Networking Two PCs & Laptop

[Colin]

Hi,
I'm trying to network two desktop PCs and a laptop. The
two PCs are already networked with ethernet cards and a
direct cable between them. I went to my local computer
store to find out how to network all three for sahring
brodband and they said i need a ethernet modem( mines
USB) and a router.

Can I not just buy a router connect all three up between
it. Then set up the network and share the USB Broadband
connection from one of the computers?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Yes you can share the Broadband connection with the other two machines, but that would mean that you'll have to keep the machine with the USB modem running constantly in order to share the connection.
The purpose of the ethernet modem+router is to allow any machine to use the connection at anytime without having to first switch on the main computer and getting it connected to the internet.

Obviously, you can go out and buy a router to connect all three computers, but your USB modem would have to have an ethernet port on it in order to do this.