New to "Networking" Question

It all depends on how you want things to function. My "golden rule" for network connectivity is: Use wire where possible and wireless where absolutely necessary. Virtually all wireless routers have a built-in switch, which means they have ports on them that will support a direct cable connection to a NIC - such as your and your son's 100M PCI cards. If your computers are desktop machines, I would first try to get cables run to them from wherever the router will be placed I do wiring as a part of my living, so I will be glad to buttist you offline-via email. Sometimes this is simple, while other times impossible or impractical. In most cases, in my experience, the DSL modem and router will be installed right next to one computer, while the other computer is in a different room or different floor and thus brings the challenges with wiring. In that case, I would install a wireless NIC in the "remote" computer, and use a wired connection for the "local" computer.

In contrast to another poster, I have had good and bad luck with all types of wireless devices. In my experience, it's less about the interface type and more about the router, the software, and the specific environment. Personally, I would not shy away from a USB NIC for performance reasons, but rather I simply prefer for my components to be as small and-or out-of-the-way as possible. The less clutter and chance of being kicked, dropped, etc. . . the better.

jm