If the laptop has a network card the easiest  way would be to just go to BestBuy and buy a $15 dollar network card for the Gateway and just plug both computers into the 4 port router.

If your cable modem is connected through ethernet you should probably then have a USB network card on your gateway.

Get a PCMCIA network card for your laptop if it doesn't have a network card in it.

The router depending on your service and what type/if any authentication they use may be a little tricky, sometimes you can plug it in ant turn it on and it works, other times you may need to upgrade firmware and fun stuff to get it working.  after you get past all that.  You should just set up your router to use DHCP on the LAN side of the router. set your computers up to obtain an IP automatically and IP/Gateway should be assigned to your machine on bootup.

hope this helps you...

You can also check out [url]http://www.practicallynetworked.com[/url]

~bob

There is a USB Network Cared. It will only run at 10 Mbps most of the time, but that is sufficient for internet access.

Get a decent Router and connect tbem both into the router. Then hook the router into your Cable Modem or Cable Line if it includes an internal modem.

If you splurge and get a Cisco Router, contact me and I can explain exactly how to configure its Ports, Routing/Routed Protocols, Access Control Lists, etc...I have just completed all the Chapters of Semester 4 of Cisco, so I will soon have my CCNA.

Can the modem from the laptop be removed and a network card be put in its place? What version of windows are both computers running? I gave myself a 17 hr migraine the first time I networked two computers at home, but I think I have it down pat....[b]I think[/b] [:D]

Unless they have reciently changed I have put many of add on cards in Gatway systems.  But than again I have not seen yours.
CC 10MB is way more than enought for the web.  Most cable connections are only 1.5 MB

If it's really a router and not just a hub, BrassEater hit it on the head.  A simple hub would be OK if you are paying for multiple IP addresses.  However, the norm is to have only one.

A cheap Ethernet card would work.  There are also USB-to-Ethernet adapters.

The best setup IMO is to use one of the "firewall/router" boxes.  These combine very important firewall functionality as well as acting as a proxy server - so your ISP sees you using only one IP address.

Here's an example.  I know a few people who own one of these or a similar one and love it:

[url]http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=23&prid=406[/url]

Check out the User Guide and data sheet to get an idea what you're up against.

If the 4-port box you have is one of those or something similar, you are 90% of the way there.  You just need to figure out how to configure it to take on the right parameters so it looks correct to your ISP.  Usually all you need is a computer name.

Very long mail call!

Is the gateway already connected to the internet throught your cable modem.  If so you are ready to go.

Network cards work at 10/100 mega BITS per second-not megaBYTES

Thank you Cleatus, but who said anything about bits and bytes?

You can get something like this [url]http://www.dlink.com/../../products/usb/dsb650/[/url] that will connect your Gateway USB to your hub.  You can probably find these at Best Buy.  Connect your laptop to the hub, also.  Set up Internet Connection Sharing in Windows (look in Windows Help, there are instructions for this).  Then you're good to go.  You will also be able to share printers and other peripherals.  If you want help on how to do this, let me know.

there are connectors that will convert usm to cat 5 network cable

subneting is fun[:D], studying for mine as well

These are all good suggestions.  I use a LinkSys cable router/hub in my house.  It acts as a firewall, I only need 1 IP from my provider, and the instructions are very explicit and simple.  They even tell you how to wire you home.  As far as the laptop, most have two slots, or use a combo card like the Xircom.  The gateway can use a USB card.

Right...NetBEUI is non-routable, so it's a way to help isolate a computer from outside attacks, while keeping it connected on your local network.

But, make sure NetBeui is installed on it's own subnet. If you put a hub and connect it to the Wall and your your computers, then use NetBeui, your computers will be Hacker Bait for anybody on the same Subnet. For example, my ISP uses 24.37.182.xxx
with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.128 That means 24.37.182.5 and 24.37.182.107 are on the same subnet and either one can access the other, even using NetBeui. My previous Apartment complex (Knight's Krossing) used 64.80.100.0 with a mask of 255.255.252.0. This meant their subnet was 64.80.100.1 - 64.80.103.254. That meant anybody could access other people's open shares becuase everybody at Knight's Krossing was on the the same Subnet. I especially loved the people who had their C Drive as an open share. 1 person even had installed Windows 2000, but had somehow managed to give the Guest account, Full Access. I propmtly used MMC to create my own backdoor in their computer.

A Router will promptly take care of that problem, since it can Create an Internal Network that is on a different subnet than your ISP.

Private IP Addresses Can Be Used:

10.0.0.1 - 10.255.255.254
192.168.0.1 - 192.168.255.254

192.168.x.x is the most commonly used and also the easiest since you don't need to subnet to obtain extra subnetworks. I.E. 192.168.1.x and 192.168.2.x are 2 different subnetworks.

Bluebox your home network.

LinkSys or equivalent router with built-in 4 port RJ45 ethernet hub : cheap, easy to configure, get 'em about anywhere (Orifice Depot, Best Buy,etc.)

I seem to remember (prolly wrong) the LinkSys blueBoxen default to 192.168.0.1 for their "backside" address.
Put your two boxes on spook IPs beginning range of 192.168.0.2.

The instructions are extremely easy to follow and the bluebox is web browser configured so once you change your computer IP to 192.168.0.X, you can put http://192.168.0.1 in your browser and it will load the bluebox config page..

The bad guys cannot get to your machines
behind the bluebox as the spook IPs are not routable.

not a complete no brainer but very close....