Do it yourself: building your network
			Soup it up: adding the extras
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			Keep it simple: network alternatives

Since Apple touts PC connectivity as a Mac strength, you'd think it would be simple and cheap to hook up a Mac to your PC network. Well, simple it may be, but cheap it ain't.

To make your Mac talk to your PCs, you have to invest in both hardware and software. First, you need a transceiver, the Mac equivalent of a PC's network interface card, to connect the Mac to the Ethernet cable. Linksys makes a good one called Combo Mac Transceiver that sells for around $35. Then you need special software to let your Macs and PCs share files and printers. Miramar's PC MacLan will do the job, but it costs $145 for the Windows 95 version.

If you want to tie your PC into an existing Macintosh network, the price tag is even higher: $238 for Apexx Technology's PCTalk MacLAN Connect. It includes a PCTalk adapter that plugs into your PC's parallel port to provide a link to the Macintosh network.

Fortunately, if all you want to do is share an Internet connection between Macs and other machines, a hardware connection-sharing device or router is all you need.

Network alternatives