My girlfriend has the same problem. Has to disconnect the cable to hook up her laptop. She used to have a thing called a rotor that connected everything so that while she was using one computer her daughter could be using another computer on the same internet connection without interupting each others work. Maybe a hub is the same thing as a rotor. Its a little box that sits beside the computer? If it is then yes, both computers can operate at once. While youre working on your laptop printing or whatever someone else can be using the other computer to do whatever.

Gary

Rockydog, hubs are for internal networks and are whats called a dumb device, what you need is a router.You can pick up a decent wired router for around 40 dollars and you will be much happier. A hub takes all the information on a network and basically throws it to every other port in the the hub where as a router actually keeps track of where each request comes from and sends it to that location, much faster and it is a lot easier to configure your network most of the time being as simple as plugging everything in and telling your computers to automatically detect settings and assign ip by dns, while I never recommend leaving anything as it comes from the factory (if you leave everythhing default it is easier to get into) you can manually change your internal ip range,and ALWAYS change the router username and password.

Blk

Wireless routers are just as cheap, and you can use your lap top anywhere in the house.  There can be some security issues on wireless routers, but everyone uses them.  I'd not put SS# or bank account info on  a wireless router.  A small price to pay for the flexibility of no wires.  Youu can sit and watch TV and surf at the same time!

BEAR

BEAR wrote: Wireless routers are just as cheap, and you can use your lap top anywhere in the house.  There can be some security issues on wireless routers, but everyone uses them.  I'd not put SS# or bank account info on  a wireless router.  A small price to pay for the flexibility of no wires.  Youu can sit and watch TV and surf at the same time! BEAR

There are a LOT of security issues with wireless I know of someone RIGHT NOW that pays nada for internet because he piggybacks on one of his neibors wireless routers. Just like I was saying about leaving everything default on it (plug and play) the guy was able to break into the router and lock the owner out of it, now there is a fix for this but how many of you fellas actually WATCH the traffic in and out of your networks? Not very many is my guess.

Blk

Rockydog... sorry for the late reply on this, but ...

what you need depends on what you have.  If you have a cable modem, and you are plugging the ethernet cable that comes from it straight into your pc/laptop, then unplugging that cable from your machine and putting it into the uplink port of that switch will indeed work.  Your 2 machines would then just plug into other ports on the hub.  And even though blkpwdrnut was correct that hubs are "dumb" and they broadcast info to every port, it really doesn't matter since you are going to have only 2 devices connected and only Internet traffic going over it.  The bigger issue that you have is security.  You do not want to have your computer plugged straight into a cable modem.  You need a firewall between you and the Internet.  Most of these also have ports on them for your devices, thus nullifying your need to buy a hub.  In the end, if you traced a cable from the wall, it would go like this:

(where -- represents the cables)

wall -- cable modem -- firewall -- computer1 and computer 2

Lastly, don't pay too much for that hub if you do buy it... hubs are dirt cheap.  You can get a switch (the newer version of hubs that don't broadcast to every port) for around $20.