Well, I still have not personally installed MD 8.0 ....or successfully installed a modem. But I have read more of the manuals/books, etc.... and have asked for help from a computer store that has one tech support person who is pretty familiar w/ Linux (but says he's not an expert on Mandrake). But that's not stopping me from thinking about networking 3 old computers, all with Linux installed! I'll still have one Win 98 machine upstairs, a DELL Latitude, 233 MHZ, 132 MB RAM, 2.9 GB & 975 MB hds for the kids, me, and husband, while I experiment/learn Linux, etc. That machine is set up just like a desktop and is not used outside the home ...so there's a keyboard and mouse attached, making it much easier for kids to use. The first machine, the one I'm using downstairs now, is the one where the Linux OS was installed by CompUSA, and the modem was installed by a small computer store guy ... 500 MHZ CPU ... 64 MB RAM, 6.4 & 2.9 GB harddrives The 2nd one (downstairs) currently has 40 MB RAM, 216 MHZ AMD K6, w/ 2 1.9 Quantum Fireball hard drives. I've checked all the hardware in the SUSE database, and it seems fine ... but I need at least 64MB RAM for the install (32 MB for text install which I'm NOT up for ..... BTW, the CompUSA guy said he had to do a text install, so who knows what that means....) The 3rd one (upstairs) currently has 40 MB RAM, 200 MHZ AMD -K6, a 1.62 GB Fujitsu and 202 MB WS Caviar hard drives. The motherboard is ASUS VX97 ... I couldn't find the hard drives or the motherboard on the SUSE list ... should I assume, then, that it's not a good idea to try to install it onto this machine? Or are there other places to find out about hardware compatibility? The first question I have is related to hardware ... the 2nd about the general networking idea. I'm thinking that the Netgear stuff we bought a couple years ago will work ... Have I got the general idea here? The 3Com network card that the computer store guy successfully installed will be in machine #1 ... Computer #2 would have Netgear FA3101X REV D1, #3 would have the FA310TX REV - D2 ... and one of those machines would also have the Netgear 4-Port 10Base-T Ethernet Hub (model EN104). The printer would be shared by all the machines (old HP Deskjet 400), and each machine could be on the internet ... one at a time, though, since our phone line makes a very slow modem internet connection. Compared to other houses, in other neighborhoods, it's pretty slow. Very annoying. Plus, there will never be DSL here, and cable modem is not yet here. A network person would have to come and put CAT5 plugs at the ends of the cables that the remodel guys put through the walls since we haven't been able to figure that out .... but I think I've got the overall idea ... Is there a glaring problem, though, with the hardware in the 3rd computer that I'm not aware of? I can see justifying an upgrade on that machine, but I'd love to avoid it if possible. Any help would be appreciated ... I'm wondering which machine should be the hub .... how you choose those kinds of things... Thanks in advance, Rita __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
