Hi,
I have a cable internet connection and want to share it with my three pcs all having windows xp , I have three cat5 cables and a 5- port switch , my broadband modem is a motorola surfboardsb 5100 usbcable modem, I tried to connect all of my pcs but not success , I run a set of setting a home network from my windows xp cd but not successful in that I don't know how to configure it please help me out .

You should be able to run any one PC at time using a switch. Hubs may only work for connecting multiple computers together. I have a 4 port router, this Linux box, the old Mac, and phone all get along fine leaving the last port for guests.

Phone? Yeah, Vonage, $27.25 a month for full featured local service and unlimited US long distance.

Thanks labman for your concern but I have a hub as well as a switch but how I connect and confiqure them . I don't have a broadband router can I use one of my PC as a gaeway to connect other pcs , please explain:(

One of the PC's must be configured to accept Internet connections through it.
The other PC's must be configured to go through that one.
The PC that accepts other PC's to go on Internet through it, must be connected to the 'upstream' port of the switch. Usually port 5 of a 5-port switch.

Using a hub (as opposed to a router or gateway) you'll need to configure Internet Connection Sharing on the PC connected to the cable modem. That PC will also need to have 2 network cards installed. The ethernet cable coming out of your LAN network card (as opposed to the network card accepting the cable modem ethernet cable) would go to your hub.

You can get a step-by-step here http://www.homenethelp.com/ics/ics-install-arch.asp or Google ICS + XP.

Thanks to all of you to help me out resolving this problem and I am a ble to connect my pcs to the broadband by the help of ICS.
There is still a problem when I want to access to my ibm computer through my emachine PC I can access it easily but when try to access my emachine through ibm it says emachine is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource . Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permission.

Access is denied.


Please help me out to solve the problem :confused: