Home network - best way to connect a third PC/laptop

[surfinsurveyor]

I have a simple two PC home network with broadband 4 port router located downstairs adjacent to the main PC. The second PC is upstairs connected to the router via cable. I am planning to purchase a laptop for my daughter who will use it in a separate first floor room. I would like to connect this to the network without having to buy a wireless system or run another cable down to the router. Can I use some form of hub connected to the first floor PC and run a relatively short length of network cable to the laptop? Any suggestions would be welcome. Cheers.

 

[daveppeters]

First of all - you will probably confuse American readers by referring to the upstairs as "first floor" (that means ground floor in the US) - LOL!

Anyway, to answer your question, that should work fine, you will need to plug the hub into the cable leading to the router. The main PC and the Laptop will both plug into the hub. I believe this will work fine - someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[bla!!]

Yup, that's exactly how I would do it!

It sounds like surfin was thinking about running the cable from his PC out to the hub then to his daughter's PC. This would also work, but it has its drawbacks. His PC would need to be on for his daughter to be able to connect to the internet. He would also have to buy another NIC card to make the connection to the hub.

So I'd recommend going with what davep said.

 

[surfinsurveyor]

Thanks you guys - much appreciated.

Appologies to all our American friends for my inadvertant attempt to confuse upstairs and downstairs! Thanks to Davep for reminding me of the differences in terminology either side of the pond.

Cheers.