Router-Gateway-Firewall solution for less than 150??

[Edgardo Giraud]

Hi peeps, this is my first time writing to the list
even though I've been on the list for some time
now(those damn lurkers).  
Well, anyways, I need your help.  I need to find a
network solution for less than 150 bucks to solve the
dire dilemma that is our home network - I run both
Mandrake 8.1 and Win2k on my system and we're on a Cox
cable connection.  
Now, the problem is that every time I change OS's, my
wife's computer, which runs Win95, has to be changed
to whatever the current OS's setting is, since i run a
simple proxy in Win2k while Mandrake's network is set
up as a full blown router.  Right now the modem is set
up on her computer and we're linked to a 4-port 10Mbit
hub through in a private LAN and she's running
WinProxy.
I've suggested getting a "bitch" computer to act as a
router but my wife's not down... I'm not very well
versed in setting up the networking in both the OS's
so that she doesn't have to keep changing her settings
every time I change OS's, so I need your help - any
software, hardware, tips and tricks and flat out smack
downs would be humbly appreciated and well received.
The other problem is that I'm a hardware freak... I
love to mess with my computer. So, a gateway solution
seems very appealing to me, since it would allow both
of us to be connected no matter what and let me screw
around with my system all I want - so any suggestions
in that arena would help too.

Thanks a million!
--Egui!

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