beginner question

[pboidi]

hello everybody, i have a dilemma to solve. I have a dsl connection and right now two computers are connected to the modem by cable. One is right next to it and the other one is two floors downstairs. The two computers are connected in a LAN. Now, I want to add a third computer next to the one downstairs using the cable that comes from upstairs. How do I do that? Router? Hub? Switch? you know how there are those telephone line switches for the dial-up modem connection...? I want to do the same thing but with a LAN. Please help finding the solution! Thank you in advance!

Paolo

 

[pboidi]

Please help me!

 

[conceptumator]

That's a simple one. Just buy yourself a 4 port hub. Plug the cable which runs downstairs into the WAN port on the hub, then plug each of the other two computers into the remaining hub ports. Look closely at the hub -- a lot of hubs let you hook to EITHER the #1 or the WAN (or uplink) port, but not both. Not a problem, as you still have ports 2, 3 & 4 to hook computers to.

That should fix you up. Approximate cost of the hub should be under $30; I like Linksys, but just about any of the brands out there will do the trick.