How do I connect my PC and laptop using a crossover cable?

Hello,

I've recently bought a new laptop which I'd like to connect to my PC so
that I can copy my music collection across. It's about 12GB so the only
feasible (I think) solution is by a direct connection. I've bought a
CAT5e crossover ethernet cable; both machines are running XP SP2; and
as far as I know both have the appropriate network cards; but I'm
stumped as to what I should do next.

I have Googled extensively but every site I find seems to regard this
as something laughably easy; the built-in help in XP seems to have no
information concerning direct connections, only concerning small
networks using a hub/router. I'd be very grateful if someone could
point me in the direction of a step-by-step guide to setting up a
direct connection and transferring files, or else to a newsgroup where
I could get that kind of help.

I'm sorry if my technical descriptions aren't quite right ("direct
connection" seems a bit vague to me, to begin with...); although I'm by
no means a computer novice, networking is something I've never done
before. Thanks in advance -


Tom Smith

You will need to give both computers an address on the same network in
order to get them communicating, eg:

computer 1
-ip address = 192.168.1.1
-subnet mask = 255.255.255.0

computer 2
-ip address = 192.168.1.2
-subnet mask = 255.255.255.0

hope this helps

gian

tom.s.smith@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I've recently bought a new laptop which I'd like to connect to my PC so
> that I can copy my music collection across. It's about 12GB so the only
> feasible (I think) solution is by a direct connection. I've bought a
> CAT5e crossover ethernet cable; both machines are running XP SP2; and
> as far as I know both have the appropriate network cards; but I'm
> stumped as to what I should do next.
>
> I have Googled extensively but every site I find seems to regard this
> as something laughably easy; the built-in help in XP seems to have no
> information concerning direct connections, only concerning small
> networks using a hub/router. I'd be very grateful if someone could
> point me in the direction of a step-by-step guide to setting up a
> direct connection and transferring files, or else to a newsgroup where
> I could get that kind of help.
>
> I'm sorry if my technical descriptions aren't quite right ("direct
> connection" seems a bit vague to me, to begin with...); although I'm by
> no means a computer novice, networking is something I've never done
> before. Thanks in advance -
>
>
> Tom Smith
>

If the network adapters on both computers are displayed as disconnected (a
red X), then you need to change the cable. There are two kinds:
1 PC-SWITCH
2 PC-PC (crossed)
You need the second one. By the way most Routers and SWiTCHes will detect
the cable type and work with both variants.


<tom.s.smith@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159264341.972056.257270@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I've recently bought a new laptop which I'd like to connect to my PC so
> that I can copy my music collection across. It's about 12GB so the only
> feasible (I think) solution is by a direct connection. I've bought a
> CAT5e crossover ethernet cable; both machines are running XP SP2; and
> as far as I know both have the appropriate network cards; but I'm
> stumped as to what I should do next.
>
> I have Googled extensively but every site I find seems to regard this
> as something laughably easy; the built-in help in XP seems to have no
> information concerning direct connections, only concerning small
> networks using a hub/router. I'd be very grateful if someone could
> point me in the direction of a step-by-step guide to setting up a
> direct connection and transferring files, or else to a newsgroup where
> I could get that kind of help.
>
> I'm sorry if my technical descriptions aren't quite right ("direct
> connection" seems a bit vague to me, to begin with...); although I'm by
> no means a computer novice, networking is something I've never done
> before. Thanks in advance -
>
>
> Tom Smith
>

This is different depending on whether you have XP Pro or XP Home. And
depending on your current configuration of each OS.

However... for the purposes of this discussion, I will assume you have XP
Home on both machines in the default out-of-the-box configuration (simple
file sharing enabled).

1) Connect the PCs with one cross-over cable (as someone else said, many new
NICs will auto-adjust to whatever cable is in use - but without this
auto-adjustment capability, you will need a cross-over cable).

2) As someone else said, make sure they are on the same network (go into the
TCP/IP config of each machine and set IP and mask to same network -
192.168.1.1 on one, 192.168.1.2 on the other and Mask of 255.255.255.0 will
work).

3) Go to each PCs System Properties (right-click My Computer and choose
Properties) and choose Computer Name | Change | Select Workgroup and type in
the same Workgroup name for each PC.

4) After steps 1-3, reboot them both. Open explorer on each machine and
right-click on the C drive and choose sharing and security. Set to share the
C drive of each PC. (give each PC share the same name - something like
cdrive).

5) Go to Windows Explorer on one (or both) PCs and pull down the Tools menu
and choose "Map Network Drive". In the Folder field type
\\otherPCname\cdrive and click on Finish. You should see the other machine's
C drive come up in the Explorer window.

-Frank

<tom.s.smith@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159264341.972056.257270@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I've recently bought a new laptop which I'd like to connect to my PC so
> that I can copy my music collection across. It's about 12GB so the only
> feasible (I think) solution is by a direct connection. I've bought a
> CAT5e crossover ethernet cable; both machines are running XP SP2; and
> as far as I know both have the appropriate network cards; but I'm
> stumped as to what I should do next.
>
> I have Googled extensively but every site I find seems to regard this
> as something laughably easy; the built-in help in XP seems to have no
> information concerning direct connections, only concerning small
> networks using a hub/router. I'd be very grateful if someone could
> point me in the direction of a step-by-step guide to setting up a
> direct connection and transferring files, or else to a newsgroup where
> I could get that kind of help.
>
> I'm sorry if my technical descriptions aren't quite right ("direct
> connection" seems a bit vague to me, to begin with...); although I'm by
> no means a computer novice, networking is something I've never done
> before. Thanks in advance -
>
>
> Tom Smith
>

Frankster wrote:
> This is different depending on whether you have XP Pro or XP Home. And
> depending on your current configuration of each OS.
>
> However... for the purposes of this discussion, I will assume you have XP
> Home on both machines in the default out-of-the-box configuration (simple
> file sharing enabled).
>

// SNIP excellent step-by-step instructions

Thank you ever so much for this - it was exactly what I needed. The
connection worked perfectly first time.

Tom

<tom.s.smith@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159371360.226903.106790@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>
> Frankster wrote:
>> This is different depending on whether you have XP Pro or XP Home. And
>> depending on your current configuration of each OS.
>>
>> However... for the purposes of this discussion, I will assume you have XP
>> Home on both machines in the default out-of-the-box configuration (simple
>> file sharing enabled).
>>
>
> // SNIP excellent step-by-step instructions
>
> Thank you ever so much for this - it was exactly what I needed. The
> connection worked perfectly first time.
>
> Tom
>

You're welcome. It's amazingly simple once you actually understand the
process. LOL!

-Frank

I have both Win XP Pro.
I do all the steps above and it doesn't work.
On PC I can only see the PC.
On laptop I can't see anything.

Quite sure I've done everything right.
Plus both the laptop and the PC have Microsoft Windows Network protocol installed (as well as TCP/IP).

I have a Cross Over Netzwerkkabel CAT5e from HAMA.

Well, I did say that XP Home and XP Pro were different. Also, it depends on
your file system config. I based my earlier reply on an out-of-the-box XP
Home installation.

For XP Pro... there are a few ways to go. I'll list two below. To the
original 5 steps, add these *preliminary* steps. (also turn off firewalls
for this initial setup)

Option One:
1) Go to Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View. Scroll down to bottom of
list and select "Simple File Sharing" (if not already selected). Apply and
OK.

Try again.

Option Two:
1) Go to Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View. Scroll down to bottom of
list and de-select "Simple File Sharing" (if already selected). This will
REQUIRE proper authentication every time you logon and/or access a share
from another computer.
2) Go to each computer and make sure you have it set to require logon
username and password for everybody to logon.
3) Go to each computer and make sure you have *exactly* the same username
and password on each machine. (preferably with admin rights for this test at
least).

Try again. (using the username/password that is the same on both computers)

-Frank

"sandiego" <sandiego.2exuwk@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:sandiego.2exuwk@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I have both Win XP Pro.
> I do all the steps above and it doesn't work.
> On PC I can only see the PC.
> On laptop I can't see anything.
>
> Quite sure I've done everything right.
> Plus both the laptop and the PC have Microsoft Windows Network protocol
> installed (as well as TCP/IP).
>
> I have a Cross Over Netzwerkkabel CAT5e from HAMA.
>
>
> --
> sandiego
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> sandiego's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=10779
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=594953
>
> http://www.techarena.in
>

I've done it and it still does not work.
I don't see what the problem is.

Is there some kind of software or something which could help me with this or something?

To tell you a bit more:
The desk has an Enthernet Adapter and the lap has a 1394 Net Adapter.
One interesting thing: if I unplug the cable part for the lap, the PC says "network cable plugged out". When I plug it back, it says "Local Area connection is now connected". So I think it should quite be detecting it...

"sandiego" <sandiego.2eyh3k@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:sandiego.2eyh3k@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> I've done it and it still does not work.
> I don't see what the problem is.
>
> Is there some kind of software or something which could help me with
> this or something?
>
>
> --
> sandiego
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> sandiego's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=10779
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=594953
>
> http://www.techarena.in
>

Why don't you describe exactly what error message you see when you try to
map a drive. That might help us understand what is happening. And any other
descriptive info.

-Frank

When I map it from my PC, I can only see my own PC. That's it.

If I try mapping it from the laptop, I can see nothing (not even my laptop itself). There are absolutely no error messages or something.

If I for example go to My Network Places and search for the PC/Laptop by its name, I get a "could not find" type of message.

I'm not sure what else I should be telling you...

Additionaly, I've also tried the 'Create a New connection' stuff there one is a host and the other is a guest (I've even tried switching them) but that doesn't work either. For example, I may get "the network is busy" on the laptop. I realized I should turn off my other internet connection and so I did but the problem persisted. I logged off/on and it did not (the other time it didn't even require to re-login and that simply solved the problem). But then I got the message "verifying the password.. could not connect to the other computer. The PC has shown "No Incoming Connections".

"sandiego" <sandiego.2eymnf@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
news:sandiego.2eymnf@DoNotSpam.com...
>
> When I map it from my PC, I can only see my own PC. That's it.
>
> If I try mapping it from the laptop, I can see nothing (not even my
> laptop itself). There are absolutely no error messages or something.
>
> If I for example go to My Network Places and search for the PC/Laptop
> by its name, I get a "could not find" type of message.
>
> I'm not sure what else I should be telling you...
>
> Additionaly, I've also tried the 'Create a New connection' stuff there
> one is a host and the other is a guest (I've even tried switching them)
> but that doesn't work either. For example, I may get "the network is
> busy" on the laptop. I realized I should turn off my other internet
> connection and so I did but the problem persisted. I logged off/on and
> it did not (the other time it didn't even require to re-login and that
> simply solved the problem). But then I got the message "verifying the
> password.. could not connect to the other computer. The PC has shown
> "No Incoming Connections".
>
>
> --
> sandiego
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> sandiego's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=10779
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=594953
>
> http://www.techarena.in
>

Go to Explorer | Tools | Map Network Drive, type in \\otherPCname\cdrive and
tell me what the message says.

Also, go to the command line on the two computers you want to connect, run
ipconfig /all and post the results of each here. Note: You can get this into
a text file by typing:

ipconfig /all > ipconfig.txt

-Frank

-Frank

hello evry1

I have a similar query.
I want to ask would the procedure be same if pc has winXp and laptoop has Win7.
please guys do reply.

Hello as per my knowledge you can connect this both but it only works fin and easily when you will connect from windows 7 to windows xp. However if you try to connect in other way (windows xp to windows 7) then it is more complicated (but it’s possible). For easy connection initially you have to turn off your firewall which is present on windows XP system. And for more easy work also turn off the firewall of windows 7 system. And most important please don’t set the password for your windows 7 system.