Omega...thanks for the enlightening description. I was the one who originally started this thread and I do have a couple of questions for you.

I have proposed this thread on several forums as I want to get a small network going soon so my wife can have her own computer and access to the internet. I will use my computer as host computer. I am running Windows XP Home on a machine with the following equipment:

Abit KR7A- R motherboard, AMD XP1800+ processor, 512MB CAS2 memory, IBM 60GXP-60GB HDD, Creative Labs modemblaster PCI v.92, Linksys NIC card (TX100).

My wife will be running a computer with Windows 98SE, IWill XP333 mobo, AMD 1.13 processor, 256MB Mushkin PC3200 DDR memory, IBM 75GXP-46.5GB HDD, Linksys NIC card (TX100).

For most of the time we will be the only ones on the network. However, when my two children come home from college for the summer I would like to have the ability to plug them into the network as well. There will only be a maximum of 4 computers ever on the network.

I am assuming that I should get a switch, per your suggestions. Someone on one of the other forums suggested that I get a DSL/Cable modem that has dial-up capability. I didn't even know that these existed. Everything now days seems to favor high speed internet access, but we only have dial up (56K) available (see my post above). I am in the Navy and will only be here in New Jersey for another year or so. When we get to my next duty station I would certainly like to have the ability to hook up to cable or something similar. What do you suggest for my situation?

Thanks for your help...and everyone elses...on this project. I will keep you all posted on how things are going. Thanks again. chaplndave