I have internet service through my cable company. They installed it back in 2003. I have now added a new computer to my home and would like to know what to do in order to share the cable modem between the two computers. My present computer I purchased in 1998 (I know...it's old) Its a Celeron 466 and I run WIN 98se.
Thanks for your help.
Fortino

You'll need a router or hub to put between the cable modem and the computers.

Thanks Dngrsone
What is the difference between a hub and a router? Any advantages/disadvantages having one over the other?
Any additional equipment needed?

fortino,

Most, notice I say most current ISP's only allow 1 IP per connection, any additional IP's are at a price. With a hub you'll need 1 IP per computer connected to your service. With a router, 1 ISP provided IP will suffice, because the router will use the IP provided by your ISP then "route" the traffic to the correct computer "behind it". In the past a hub would work when IP's were plentiful. With the proliferation of the internet. That scenario is is no longer a reality. It also does not make good financial sense with a finite number of IP's available.

For a quick explanation of the difference between hubs, switches and routers, see this link. My suggestion is go with a router due to relative low cost these days. That way you're not paying a monthly fee for an additional IP as well as the cost of a hub that isn't really beneficial compared to the minor additional cost of a router.

Be (Home Network) Safe

Da Bleeping Advisor, Animal

Actually you do not even need a router or hub altho I would recomend it.
The computer now hooked to the modem could be used to share the connection it would need a second nic installed and then you would need to enable ICS Internet Connection Shareing.

Then run the networkconnection wizard following the prompts during this process you will be prompted to make a floppy that contains the configureation information to install on the other computer. The 2 computers will be hooked from nick 2 by cat5 cable to the other computers nic.

Each computer will need a unique name but belong to the same work group. If you wish to share files and printers the file and print shareing will need to be enabled as well . These need to be enabled on both computers.

Now as far as a router I prefer to use a nat type router this enables hardware firewall protection as well as error checking and other features as well as routeing and the handleing of information better than a open connection or a hub.

A hub is just a dumb terminal that allows connection to multiple computers information comes in and is sent to all computers hooked to the hub.

The modern router is a combination device that is a hub; switch;and router in one. For example lets say you have 5 computers hooked to your router information comes in for computer 3 only computer 3 will receive that information and the packets will be checked for errors and be assembled in the correct order.

Hope this is of some help.

Linksys at Walmart for $40. Consider it a $40 asprin. It will take care of that head ache your going to have without it. Even with one computer it increases your security.