Any hints on setting up the home network? As soon as I get a new computer, it's what I have to do, so that both PCs can share the internet connection.
We DID run Cat-5 through the whole house, but so far nothing is hooked up to it!
I would recommend something like Linksys Cable/DSL Routers & Modems. They're easy to set up and provide some hardware firewall functionality. I'm assuming you have a Cable/DSL link to your house. If not, you can use a computer with a modem to provide outside access to all PC's in the house. See Set up and Use Internet Connection Sharing to learn how to do that.
Use TCP/IP as your transmission protocol, but fallback to NetBIOS over IP. Configure the workstations with non-routable IP Addresses -- normally 192.168.0.1 - 254 or 192.168.1.1 - 254 are used. If you are going to use a Cable Modem or DSL circuit then buy a LinkSyS router -- they are awesome for the price -- and config all workstations to use the router as their default gateway. If you are dialing up then you'll want to use ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) so that the other workstations can use the primary dial up workstation's outbound route.
That assumed that you would want to stick with Windows operating systems. You can have even more fun custom hacking the source code of some linux workstations -- but after much pain...
If your new computer has XP, it will be wicked easy, especially since you have Cat5 cable already wired through the house. Simply ensure each computer has a NIC (networking interface card) installed. Most new systems have them built in. Otherwise, you can pick one up for about $20 at CompUSA. Then get a hub. You can pick up a decent five port hub for about $30 and that is usually all you need for a home network. Since your home is already wired, the hub will go where the cables terminate (usually called a patchdown panel). Simply ensure that the cable from each computer is plugged into the hub (and of course that the other end is plugged into the NIC of the respective computer).
Right click Network Neighborhood and ensure that you have a unique name for each computer and that you have the same workgroup name for each computer on the network. Keep it simple and simply name the workgroup "WORKGROUP."
Fire up your XP computer and it should recognize the other computers. It's that easy. You can then share drives, folders and printers across the network by right-clicking the resource in Windows Explorer and clicking on the "sharing" option. If that option is not available, you need to go back to the Network Neighborhood icon and activate "print and file sharing."
Printers can be a little tricky. In order for a printer to have it's own "node" on the network, you usually need to get a JetDirect card for it and have it plugged into the hub. You don't have to go through that trouble however, I simply hooked the printer up as a local printer on my main computer and shared it. Of course, I need to keep that computer on all the time in order for the other computers to use it.