Like I said, I am at work and I do not have easy access to the server room with all the hubs for the facility. So, the easiest way to otherwise set up ethernet is a second network card. You are correct,
the best scenario would be to hook it into the main network. The powers at be in my deapartment don't have any problems with me doing things like this as long as my "experiments" stay within the walls of the department...otherwise my boss will have to deal with a crap load of BS from pompous VP's and the like who have no real idea how things actually get done....in other words....a lot of Politics.