Old Computer As A Router? Anybody tried?

[iGuest 3]

Linux this and remote that...   making life hard on yerself.  I have a 7 computer home network.  3 for the kids, 1 in the livingroom, 1 each for my wife and I, and #7 is the router.  7 is nothins special or super, just a 500MHZ P3 with WinXp sp3 and 256mb ram.  4 pci slots allow for internet in, and 2 out for my wife an I, wired with a crossover cables, and the other feeds a switch upstairs for the rest.  Win Xp networking, internet connection sharing, and a network bridge (thankyou winXP) make it all come to life.  UltraVNC, a free remote Admin tool (google it) allows me to work on ANY computer in the house while sitting at my pc.  Keep track of the kids, pc maintainance, everything.  We are grtting ready to add #8 to the entertainment center in the livingroom for .AVI video on demand.  The kids already have it in their rooms, servered form #7, and they love it, and no more DVD's lost, broken, or scattered.  There may be other ways to do it, but none of them is "best."  Just know that it isn't really that difficult.

[iGuest 3]

What a wasteOld Computer As A Router?

To all of those using an old PC as a router...

Really?  I mean Really?  A computer as a router.  Great so take a very old one by modern standards and what does it have... A 300watt PS?  What a waste of electricity for no added security.  And additionally, there is not that much to route.  Say you get the cable modem with 16Mbps, there are very cheap routers out there with great firewalls to handle 300Mbps.  (Which is beyond what your ISP is providing you anyway.) 

Even a top end router that gives higher privilages to Gaming Packets only costs $90. I guess I could jump on the bandwagon of super routing too.  Instead I will just hang three 90 watt lightbulbs up and burn them 24hours a day so I can use as much power as you do using an old PC as a router. 

Why not use a router from Walmart and spend the rest of the money you waste on electricty for a grow bulb for Pot?  (Because, I know you are high for using a PC as a router.)

-reply by Huey