Jeremy Ackerman-Yost
Explorer
Here are a pair of sites for attaching RJ45 ends and jacks to the to the cable:
http://www.netsimple.co.uk/users/mercenary/network/cabling.htm
http://www.makeitsimple.com/how-to/dyi_crossover.htm
Then you can network everything by plugging the cable modem into your switch (use the uplink port if it has one, and this should be a crossover cable, as explained in the web sites above. All the rest should be made as standard cable), and simply plug all the room lines into the switch. Instant network. However, unless you're paying for multiple IP addresses you'll only be able to access the internet from the computer you set up when they installed the cable modem (assumption: they did that or walked you through it). You're best bet is, as a number of people suggested, to buy a router, preferably with a firewall. That will effectively distribute internet access to all of your computers while showing the outside 1) a single IP address and 2) a decent firewall. You plug your cable modem into the router, and then the router to the switch. They're usually pretty easy to configure, as are the settings for the individual computers. You just make the router emulate the computer they set up for you, and set the network settings for all the computers on the network as directed by the instructions that come with the router.
http://www.netsimple.co.uk/users/mercenary/network/cabling.htm
http://www.makeitsimple.com/how-to/dyi_crossover.htm
Then you can network everything by plugging the cable modem into your switch (use the uplink port if it has one, and this should be a crossover cable, as explained in the web sites above. All the rest should be made as standard cable), and simply plug all the room lines into the switch. Instant network. However, unless you're paying for multiple IP addresses you'll only be able to access the internet from the computer you set up when they installed the cable modem (assumption: they did that or walked you through it). You're best bet is, as a number of people suggested, to buy a router, preferably with a firewall. That will effectively distribute internet access to all of your computers while showing the outside 1) a single IP address and 2) a decent firewall. You plug your cable modem into the router, and then the router to the switch. They're usually pretty easy to configure, as are the settings for the individual computers. You just make the router emulate the computer they set up for you, and set the network settings for all the computers on the network as directed by the instructions that come with the router.
