, a cable router is needed between my cable 
modem and the two computers.

I have chosen this as my cable router "Linksys 4-Port 10/100 Cable/DSL Router 
[BEFSR411]
from the local Best Buy at a net of $49.99 after rebates." I have learned 
through the help here that
I will need three cables, one of which might be supplied with the router. I am 
told that a name for
the  two cables that I will need to send data from the router to each system is 
called CAT5 cable.
It seems to have eight wires in it to where the sequence of the wires within 
the cable would from the
router allow the left most contact point in the router to go to the left most 
contact point in the computer
female plug it it's NIC card. You might here about a crossover cable. I believe 
it permits point way left
in one computer might go to point right in the other. This, I believe, would be 
used in  more sopfisticated
networking, not my cup of tea, so far.

I am also told that the router I am getting will act somewhat as a firewall. 
Keep in mind that this poster new
nothing about all of this a few days ago, but with some keen help, looks 
forward to having this connection
without paying for an internet connection on both computer. My computers will 
be side by side. If you have
a second user in the family you may want one of the two cables to be long 
enough to extend to another room.

Lou

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Good advice is like good paint- it only works if applied.

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