Networks How can I hook up two computers?

I just got two computerss and I need to hook them up. What do i need?

 

A crossover cable.

If you wish to add more computers in the future, a switch and some network cables.

Remember both cards will need a network card, most modern computers have it onboard anyway.

Wireless is another option.

 

Thanks. Can you get a network cable anywhere?

 

Any electronics or computer store will do them, even a supermarket will do them. However crossover cables are a little more specific and cost more.

Check newegg for a crossover cable.

If you want a switch and network cables, check newegg too, note that crossover cables will only work directly between two computers, it will not work connected to a switch.

 

Thanks.

 

Is at least one of the workstations running XP? If all you really need is a normal network cable instead of a patch cable as XP will automatically perform the crossover (and they are cheaper too). Remember the you have to statically configure the IP addresses on each nic so that they are in the same subnet.

 

crossover pinout

if your interested in making your own

 

Google, then we need the ban hammer.

 

Its the network card that does the crossover, not the OS.

Shepps, bit harsh don't you think?!

 

Not really? Seen any of his other posts?

 

Good point.

 

sorry

 

Don't be, you didnt know the answer so you came to a computer hardware site to ask.
Yes a little google'ing would have produced the answer, but you now know that, but don't be afraid to ask, you will usually get the answer in the end.

 

thanks. At least one person is nice to me. No offense to anyone else.:smile:

 

You saying I'm not being nice?

 

When I tried hooking up Xp to Win2K I *had* to use a crossover cable, not a normal patch cable - anyone managed to do this using a normal patch cable?

Also, unlike linking 2 XP based machines, you cant use the XP wizard and create a networking disk as Win2k will not accept it. Pain in the butt - so as McBeckle said you have to configure the IP addresses, subnet masks invididually. If I remember correctly, Xp uses the 192.168.*.* pattern for local IP addresses (using a 255.255.255.0 subnet)

Laosa - you still havent told us what OS the machines run.

 

Lasoa
Please try to keep youre related questions in a single thread....! It makes it much easier for people to follow what is happening.

I have posted in your newest thread.

 

Lasoa is running XP and 98 via a router now...

and Hepath, you have to use a crossover cable when connecting two machines directly and one is not using XP, if you use a normal patch cable you can't transfer data because the "send port" would be connecteed to each other, and the "recieve port" would be connected to each other, making the connection useless.

A crossover cable switches wire round somewhere in the cable so that the send is connected to the other computer's recieve, and vice versa.

Setting up the IP. subnet mask and default gateway is easy and shouldn't be a problem in any OS, but it's definatly more user friendly in XP.

Unless one of the computers is running a DHCP server, you will have to configure the IP addresses manually.

 

Yes I thought so too - which is why I questioned it as this confused me:

*edit*
Will be posting in the other thread from now.....

 

I should also mention that I'm talking about Lasoa's situation.

If you have two XP machines you can use a normal patch cable, but only some network cards support this feature.