transfering files from windows to linux

i have some files i need to transfer to linux from my laptop which is win 98se so i can burn them
how would i do this
should i try to configure the network we have here or is there a ftp program i can use
the linux distro i hav is Rh9

You could always set up your laptop as an ftp server at its own IP (using a server like ws_ftp server, cuteftp server, serv-u, etc), then you can ftp into this using gftp for xwindows on RH9. You can find gftp here: http://linux.maruhn.com/sec/gftp.html

they also have t-base 10 ethernet ports
could i do some sort of direct connection?

Well, you could do direct connections with even serial ports, so yes.

will windows recognize linux?
if so what programs will i need to direct connect

I don't know if win will recognize lin, but I think you should be able to mount the laptop HDD as NFS [Network File System] or something, so lin will recognize. Given that the HDD on the laptop is probably FAT/FAT32, lin has great support for it.

i decided to go with the ftp solution
this is how the internet is setup in our house
cable modem to belkin wireless router(all laptops in house are wireless)one line goes to dad's computer another goes to a router in my room(this router does nothing but routeso no NAT or firewall)linux is hooked up here along with 2 others
my laptop will be the server
how would i setup the server/what programs are easy to use
how would i access them on linux

On each computer, if you open up a command prompt in Windows and press "ipconfig" you'll see a thing that comes up saying "IP Address." Put ftp://that.ip.add.ress into your linux system in gftp (I linked to it earlier) AFTER you set up a server on the windows box that you should have something like "serv-u FTP Server or something of the like running on it. Hope this helps mate. :)

You can also setup samba on the linux box and then connect to it like you do with a windows box. \\servername\share

http://hr.uoregon.edu/davidrl/samba-unofficial.html

Its pretty easy to do too...

Not as easy as the ftp though...