3 NIC computer

From: Avi (subhas85_at_gmail.com)
Date: 11/28/04 

Date: 28 Nov 2004 00:34:34 -0800

i currently have a network containing about 6 comptuers, i recently
aquired 2 additional computers, a 450mhz and a 500mhz, my plan is to
make data servers out of them. However, i would like to have the
450mhz computer operate as my router, since my microsoft router (***)
seems to keep droping my connection every now and then. The other
computer will be incharge of other high demanding processes which will
involve data from computer #1. So what i want is a network according
to the following diagram.

[cable internet]<>------>|comp #1|<>----------<>|comp #2|
                            | |
                            | |
                            |------<>|SWITCH|<>----|
                                      | | |
                     |comp|---------<>| | |<>---------|comp#3|
                                        |
                                      |comp|
                                    
*note that comp1 has 3 NICs; one 10/100mbps for the internet cable
modem, one 10/100mbps to the switch for other comps to access, and one
10/100/1000mbps for direct connection to comp2, which i would like to
be a gigabit connection, for data flexibility. I am running Fedora
Core 3 on both comp1 and comp2. A problem that i see rising is,
suppose comp1 wants to talk to a comp3, would the data path look like
this,

[comp1]-->[comp2]--->[switch]--->[comp3] or like this,
[comp1]--->[switch]---->[comp3] ?

detail instructions including commands on doing this would be
appreciated.