setting up a dell 2216 switch, and other crazy stuff!

Hi,

Tomorrow morning I am going to try and set up a dell 2216 switch...The first I wanted to do was setup my comcast cable modem connection first...Would it be easier to set it up through the switch right away, or should I try and get the cable modem up and running first directly to my comuter (dell opitplex server)? I am also trying to allow another drive (a Tatung Drive used for point of sale business stuff) to be utilized by the switch as well, and also a network capable hp printer. This is the first time I will have ever tried to setup a server and a switch for a small network, any and all assistance tips, tricks, things to look out for would be graciously appreciated! I don't need the Dell Optiplex to be a server, it would be fine if I could run it as a regular pc. Any help would be appreciated, the optiplex is running with windows server 2003. Anythings I should be on the look out for in terms of network connection settings?

 

I hate to be an ass, but if you have never done it before? why are you doing it? Shouldn't you hire someone that knows what there doing, i generally find that to be easiest and least probemiatic? Any how I would start with just hooking the cable to the server ie, then expand from there.