Q&A: Networking without wireless

I have two desktop computers about 4ft apart. Only one can be connected to the internet at a time by plugging the single network cable from the cable modem into one of the computers. I would like to connect both to the internet at the same time but do not want a wireless network.
Steve Bowman

You need a router for this job but make sure that it does not have a modem or wireless feature installed. The router will have a single network socket on the back labelled Wan or internet that the cable modem is plugged into. There will also be four more network sockets in a group that the computers will be connected with.

An example of this is the Netgear Cable/DSL Web Safe Router (more information here). A router is recommended rather than a simple hub because it will organise the network automatically, saving you time and effort.