Setupt of Linksys Router/Switch with Internet Modem sharing

[gkline]

I think I know the answer but need the input of network experts. Just bought a Linksys Cable/DSL Router with 4 port switch, model BEFSR41 V.2. We will not have cable modem access until at least October according to Comcast. At present I have my Win 2000 machine networked to a Win 98SE machine via a crossover cable. We share a 56k WinModem and all works well. The 2000 machine is the host(has the modem) and the 98SE machine is the client. My daughter just brought her Dell XPS 800R computer home from college and all three of us want to share the 56k modem this summer. The crossover won't work for 3 computers therefore it was time for a switch/router. Anticipating the cable modem access in October, I just bought the Linksys Router/4 port switch, Model #BEFSR41 V.2 and sufficient cat5 patch cables (25 feet or 50 feet) to connect all the computers via the router/switch. Prior to getting the cable modem, I need to know the steps to hook up all three computers to share the Tbird's 56k modem, and files and printers via the router/switch.
Since Linksys says that the router has the DHCP server enabled on it and since I also have it enabled on my 2000 machine, would it be correct to disable it on the router until cable modem access becomes a reality and use the Linksys as a pure switch for sharing the 56k modem via my 2000 machine's DHCP protocol?
I realize that once the cable modem is available, the router's DHCP would be enabled and my DHCP on my Tbird would have to be disabled(ie use the cable modem and share it instaed of the 56k modem)
Am I on the right track, and if so, what is the simplest way to disable the DHCP protocol on the Linksys router and just use it as a switch to facilitate the Microsoft Internet modem sharing plus file and printer sharing.

[lazerbeam]

I can give you a partial answer.. You can hook all three computers up to the switch side of the Router/Switch and don't worry about the WAN port. You continue to use the Win2K machine as the server for internet access. Although I'm not an expert on sharing modems, I know it can be done using one machine as the modem server. There also is freeware avail (at tucows.com, cnet.com, etc) that allow simultaneous access by all three machines. I understand though that some of this free software has problems with certain types of connections (AIM, MSN messenger...). There is shareware/pay for ware avail that handles these types of protocols, but some of it is very expensive.

Right now I have my computer on a Linksys Router switch with the uplink port connected to a Linksys switch with 3 computer connected to it. I use NETBUEI for the internal network (share files, drives, printers, etc.) I also have a cable modem on the switch side of the router. I cannot share it right now as the particular service I have uses the MAC address of NIC as the only device it can talk to. AS soon as I get around to registering the MAC address of the router, I will connect the cable modem to the Wan port and all of the computers should be able to share the cable modem simulataneously (with out dedicated IPs for each machine and consequently extra fees per machine). Good luck http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[DVNT1]

The easiest solution to your temporary situation...forget DHCP until the Linksys is live with the broadband connection. Just manually set the IP address, mask, gateway, and DNS settings. This way you can ignore the Linksys settings for now.

The Gateway and DNS settings only need done for the clients. For Gateway use the IP address you assign the W2K computer (with the modem) and for the DNS servers use your ISP's DNS server addresses.