how to hookup my laptop to my desktop through an ethernet cable?

[HowdyDoody]

Can anyone tell me how to hookup my laptop to my desktop through an ethernet cable? Or, if it can be done. I want to move files back and forth and utilize my printers and scanner on both systems.

[eyeball]

Can anyone tell me how to hookup my laptop to my desktop through an ethernet cable? Or, if it can be done. I want to move files back and forth and utilize my printers and scanner on both systems.

use the "New Thread" button, please don't hijack other threads

[HowdyDoody]

use the "New Thread" button, please don't hijack other threads.

How is this "hijacking"? They are talking about networking.

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

How is this "hijacking"? They are talking about networking.

it was a thread for people to advertise their setups, not for people to get help with setups. the thread title was not "ask random networking questions here"

either way, I fixed it. you now have your very own topic with your question.

[g-force]

...and you get answers, too.

Try Google, search for "Crossover".

[jaclaz]

Network cables you buy are normally "patch" or "straight through" as they are meant to go from a Lan card to a Hub or Switch.

To connect two Lan cards you need a "crossover" cable.

Read here:

http://www.littlewhitedog.com/content-8.html

There are handy "adapters" to make a "patch" cable into a "crossover" or viceversa, example:

http://www.usbfirewire.com/Parts/rr-et-crossoveradapter.html

jaclaz

[davismccarn]

C'mon guys!

What you need is a router which will then let you have up to 255 PC's, sharing an internet connection and folders or printers.

The key to getting started is to make sure the systems are in the same Workgroup. Go to the Computer name tab in System Properties (right-click My Computer, left-click properties) and, if necessary, change the workgroup name to be the same.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com has a lot of help.

[gamehead200]

C'mon guys!

What you need is a router which will then let you have up to 255 PC's, sharing an internet connection and folders or printers.

The key to getting started is to make sure the systems are in the same Workgroup. Go to the Computer name tab in System Properties (right-click My Computer, left-click properties) and, if necessary, change the workgroup name to be the same.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com has a lot of help.

g-force and jaclaz are quite correct in bringing up a crossover cable... It's by far the easiest way (and probably the cheapest way too) to get two computers talking to each other over a single cable.

[davismccarn]

He wants to share the internet, printers, and files. A router will run about $40 and give him a firewall, to boot.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

He says NOTHING about sharing the internet...

[davismccarn]

OK; you're right, he doesn't say he wants to share the internet; but, we're going to have him set static ip addresses so the crossover works and then undo that every time he wants to use the internet or buy another network card so he can share the connection on the desktop when a router is plug it in and it works?

Now; technically, his scanner will need to support network scanning (which is ify unless it is an expensive model).

[jaclaz]

OK; you're right, he doesn't say he wants to share the internet; but, we're going to have him set static ip addresses so the crossover works and then undo that every time he wants to use the internet or buy another network card so he can share the connection on the desktop when a router is plug it in and it works?

Now; technically, his scanner will need to support network scanning (which is ify unless it is an expensive model).

Your crystal ball is working much better than mine.

What I saw was a guy with a (parallel only) printer and a (USB only) scanner, a laptop and a desktop (and maybe, but it was really out of focus, a USB connected ADSL Router).

For the record, it is the first time in my life I hear that you need to "undo" static IP to connect to the internet.

Please don't tell it to the several SOHO lans I put up for friends, that all have static IP's and, probably not knowing it won't work, are happily connected on the internet.

Also, I've never seen a router capable of connecting 255 PC's for sale at around 40 bucks...., I have seen a few hubs with max 8 ports for that money.

jaclaz

[davismccarn]

We don't know; but, if he uses cable internet, most cable modems assign an ip address that is not one of the standard, private ones. (Time-Warner uses 71.xxx.xxx.xxx and Earthlink 24.xxx.xxx.xxx) Setting him up to use a crossover cable would clobber his ability to connect to the internet.

And yes; you would need several switches to get 255 PC's on one router; but, it works just fine.

Excepting some Netgear routers which don't acta as DNS forwarders, every other router I know of works great if you just plug in the PC's and use automatic everything with the advantage being they remain as flexible as possible. If the router fails in a thunderstorm, just plug in another one; if its a laptop, they still work great on the road, and so on....

I use static ip's for servers, printers, and gateway devices; leaving everyone else to be automatic.

[jaclaz]

Sure , IF he has cable internet, IF he uses a network connected router to access the Internet.

But wait, all network connected internet routers I have seen have more than one port, usually at least 4, so there won't be the problem at all for two PC's.

We must be living on different planets.

You are accustomed to far "newer" or "high end" hardware.

However, just for the record, a Lan card can have more than one IP address:

http://www.itsyourip.com/networking/how-to...ows-2000xp2003/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/331275/multi...k_card_windows/

jaclaz

Edited September 15, 2009 by jaclaz