Networking → me = dumb

my bros bringin his pc in from college and we want to share my cable internet. i dont know how networking works, but i have a network card already. if he gets a card in his pc, would we be able to share the cable or do i need a different type of networking hardware?

There are two ways to do this. One is with a software routing solution like ICS, and the other is to use a hardware router with built-in switch. If you decide with ICS (which is the cheaper way), one PC is the slave to the connection and must be on to have the connection maintained- a router is a much better solution. Peruse the FAQ above, it's got a ton of information like this.

Either you will need a router or you will need to install two network cards and internet sharing software (such as Microsoft ICS) in one of the PCs so that you use it as the router. You would also need a crossover cable, switch, or hub between the PCs.

If you want to make it simple and can afford $70, Best Buy has the Linksys 4 port router for $70 after rebates.

Amen to what Janderson1 said ! A Linksys Router/switch and a NIC in each CPU and you're set to play games or work the web. And when he leaves you just unplug him from the router/switch. That's it!
I luv KISS, keep it stupid, simple. It's all my little brain can understand.
Good Luck.

some more questions..my bros not a hardcore pc user so id probably just have him get a network card for $20. does microsoft ics cost anything or is it free? i have windows xp home and my brother has ME.

ICS is on your XP machine. Check this out as a place to get started setting it up. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306126

haha i just found that out 2 mins ago i am an ass recognize it thanks

You're not an ass. I learn something new with M$ products everyday and have been a heavy user of M$ products for 15+ years.

The term ass could be better applied to product managers at M$ who create the bloatware that pass for operating systems.

Just my $.02.

I think all the advice is great but if your leaning towards ICS try Winproxy. It's about a 20Mb download and I find it much more reliable than M$ ICS.