98SE/XP/ADSL Help!!!

[noisedude]

I'm setting up a home network for me and my housemates. We've had two machines (one XP Pro, one 98SE) networked with a 5-port switch for a while now, but we're getting ADSL and my other housemate wants a piece of the fun, she's got an XP Pro laptop.

The modem we're being sent is a USB one, and I have zero funds for getting a router. What I want to do is set up my old W98SE machine (not the one I mentioned before) by the phone socket with the modem on it.

Then I want to connect all four machines to the switch, and share out the ADSL from the W98 machine, leaving that one on all the time. The machine is a Cyrix 333 with only 32mb ram.

Is this going to be possible? Can I do it with what I have? And do I need to set up IP numbers etc, and if so what and how??!!!

Please help me!!

[VHockey86]

Its possible in theory, not quite sure if that comp can handle it with its low memory, but I suppose if you optimized the computer with no unnecesary processes and such that it might be able to work. Also, win98 isnt the most stable thing in the world as far as up time.

Waht you'd have to do is setup internet connection sharing for the dsl pppoe connection and then you'd want to specify static intranet IPs on the other computers... for example 192.168.1.100 ... 192.168.1.101 and so forth. Then you'd specify the IP of the win98 machine as the gateway for the other pcs on the switch.

Not sure if ive said/typed anything that could be incorrect, so someone correct me if i'm wrong plz.

[jmichna]

Most "USB" DSL modems are dual port (USB and RJ45). If this is your case (RJ45 connection), simplest solution is a good, cheap router like Linksys BEFSR41 (less than $50... 1 WAN port, 4 LAN ports). Router will serve as the PPPoE client, provide NAT addressing to your network.