Connecting 2 Computers

  • Thread starter DQuaN
  • 16 comments
  • 717 views

DQuaN

Goat of the Year
Premium
12,299
United Kingdom
Ealing-London
My PC is coneected to the internet via a wirless usb adapter. My friend brought his laptop round and we wanted to have both computers connected.


I tried pluging a network cable between the two ethernet ports on the machines, hoping that windows would pick up the fact that the wo computers were now connected to eachother. It didn't.


What do i need to do to set this up.

I want the internet coming into my computer via the USB adapter, and to be able to view the web on the laptop, having connected it to my machine with an ethernet cable.

Many thanks.

Dunc.
 
Nope. Nothing.

I am borrowing my internet off a neighbour. Using their wireless.

All I have is the USB adapter.


Within the next week, I will have an ADSL USB modem plugged into my computer.

But I still have the same problem. Why can't we just hook up our computers using an ethernet cable. There are only 2 comps, so no need for a router.
 
Thanks, but it doesn't help much. Basically, first i want to set up a network between two computers with out using a hub or router. Just connecting a cable between the two ethernet slots. Is this possible?

If it is, then we can go about ICS afterwards.
 
amp88
It's not pretty, but it works: ICS

I was thinking about that, but will it work if the connection he's getting (from the wireless) is already coming through a router?

ICS should work fine if you have a USB modem and then plug the other pc into the usb modemed one.
 
Have you got Crossover cable?

edit: @RI, yeah, I believe it should work even if the signal has come through a router beforehand, as it will appear to the first machine to have just come straight in, so it should be fine.
 
amp88
Have you got Crossover cable?

edit: @RI, yeah, I believe it should work even if the signal has come through a router beforehand, as it will appear to the first machine to have just come straight in, so it should be fine.

Oh yeah, crossover cable thats what you also need, if you are just connecting pc to pc.

I should try that theory out because then I might be able to run my ps2 through ics on my upstairs pc (wireless) instead of running patch cable downstairs to my router.

Eh, not that i've ever played my PS2 online.
 
What is a crossover cable?

Is it different to a normal network cable.

Before i can set up ICS, I need to get the computers to recognise that they are connected to eachother directly using the ethernet cards. How can I do this?


*edit*

Ah, CAT5 cable. I don't have one of those. Looks like I can't do it then :(

Is there no way it can work with a normal network cable?
 
DQuaN
What is a crossover cable?

Is it different to a normal network cable.

Before i can set up ICS, I need to get the computers to recognise that they are connected to eachother directly using the ethernet cards. How can I do this?

Yeah, crossover cable is different to normal networking cable. You'll need to go down to your local computer shop and get a few metres of crossover cable (should cost between £1 per metre and £2 per metre).

Explanation of crossover vs straight cable
 
Great thanks, i'll look into getting one.

One more question :)

When I get one and link the two computers. Will I have to do anything, or will they automatically recognise that the CAT5 cable is there and start talking to eachother?
 
DQuaN
Great thanks, i'll look into getting one.

One more question :)

When I get one and link the two computers. Will I have to do anything, or will they automatically recognise that the CAT5 cable is there and start talking to eachother?

You'll have to do a bit of configuration with the network cards, but it's not really complicated. This explains things pretty well.
 
Make sure that the cable is a crossover cable, not just a CAT5 cable. You can get CAT5 networking cable too, so if you want CAT5 then you need a CAT5 Crossover Cable.
 
Race Idiot
I was thinking about that, but will it work if the connection he's getting (from the wireless) is already coming through a router?
Yes, that works. Infact, thats how I'm posting this right now.
cardude2004
Make sure that the cable is a crossover cable, not just a CAT5 cable. You can get CAT5 networking cable too, so if you want CAT5 then you need a CAT5 Crossover Cable.
I'm using just a standard CAT5 Ethernet cable for my network and ICS between my laptop, which has a wireless internet connection, and my desktop. You can set it up to work with a standard CAT5 cable but you have to go through the Network Setup Wizard.
 
I have managed to get a crossover cable, and my mate will pop round later in the week.

I'll let you know how I get on. 👍
 
Back