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If you've got two or more computers at home, you may want to network them together to create your own home local area network (LAN). Doing so will enable your computers to share, among other things, files, Internet access and peripherals. Believe it or not, building your home network isn't as expensive and complicated as you might think, though it probably isn't a project for the computing novice. To learn just how to create your own home LAN, consult some of the following resources for tips:

CNET's Do-It-Yourself LANs feature promises to help you set up

a home network in less than one hour and for only a few hundred dollars. The Interactive Home LAN Maker is a Java-based shopping list that will help you pick and price the products you will need to create a network that suits your needs.

If you don't think you are technical enough to create a home LAN but would still like to connect your home computers, consult the network alternatives page for tips on "one-stop networking." There are, for example, networking kits that will do the work for you.

If you consider yourself to be slightly more technologically sophisticated, you will want to check out PC Magazine's Networks Made Easy, which covers everything from standards to wiring to hardware. PC Magazine tested a variety of home networking kits and was particularly impressed by the NetGear Network Starter Kit, which is "jam packed" with features and retails for about $90.

If you are on a supertight budget, take a peek at the DIY Home LAN for Under $50 page, which promises to help you get two Windows 95 PCs connected. This isn't the most eloquently written description of how to network two computers, but, hey, what do you want for 50 bucks?