wiring a simple Lan

Make sure each PC to be networked has an inexpensive ethernet LAN card. Purchase your (also inexpensive) 5 or 10 unit Ethernet Hub. The same folks can also sell you the interconnecting cable.
Install and connect everything and power up using Hub instructions for server connection.
Use Network Manager to assign PC Names and common- sequential IP Addresses for each machine. Enjoy!

If you're really asking about building the cables themselves and about building a "simple" LAN, then refer to:

http://www.linksys.com/faqs/default.asp?fqid=20

for a real nice drawing showing the pinouts for both a straight-through and cross-over cable. Then all you need is a spool of cable, a bag of RJ54 jacks and a good quality crimper.

To join all of your gear togetherm you'll also (obviously) need a NIC (Network Interface Card) for each device and some sort of hub or switch. Run your cables neatly out of the way and conenct all of your gear together.

You can spend some time setting up each of your PCs with a proper TCP/IP address, but I have a different recommendation. Instead of just a plain hub, get one of those nifty devices sold as "Cable/DSL Routers". Among their many other talents, is the ability to act as a DHCP server. So they'll hand out IP addresses to each of your PCs as you turn them on. Some of these boxes also can act as a print server, so you do not need to leave a PC running just so you can print from another PC.

Most of these boxes use switched ports, which helps speed up communications between the devices on your network.

And of course, what these boxes were designed for is to let you share a single Cable or DSL connection with many PCs on your LAN. They act as a router and as a firewall in this regard. You just plug your Cable/DSL "modem" into the WAN port of your router, and do a little configuration.

Get or borrow a copy of "LAN Wiring" by James Trulove. It is one of the McGraw-Hill computing series.
The advantage of this book is that it lists a lot of the mistakes, both big and small, that should be avoided.
Regards, Chris

If it was that simple, anyone could do it.

Network Interface card (NIC) goes in the PC. If you're lucky the plug-and-pray will work. Follow the instructions that come with the NIC card

One end of the Cat 5 cable (http://www.linksys.com/faqs/default.asp?fqid=20 (Thanks eBob)) goes in the NIC card, the other end goes in the hub.

Note that if you're wiring only 2 PC's together you do not need a hub. You use a cross-over cable and put one end in each NIC card.

Networking for Dummies,IDG books or pay me $40 an hour, plus expenses.