I have just brought a lap-top but want to access the internet. What do I need to set up a simple peer to peer network to my main PC. Will a network card and few feet of cable do the job or do I need a hub ?
I have internet connection sharing enabled on my main PC and have two network cards in it also. One for connecting to my broadband and the other to connect to a LAN, which in your case could be achieved via a cross-over cable. The internet connection sharing (Which is in your network settings in XP) allows your main PC to act as a router.
Agree with Phlapp, use an RJ45 Crossover cable connected to a Lan card, total cost about �10. I personally use a hub as I have up to 4 PC`s networked at any one time and use a PCI ADSL modem which is faster and cheaper than a USB modem so only need one network card in my main PC.