Quote Originally Posted by rusty
.... I wonder if you could get more functionality by using one of the PC's as the router and then a separate, and perhaps less expensive switch or hub.
You certainly can make a router out of an old PC. There are some issues, of course. Obviously you need to add at least two NICs to the PC. A bigger issue with me was that I leave my connection up 24x7, I expect it costs me less to buy and run an inexpensive, cool running, silent router that runs off a small wall-wart than it would to just power an old PC for a few years. I guess it comes down to if you want to go through the learning experience or if you just want something that solves the problem and lets you focus on learning something else.

As to using a cheaper switch or hub with a computer, I don't think that's very likely. The routers are sold in great numbers and often at a great discount (I couldn't find a really cheap 4 port wired router tonight in a few minutes of searching, although I did find that CompUSA has a $29.99 router that has 4 ports and includes 802.11b wireless access. [It's FMI brand, I know nothing about if it's good or bad.]) Still, I expect in a few days or another week after that at the most there will be some deals on wired 4 port units, there seem to be every few weeks. A 4 or 5 port switch might well cost more than the router with built-in switch, which really makes using a computer and then a switch purely a learning exercise or something done only for exceptional needs that the off-the-shelf units don't address. In fact, if you need a switch you might want to look at some routers - I think the firmware version in my old Linksys would let me disable the router and DHCP server and just use the device as a simple switch. In some cases this could be less expensive than buying just a switch (which are sold in smaller numbers and to "industry" that is less price sensitive than home consumers, so they are seldom as well discounted as routers like the Linksys, d-link, or SMC boxes).