<p><strong>You could go for two kinds of network here, i will explain you both kinds of network; </strong></p> <p>If you just want to share your files and printer you could go for PEER to PEER connection and for that you only need one "cross over" network cable and you could get it from any electronic shop.
Just connect them to both network cards of each computer and just try to go to my computer and right click on the drivers you want to share between two computers and you are done with cabling;
Now if you are using winxp try disabling the firewall first and than go to network connections in control panel and check what are the protocols which are added, try to remove all of them but TCP/IP protocol, now right click on tcp/ip and go to properties and there assign ip address and subnet mask and now go to second computer and do the same settings but remember you have to give same class ip address but different ip and same subnet mask needs to be used;
Now you will be able to see other computer and if not try to ping ip address of second computer and check if its pinging or not. Ask me more or mail me if it still doesn't works;

<strong>Now I will explain about the network where you can share internet connection with a router or hub with DHCP enabled; </strong></p> <p>Get a hub where you can connect the internet cable from your cable modem and connect straight cables from both the computers to that hub and now every thing is in network.
Now go to network connections and than go to tcp/ip protocol properties and than select assign ip automatically and do the same for other computer and now you could also share your drivers from my computer which you want to share with external computer, that's it every thing is done and every thing will be in network for communication;</p><p>  </p>