linking two PCs + broadband

[homer75]

I would like to link two PCs - both are running XP home edition. Newer one has inbuilt wireless 802.11 b/g. I don't have any spare pci slots on the older one but it has usb and firewire ports. I would also like to share the broadband connection between these two. I am looking for an easy way to do this, I don't mind buying whatever components needed to achieve this. Any help greatly appreciated.

[khana]

I suggest that you buy a USB wireless stick for your older PC (costs around �25) and you can connect both of your PC's to your broadband connection either the easy way, which is to buy a wireless router or the more inconvenient way, which is to use an existing broadband modem connected to one of your PC's with wires and then set up an ad-hoc wireless connection to the other PC.

If you value your sanity then defintately go for the wireless router option (costs under �100) as its so much easier.

[Ralph]

If your current broadband modem has an ethernet port on it, ie, it is not just USB, then you can keep it. If you buy a wireless network router that also has some ethernet ports on the back (most have 4), then you can plug your modem into one of them and your network will then be either wired or wireless.
This works because wireless routers and modems (both are different types of router) are essentially small specialised computers that will all talk to each other over an ethernet cable as standard.

[homer75]

thanks for the help I will get a wireless router as suggested