Networking problem. crossover cable configuration.?

i wanted to copy files from my desktop pc which runs XP OS to my laptop which has a vista OS. i have read in the internet about crossover cable but i haven't found an article which discuss the crossover cable connection in detail. i wanna know how am i going to set-up the connection and how am i going to configure my network connection in my pc's with different operating systems.


i don't have any background on networking so i need a detailed steps in how to set-up my network.


any help is greatly appreciated.

Networking problem. crossover cable configuration.?
How many PCs in total?





If just 2 - you only need a 'cross-wired' LAN UTP cable - they are readily available marked as 'suitable for networking 2 PCs' or similar.





You can connect a printer to one or both of the PCs.





If more than 2 machines and/or using Broadband, the easiest is by direct wired LAN UTP cable and a router (the Broadband modem may have a router in some models).





You can use SW Firewalls, but if you want a firewall in your router, then you will need more expensive equipment.





While many seem to prefer 'wireless networks', you will generally get faster LAN throughput speeds from LAN UTP cable rather than 'wireless' - and fewer security hassles - outsiders can use your Broadband connection unless you set up the security properly - such 'eavesdropping' is not as easily possible on direct wiring!





Recent laptops have a UTP connection, as should most newer desktops - if not you will need interface cards as appropriate.
Reply:The best way to do it is to use a USB drive (jump drive, pen drive, flash drive, everyone has their own name it seems).





If I'm not mistaken, there is an issue with Vista being incompatible with some aspects of XP. There is a fix for it, though.





I still think the best option is transferring the data onto a USB drive. You can get 1GB drives for the cost of a crossover cable.
Reply:You will need to set up static IP address for both PCs. I'm not sure for Vista, but for XP, here's how you do it. Make sure the PCs are already connected by the crossover cable. When Windows prompts that it's already connected, do the following:





1. Start %26gt; Control Panel and double click on Network Connections.





2. Right click on the Local Area Connection icon and select Properties.





3. Select the General tab.





4. Under "This connection uses the following items:", double click on "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)".





5. A new window will open. Select the General tab.





6. Select "Use the following IP address" radio button.





7. Type in an IP address, preferably anything between this set: 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254. The subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Gateway IP can be blank.





8. Leave the second part blank and click OK.





Do this for the Vista computer as well.





Next, set up a sharing folder. Create a new folder on your desktop or somewhere convenient and put all the files you wish to transfer in this folder. Right click on this folder and select Properties. Select the Sharing and Security tab. Select Share this folder option and click OK.





Then go to Start %26gt; Run and type in: \\192.168.1.X (the other computer's IP address) and press Enter. Log in.





Transfer the files and you're done.
Reply:I might suggest the easy way: get a cheap router and that could be all you need do. If you need any configuring it will be strait forward and the easiest way to go. You want to connect to the internet, right. You need a router.
Reply:A crossover cable is all that is needed. It simply has two pins reversed. You can then hook the two PC's up directly via the Ethernet port via the crossover cable. You will have to configure both PC's with a static IP address since there will be no DHCP router to assign them one. This is not simple for a beginner, although it is not extremely difficult. Just run the Network applet in the control panel. Right click the Lan Connection icon and select properties. Double click the TCPIP Protocol.





For the first PC:


Static IP: 192.168.1.1


DNS: 192.168.1.1


Gateway: 192.168.1





Repeat for the second PC with the following:


Static IP: 192.168.1.2


DNS: 192.168.1.2


Gateway: 192.168.2





Of course, if you have a router, you can just use standard cables and hook both PC's to the router. In that case, you won't need to do any configuration of the PC's as they will be assigned an IP and network configuration from the router in most cases. This is the route I would suggest you take. Basic routers are very cheap and can be had for as little as 20 bucks.





You can purchase crossover cables at just about any computer store. You can also build your own, although you will need the tools to crimp the cables and some patience working with those small wires/pins.





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





Once you have the network connection working (via a crossover, or a router), you can then access the other PC using it's hostname by selecting START -%26gt; RUN and typing in:





\\hostname





Where "hostname" is the name you gave the TARGET PC when you setup windows on it. You can check that name by right clicking on your My Computer icon and selecting Properties.





If you want to access a specific folder or share, you can access the other PC using an Admin share like so:





\\hostname\c$





The above would let you access the C Drive on the target PC. It should prompt you for an Administrator name and password. The login name you supply should be in the following format for a home network:





Hostname\username





So if your first PC was called Bob, and your second PC was called Weave and you were on Bob attempting to access Weave, you would login using these credentials when prompted:





Weave\administrator





(where 'administrator' is the Admin account on the Weave PC)