Networking XP machines
 

I need to connect two XP machines.

BUT...

1) They need to share a broadband connection when either is switched on or off.
2) The other machine must not be able to access my work files.

What is the *safest* way of doing this?

I can easily hardwire the two as they are on different floors but directly above(below) each other.

If you have one or would be willing to buy one, get a broadband router...the router takes care of your internet access and per default one machine can not access the files on the other unless you allow it.

Thanks :)

Which non-wireless router would you say is a good one?

I've got a smc 7004abr for about two years now and never had any problems. Comes with an integrated firewall :)

Thanks :)

I`ve had good luck with linksys and d-link. But my linksys fried after a few years and my dlink set up almost too easy. DI-604 cheap too!

Urb, anything from DLink, linksys...

http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=29&prid=142

I have had a few of those over the years... most of them given out to family and friends.

I have one of these too:

http://dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=316

You can disable or massively encode the wireless so nobody ever gets on it. It's nice to have if you need it.

Either way, they both work well, they add a basic firewall between you and the net, which is a good thing.

:-)

Alex

i use a linksys router for my home network. only took a short while to setup and has been running without a problem for over a year so far. running xp and win2003 machines thru it at the moment.

I run two XP systems and one win98 off my d-link. The 98 system is my daughters with no network access just internet. Sharing connectivity is great but I really like thier firewalls. Programs like zone alarm etc were just too quirky and cumbersome. A nice bonus!

Thanks everyone :)