windows 2003 server/network connectivity

I have a lan with four computers(window OS) including a windows 2003 server. I need an internet connection that will pass through the W2003 server to a switch to the other xp systems.

if I place a second lan card in the W2003 server and tap an internet connection from a modem or router, will the two lan cards automatically communicate with each other or I need further configuration to make them see each other

I also want to compare this with a scenario where a cable from the modem will go straight to the switch and every other system will tap from the switch

I remain,
Yours in networking
sose

Why do you want to go through the server? Are you going to use the server as a firewall/router?

I apologise for not going thru the microsoft knowledge base before posting this question.

this is my finding

INTERNET CONNECTION SHARING

With the Internet connection-sharing feature of Network and Dial-up Connections, you can use Windows 2000 to connect your home network or small office network to the Internet. For example, you might have a home network that connects to the Internet by using a dial-up connection. By enabling Internet connection sharing on the computer that uses the dial-up connection, you are providing network address translation, addressing, and name resolution services for all computers on your home network. For information about enabling Internet connection sharing, see To enable Internet connection sharing on a network connection.

After Internet connection sharing is enabled, and users verify their networking and Internet options, home network or small office network users can use applications such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express as if they were already connected to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Internet connection sharing computer then dials the ISP and creates the connection so that the user can reach the specified Web address or resource. To use the Internet connection sharing feature, users on your home office or small office network must configure TCP/IP on their local area connection to obtain an IP address automatically. For more information, see To configure TCP/IP settings. Also, home office or small office network users must configure Internet options for Internet connection sharing. For more information, see To configure Internet options for Internet connection sharing.

The Internet connection sharing feature is intended for use in a small office or home office where network configuration and the Internet connection are managed by the computer running Windows 2000 where the shared connection resides. It is assumed that on its network, this computer is the only Internet connection, the only gateway to the Internet, and that it sets up all internal network addresses.

You might need to configure applications and services on the Internet connection sharing computer to work properly across the Internet. For example, if users on your home network want to play the Diablo game with other users on the Internet, you must configure the Diablo application on the connection where Internet connection sharing is enabled. Conversely, services that you provide must be configured so that Internet users can access them. For example, if you are hosting a Web server on your home network and want Internet users to be able to connect to it, you must configure the Web server service on the Internet connection sharing computer. For more information, see To configure Internet connection sharing for applications and services.

For information about the protocols, services, interfaces, and routes that are configured by enabling Internet connection sharing, see Internet connection sharing settings.

Important

To configure Internet connection sharing, you must be a member of the Administrators group.
You should not use this feature in an existing network with other Windows 2000 Server domain controllers, DNS servers, gateways, DHCP servers, or systems configured for static IP addresses. If you are running Windows 2000 Server, and one or more of these components exist, you must use network address translation to achieve the same result. For more information, see Deploying network address translation.
A computer with Internet connection sharing needs two connections. One connection, typically a LAN adapter, connects to the computers on the home network. The other connection connects the home network to the Internet. You need to ensure that Internet connection sharing is enabled on the connection that connects your home network to the Internet. By doing this, the home network connection appropriately allocates TCP/IP addresses to its own users, the shared connection can connect your home network to the Internet, and users outside your home network are not at risk of receiving inappropriate addresses from your home network. By enabling Internet connection sharing on a connection, the Internet connection sharing computer becomes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allocator for the home network. DHCP distributes TCP/IP addresses to users as they start up. If Internet connection sharing is enabled on the wrong network adapter, users outside your home network might be granted TCP/IP addresses by the home network DHCP allocator, causing problems on their own networks.
When you enable Internet connection sharing, the adapter connected to the home or small office network is given a new static IP address configuration. Consequently, TCP/IP connections established between any small office or home office computer and the Internet connection sharing computer at the time of enabling Internet connection sharing are lost and need to be reestablished.
Notes

You cannot modify the default configuration of Internet connection sharing. This includes items such as disabling the DHCP allocator or modifying the range of private IP addresses that are distributed, disabling the DNS proxy, configuring a range of public IP addresses, or configuring inbound mappings. If you want to modify any of these items, you must use network address translation.
If your home office users need to access a corporate network that is connected to the Internet by a tunnel server from an Internet connection sharing network, they need to create a virtual private network (VPN) connection to tunnel from the computer on the Internet connection sharing network to the corporate tunnel server on the Internet. The VPN connection is authenticated and secure and creating the tunneled connection allocates proper IP addresses, DNS server addresses, and WINS server addresses for the corporate network. For more information about creating a virtual private network (VPN) connection, see To make a virtual private network (VPN) connection.