help with my first home network

right now i have 2 pc's in my home with dial-up that i want to network. in a couple months however we will move and get broadband access and probly a 3rd pc. what do i need to know about networking and what all do i need to get it going? im a little intimidated at all the routers,switches, and hubs what is the differences and what is best for me?


thankyou for any help

 

You will want a router with a 4 port switch. Any wireless requirements now or in the future? If so, LinkSys WRT44GS would work fine. I would by a router with wireless capability, even if I didn't think I was going to use it....because the price difference is only about $20 and down the road you will definetly want the convenience of wireless.

 

would wireless work for me now while im still on dial-up though?

 

It takes some work but it can be done.

You need a network card (NIC) isntalled in the DialUp computer. Conncet the Wireless Router through a regular Router's port to the NIC, and configure the Wireless Router as a switch with an Access Point ( http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html ). Configure Windows ICS with the DialUp, and you would be able to surf the Internet from a Wireless computer through the DialUp host.

 

alright i guess ill get a wireless router now and just wait for broadband until i worry about using the net on both pc's. would be a waste to get a wired router and then switch to wireless in a couple months. what all do i need to buy? is the linksys mentioned earlier all i need?

 

I'd wait until you get the broadband.....some of the broadband suppliers offer wireless devices to connect their broadband. When you decide on provider see what options they offer.

 

alright i went ahead and bought a network hub and got both pc's hooked up to the network. the internet connection shares fine but one pc wont allow me to share folders to the other one while the one that connects to the internet shares its folders fine. When i right click and go to sharing and check the "share this folder on the network" box and click ok i get an error that reads "the server service is not started".

help!

 

wow ok theres alot but here is the list of all the services that are not started.


Application Management
ClipBook
COM+ System Application
Computer Browser
Distributed Link Tracking
Distributed Transaction Coordinator
Error Reporting Service
Human Interface Device Access
Indexing Service
InstallDriver Table Manager
IPSEC Services
Logical Disk Manager
Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service
Messenger
Ms Software Shadow Copy Provider
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
NT LM Security Provider
Performance Logs and Alerts
Portable Media Serial Number Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
Removable Storage
Touting and Remote Access
Secondary Logon
Server
Smart Card
Smartcard Helper
SSDP Discovery Service
System Restore Service
TCP/IP NETBIOS Helper
Themes
Uninteruptible Power Supply
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Volume Shadow Copy
WebClient
Windows Installer
Wireless Zero Configuration
WMI Performance Adapter