Clive,
What you will need, Hardware:
1-2 NIC's in the gateway/router/firewall
2-A NIC in each client host
3-Depending on the type of NIC's you have, either a hub and CAT 5 cables, or
thin ethernet cable (coax).
If you don't need the speed of 10 base T, thin ethernet (10 base-2) is a
cheaper way to go if you connect several machines very far apart. You only
need a single run "daisy-chained" between all the cards. A hub requires a
cable to each machine connected, all the way to the hub. Some may tell you to
forget about 10 base-2 but if it suits your needs and budget, go with it.
Cards are VERY cheap and cabling costs can be much lower. My network is
connected that way and I get download speeds far above what you will get with
any telco modem. (up to 300Kbytes/sec with a cable modem). If your cards are
10/100 you have no choice but the hub method. Another way to go if you don't
need a real server is to use floppyfw at the connection to the outside. It is
very easy to setup and with a bit of study can be used even to allow net games
to work.
Put the cards in the machines, connect them up, and get the cards working. If
you run into problems, (and you probably will) specific questions are usually
answered readily by someone. I will help all I can. Paul
Linux makes my computer fun again
