Another option you may wish to consider is the trumpet software. (I think firefox is the name of the package you need)

Basically it's a software package which sits in the PCs (win platforms) and directs all external network requests to the machine with the modem attached. To set it up you will need to network the various machines using either a hub/switch, or BNC. You then configure the modem on one machine (as per normal) and configure firefox on all of the machines. It doesn't matter which machine requires the web access, the dial up ISP connection will be brought up if required, and if it's already up, it won't try a second time.

In all it's reported to be a very "user friendly" way of setting up what you want in a windows environment. It doesn't offer any protection, or serious features, but if you can install and setup windows applications, Firefox is a possible answer.
It doesn't require any additional machines, and a free trial version is availble from the manufacturer's website. (the company is trumpet, and they're based in Tasmania, Australia)

I hope this information is of some assistance.

if money's no object..... Then go with a formal solution like Cisco (my company is a cisco network provider... pity cisco will never give me a freebie sample like a 16xx... but it's good gear) or establish a linux server solution.

Des Bromilow

>>> William Chops Westfield <billw@CISCO.COM> 5/8/00 1:38:15 pm >>>
    I want to network 5 computers and share internet connection among
    them... what advises can you give me to avoid problems in getting it to
    work. I want to do it in the cheapest but reliable and stable
    configuration possible.. What brands (nic, hubs) do you recommend ( the
    most cost effective) ? Any url's, links to tutorials about the subject
    will be most welcome...

Well, a hub is little more than a chip with connectors these days, and a
switch (which you'd only might need if you're running both 10 and
100mbps in the same area) isn't much more.  You might as well get a
"generic" brand at a nice low price.  Any of the "name" brands would
certainly be fine.

As for the shared connection to the internet, it depends some on how
you're connecting.  If you start talking about cable, DSL, or ISDN,
you're probably best off with whatever your ISP supports.  If you have
something (out of your control) that spews out ethernet packets, then a
hub is about all your need in addition...  If you have something that
normally drops into a PC, well... I understand you can make your PC do
some sort of routing - my parents are sharing a dialup between two PCs.

Featurewise, you can't go wrong with a cisco (and it makes the stock
price go up, which is good for me!), but they're not very "cost
effective."  Cost effective wise, your best bet is probably something
like an old 386sx running linux, but I'd expect the learning curve to be
a bit on the steep side...

BillW
cisco