I am interested in working towards adding my elderly Gateway P5-166 to an ethernet network I set up for two modern XP machines and a Pentium III running 98SE. I do not want the Win95 machine to share the dial-up connection with the other machines, I just want an easy way to transfer files and share resources. What would be involved in this and are there any opinions on whether this is an appropriate project for a newbie to tackle? I'm looking for practical challenges to expand my own abilities with computers more than instant solutions to my immediate issues.

quoted from http://www.chicagotech.net/ How to setup home or peer-to-peer network If all of the computers in a peer-to-peer workgroup don't have a common networking protocol, a common workgroup, and common user names and passwords, the computers may experience a difficulty to communicate with other computers that are running Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows 98. To resolve this issue, configure the computers by ensuring that they have a common networking protocol (TCP/IP), a common workgroup, and common user names and passwords. Also make sure enable File and Printer Sharing is installed.

You would want a Ethernet hub or switch to cable all the computers to. A 4 port hub will work fine. If you think you may want to share a broadband Internet connection in the future, an Ethernet switch/router cost just a little more or even the same. Make sure all computers are in the same workgroup (network identification). Look in Windows help. You need Client for Microsoft networks, File and Printer Sharing, and NETBEUI protocol installed. Then you need to share drives and/or folders. If any of the computers are connected to the Internet, I would make sure that any file/folder/drive are NOT shared when you are hooked up to the Internet. So pick or create a folder on each computer to share and copy files you want to that folder. Makes turning the shares on and off much easier. Check out the following site: http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/homenetworking/

If you want that three computer share the network but one of them can not access internet? the easiest way is to not use NAT or anything like this use proxy server, and set all of ure client pc,s to access internet via proxy server. On proxy server use "ccproxy 5.0" it can prevent any computer on your LAN , by IP address and by Username Password. wish you good luck admin@paklight.net

Great! Now for some more questions: the D-Link DI-604 router is in a bedroom and there is one 100' cable connecting an XP machine in the living room. The 95 machine is also in the living room. Would it work to connect the 100' cable to a hub and have shorter (i.e., much less expensive) cables connecting the two machines to that hub? Does AVG still work on 95, which would make keeping the 95 machine off the 'net unnecessary? Yes, I really am this ignorant. ;) There are only two explanations for how I could do that with such an obsolete and underpowered computer. One is that I was too stupid to know it was impossible. The other is that she has a loving and