NICs

[Fallen Angel]

...

In that case, this would be the cheapest wireless solution:

• The USB modem still directly connects to the primary PC.
• The two PC's are linked via an ad-hoc connection, using two 802.11b wireless NICs.

Unless the signal has to pass thru reinforced concrete walls (Faraday cage effect) it should be crystal clear in the confines of your home.
On the secondary computer you may experience increased lag, but it shouldn't be too bad.

[NaiLed]

Ahh right ok. Would SS still be playable on the secondary computer?

BTW, thanks for all your help everyone (especially FA)! Seriously, I really appreciate it!

edit: I didn't mention my (soon to be secondary) PC is over 4 years old. It WILL have a slot to put the wireless NIC, right?

[Fallen Angel]

Ahh right ok. Would SS still be playable on the secondary computer?

BTW, thanks for all your help everyone (especially FA)! Seriously, I really appreciate it!

edit: I didn't mention my (soon to be secondary) PC is over 4 years old. It WILL have a slot to put the wireless NIC, right?

Yes, you should be able to play subspace on the secondary computer.
A wireless NIC occupies a single PCI slot, so if you have a free PCI slot left, you're in business. Wireless USB adapters are also available, in case you have no free PCI slot left.

[DoCk>]

If you get wired NICs I suggest Intel ones, and Cat5e or Cat6 cabling. I recently ditched all the Cat5 in my apartment for Cat6, and zoom zoom, my network is 40% faster.

[Darkmoor]

If you get wired NICs I suggest Intel ones

Agreed, Intel NIC's.

[NaiLed]

Nah, I'm going to have to go wireless. Any recomendations for the NICs I should get?

[Fallen Angel]

I've had some good experiences with Linksys (a division of Cisco Systems) networking products, specifically their WMP11 and WMP54G wireless PCI adpaters.

[NaiLed]

ok, thanks.

Just one more thing: what is a freq splitter? Is it the thing connected to the phone socket that I already have (we might call it a different name than "freq splitter")?

[Fallen Angel]

ok, thanks.

Just one more thing: what is a freq splitter? Is it the thing connected to the phone socket that I already have (we might call it a different name than "freq splitter")?

Yeah, you already have it, because it's necessary for an ADSL connection.
With ADSL both speech and data are transmitted via the same telephone line.
An ADSL splitter seperates these signals into different frequency ranges, so they don't interfere with one another. You may have heard people refer to this device as a micro-filter (because an ADSL splitter contains a micro-filter).

[NaiLed]

Yeah, I've only heard it called a micro-filter before. I guessed it was the same thing, but wasn't 100%.

Thanks FA

Edit: The Linksys WMP11s are only £24 each. they're the ones I'm going to go for