NIC driver install

Patrick, you pretty much have it down pat but here it is so there is no
confusion:

Box 1-1.2 Gig AMD desktop using W2K plus many programs that I use for school
such as interdev, M$ office, jbuilder, visio, personal Cobol atHome, etc.
This is the box I have currently connected to the internet.

Box 2- 400Mhz AMD Laptop (Compaq Presario 1247) also running W2K and I
install the various programs I need for whatever class I am in at that time.

Box 3-Packard Bell 133 mhz. Pentium approx. 5-6 years old now. This is what
I have ClarkConnect installed on. It has a 2 Gig H/D, a floppy, and a CD-Rom
and not enough RAM to use the GUI to install Clark.

I also have a Linksys 5-port workgroup 10/100 switch and I have a cable
modem for cox internet access.

My plans are to use box 3 as a router for my LAN and a gateway to the
internet doing duty as a firewall. I also eventually will have at least 1
more box in my network and maybe 2 as the kids get to a point of needing
internet access.

I had box 3 working at one point but had to power it off to do electrical
work on my computer desk. When I powered it back up it had lost the drivers
and IRQ/ IO information and I haven't been able to get it all working since.
I know I did not have the rtl driver I have been trying to compile when I
had it running but it doesn't seem to accept the drivers I used.

Question: If I am not hooked up to either my cable modem or my 5 port switch
will that keep linux from seeing the NIC's? Although it does seem to see
that eth0 is not connected it doesn't say anything about eth1. Anyway, I
hope this clears my dilemma up for everyone and I apologize to the list for
being so long winded. Thanks, Cliff