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 (shit)
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.