Large Network Help needed

[brummie]

Firstly,

evening all

Right, down to business.

I need to connect 8 computers in a LAN and provide a connection to the Internet for each.
This is for a school so no money is to be made and i need to do it as cheap as possible.

I have the 8 computers in open plan office style, do i.....?

Have them all connected to a router? Would this provide a network LAN aswell as sharing interent connection?

Would a hub or switch do and have a 'gateway'??

Allcomputers use 10/100 and have win'98,
and a Firewall must be buitl into this somewhere.


Also i'm in the UK so if anyone could point me in the right direction as to where to by the stuff for cheap it would most helpfull.

Thanks for your time and input,

brummie.....

 

[SkazzyUK]

Right you don't specify what connection you will be sharing if it is as simple as a 56k connection then you should have a server,

just buy a hub for bout £40 - www.scan.co.uk are my favourites,

wack xp pro or win 2000 the server if u got one,

if your gonna have a DSL line then you don't need a server (but it would be recommended considering its a school)

just buy a ADSL router and a hub connect em together configure the router and it will share with the network

SkaZZy

 

[Zedric]

I'd recommend a router if it's broadband. You can have a server (inside the LAN) anyway for other purposes than connection sharing.