Hi, I'm new to broadband. I recently bought a laptop and I want to share the broadband service between the 2 PCs but I'm not sure how to do it. There is no need to share files between the 2 PCs. Just the broadband. I'm aware that I need to get a router but is there anything I need to get? Do I really need the 10/100 card? Because my desktop does not have one. Please help!! thanks

Yes, you need the 10/100 card. The router only deals with 10/100 LAN connections. VERY Important: To save time, make sure you get a DSL/Cable Router and not just a regular Router(the setup is faster); you may also want a Router with a De-Militarized Zone (No Firewall Option) Depending what you need; check out Linksys Routers (Dependable) Your Router will need to be setup, however, it should tell you all you need in the Router's users manual. Then, setup TCP/IP and on all PCs (included in ALL OS versions); you may need to setup this by installing additional Windows applications; check settings via Windows documentation, your Router's information, or the Internet. If you want to share files, you will need to setup a workgroup name, and manually setup shares (unless XP is installed ; XP automatically shares Shared Documents) Hope this helps!

I'm doing the same thing. I just got dsl and I want to share it with two other rooms which is pretty far apart. So what I want to do right now is get the right router and get the right cables. Are there different RJ45 cables that I should avoid? What the heck is CAT5? The same thing? Also this is what I'm thinking of getting: http://www.googlegear.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=251654. For cables I want to get this: http://www.cablewholesale.com/popupspecs/10x6-02275.htm. You think I have the right setup to get around two rooms? Thanks guys. Tony N.

For a detailled step by step review of what you need and how to do it: www.ozcableguy.com Enjoy

If your your connecting laptop to a home network I would recommend a wireless router such as the BEFW11S4 or WRT54G from Linksys.com other than the wireless router you'd need a wireless PCMCIA card for each laptop the WPC54G from linksys will work just fine. With a wireless network you'll be able to carry your laptop in any room and surf or share files etc. etc. I've setup my home wireless network with the above mentioned Linksys products and have been very happy.