how do i connect 2 xp computers without hub  and set up network?i don't know if my ethernet cable is crossover
402623
You can connect two computers and setup a network using only a crossover ethernet cable, you do not need a hub. Usually, a crossover ethernet cable says "Cross-over" somewhere on the cable, but not always... you can always go out and buy one for a very inexpensive price (depending on the lenth of the cord)
92691
You can network two machines via a RJ-45 to RJ-45 cable (crossover).\n\nHowever USB networking is not functional yet.
384041
I have found the best way is to use a hub. they are cheap and efficient. You need an ethernet card but unless your pc is old, it probably has one built into the MB.  Thanks for the question, It made me remember a question I had about my comp :)
341082
there are a few ways.\n1. purchase a CROSSED network cable. (regular network cables are straight-thru). Plug each end into the network jack on each computer. this will allow both computers to connect to each other.\n2. if you connect to the internet with a hub or router, you should be able to plug both computers into it and then share the c drive on your computer so you can access it from the laptop. copy the files you need.\n3. use a software like laplink\n4. usb to usb connection\n\nTo wipe the hard drive on the PC you an either delete all the files or do this:\n\n"If you want to format your drive when XP is installed, please try the following:\n\nSet your BIOS to boot to the CD-Rom or hold down the "F8" key to access the system. Perform the following.\n\n1. Start Computer booting from CD\n2. Choose Recovery Console (R)\n3. At the dos prompt type: "format C:" (without the quotes)\n4. If it asks for the "Administrator Pass Word", Type it in if you have one or just hit "Enter" to continue. If you use a password...\nRemember it. "WRITE IT DONE AND PUT IT IN A SAFE PLACE!"\n5. Commands that you can use, format (drive)/ Q (quick) FS/ (File system fat/ntsf)"\n\nI got this from the 2nd link below.
743329
Each machine will nead to have a NIC (network interface card) installed. The cheapest and fastest way would be to buy four Cat 5e ethernet cables and network the machines together using a Hub, Router or Switch. If you have Windows XP, you're done. Windows XP will automatically configure the network for you. If you have an earlier version you'll have to go to Network Places and add a network, on each machine.\n\nGood luck and have fun.
54422
Are they all in the same workgroup?  Check out  http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/addxp.htm\nhttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/russel_02april08.mspx\nBasic Checklist for Networking\n1. Ensure that all firewalls are disabled for all computers involved.\n2. Ensure that all computers on the network are in the same workgroup.\n3. Ensure each computer has "file and printer sharing" installed.\n4. Ensure that you have 'File Sharing' enabled - to do this, right-click on any Drive/Folder/File on one (or all) of the other computers, and select 'Sharing and Security...'. Ensure that 'Share this folder on the Network' is enabled.
293584
Easier than ALL the solutions proposed so far, buy yourself a *crossover ethernet* cable.  You can then connect the two computers via their ethernet ports.  Most computers these days have ethernet ports built in.\n\nThe crossover ethernet cable will allow you to have the two computers connected together into a 'hubless' network and they can share files, printers, ethernet connections, etc.  You just need to go into the Network Wizard and tell it you want to enable File and Print Sharing.  After that you can simply drag files into the shared folder on one computer and they will be visible to the other for copying.\n\nI'd give you all the nitty-gritty details, but instead of repeating things, I'm attaching a link to a very good article by Microsoft on setting up a home network.  The relevant section is under "Ethernet network - For two computers".\n\nAnd if you ever decide to upgrade to more computers, you can simply disconnect the two, add a router and a few more cables...\n\nNote: an Ethernet *crossover* cable is *not* the same thing as an Ethernet *patch* cable.  Be sure to tell the salesperson at your local electronics store that you want a *crossover* cable for connecting two PCs directly.\n\nI added another link to Radio Shack, in case you weren't sure what you should ask for.  You shouldn't pay any more than US$10 for a cable, perhaps even less.  Ask for Ethernet Cat5 or Cat5e, but be sure it is the *crossover* type, not the regular type.\n\nI see in your additional comments that you already have a network set up with a router and a wireless card.  If so, then you should already be set to go.  Just go to 'My Network Neighborhood' and look for the Shared Documents folder.  Put the file there, then copy to the other computer.
1704
When you use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to a hub, switch or router, you use what's called an MDI (straight through) cable.\n\nIn order to connect one computer to another directly, you must use an Ehternet cable with a different pinout called an MDI-X (cross over) cable.\n\nThe reason for this is because your computer is a "terminal" device.  It transmits data on a specific wire and expects to receive data on a specific other wire.  Then you connect it to a "host" device and it expects same thing, but on the opposite wires.\n\nFor more information, see the article on Ehternet on howstuffworks.com\n\nhttp://computer.howstuffworks.com/ethernet.htm
530988
There are three ways of doing it.\n\nYou can buy a hub and two cables, plug them all in and there you have it.\n\nYou can get a special crossover cable which will allow you to connect the two directly together.\n\nThe most expensive way is using a wireless router.
831433
You need what is called a "crossover cable". It has Tx and Rx pinouts switched end to end. Once you get it, if there is a jack it fits into on each computer (an RJ45 jack), then you do have two ethernet adapters, either cards or on board.
1058244
You cannot use a regular Cat5 network cable to connect two computers directly. To connect one computer directly to another without the use of a hub or router in the middle, you must use a "Cat 5 CROSSOVER cable".\n\nAlso, I don't like the way you are setting this up. You say you have a wireless connection to the laptop, so I'm assuming you are running a broadband connection into a wireless router and connecting the laptop through it that way. IF this IS the case, you should be much better off connecting the other computer directly to the router, or if you need to, get the other computer a wireless card so that it can connect to the router, directly. \n\nI have never been too impressed with using one computer to share the Internet to other computers, unless the one computer is a dedicated proxy server.\n\nThe first two answers below mine are somewhat incorrect. So, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
901407
With LAN, just a crossover cable will suffice. with wifi then an absolute doddle.\n\nThere is a wizard to help you set the netwrk up, run it on both machines, make sure that both machines are marked belonging to the same group : mshome for example - and away you go.\n\nIf you have problems, please be a tiny bit more specific - eg; hardware or software queries.\n\nYou do *** NOT *** need a server to connect two PC's, you do not even need a hub.
759634
Here is a step by step I wrote for someone wanting to make a network between 2 desktops and a laptop...\n\nThe following requires a ROUTER... \n\nFollow these steps...\n\n#1 Make sure all computers are set up properly via network. To do this you must do the following...\n\nOPEN MY COMPUTER> BROWSE TO DESKTOP> find "MY NETWORK PLACES" inside this box, find the item that says NETWORK SETUP WIZARD... open it...\nClick Next on the first window.\nClick next on the second,\nWhen you see the window that has 3 options, choose "OTHER" and when it goes to the next window choose the TOP OPTION, which should say "THIS COMPUTER CONNECTS DIRECTY TO THE INTERNET THROUGH A NETWORK OR HUB, OTHER COMPUTERS ALSO CONNECT VIA HUB"\nClick next, and name the pcs whatever you want so you can identify them.\nClick next, then specify the WORKGROUP NAME, which must be the same on all computers, MSHOME is the defualt which is fine. Then click next\nThen click "TURN ON FILE AND PRINT SHARING"\nThen click next\nClick next again.\nThen let it finish, then click JUST FINISH THE WIZARD I DONT NEED TO RUN THE WIZARD ON OTHER COMPUTERS.\nThen click FINISH.\n\n\nYou must do the above steps on all 3 computers to ensure they all are using the same type of settings.\n\nAlso after the step is done and you restart each machine, go to START>CONTROL PANEL< and make sure WINDOWS FIREWALL is turned off on each machine. When you turn on file and print sharing, by default the windows firewall will turn on...\n\nYou do not need windows firewall, it sucks, and you have a router which is a firewall in itself.\n\nStep #2\nMake sure the printer you want to share is either plugged into the router, or into one of your computers. Most likely its already installed on one of your computers...\n\nOn the computer you have the printer hooked up to, click START>CONTROL PANEL, find PRINTERS AND FAXES and when this window opens, find the printer you are using, right click the printer and choose SHARING make sure SHARE THIS PRINTER button is chosen. Choose a name for the printer and click OK... Just click OK to any other things it asks you.\n\nRestart all 3 computers to refresh the network... Usually the other computers will auto detect the Network shared Printer, but if they do not, then go to step #3.\n\nStep #3 Go to the 2 computers that the printer is not hooked up to, click START> CONTROL PANEL> PRINTERS AND FAXES and if you do not see the printer listed, click ADD PRINTER.\nWhen the window opens, click NEXT, then click the dot next to "A NETWORK PRINTER OR A PRINTER ATTACHED TO ANOTHER COMPUTER".\nThen click next.\nThen click BROWSE FOR PRINTER.\nThen it may scan for a bit, may even freeze up for a moment, then you should see the name of the other 2 computers you are not using, or the name of the computer that has the printer hooked up to it...\n\nCollapse the computer that has the printer connected to it, till you see the SHARED printer and its NAME. Double click it.\n\nIt may have a window message that says YOU ARE ABOUT TO CONNECT TO A PRINTER...ETC... Just click OK OR YES, then in the next window, click SET THIS PRINTER AS DEFAULT PRINTER>... then click NEXT and then click FINISH...\n\nNOW YOU ARE ready to use a single printer on any of the 3 computers...\n\n\n#4 To share files in general: Refer back to step #2... Except that this time you need to use the computers SHARED FOLDER, or create a folder in MY DOCUMENTS, or simply right click MY DOCUMENTS and click PROPERTIES then choose SHARING and then SHARE THIS FOLDER ON THE NETWORK, ALLOW USERS to change my files, is optional to you.\n\nThen click ok...\n\nNow any file in MY DOCUMENTS can be shared among computers...\n\nNote: If you allow users to change your files, they can delete crap from another computer, rename it, or possible move it. If you do not select the allowing users to change files option, the only thing they can do, is grab the file off the ma
987932
First check if you both PCs have on-board lan cards (called Network ready or LAN ready motherboadrs). If anyone dosent have, buy one for it. You also need a LAN cable. The details are below:\n1> Netword Adapter/LAN card \n2>RJ-42 (4twisted pair) LAN clable.\n\ntell the shopkeeper to CLAMP the cable in CROSS format. CROSS is important. Now commect one end to one computer and the other to the other one. Your hardware is set up.\n\nNow just run the network setup wizard (found in control panel-->network connections) or Help center(start-->help).
1126148
First you should have 2 ethernet cards (one for ADSL, one for network), then follow the "network setup wisard" of MS Windows XP ... It will help you...
961284
TAKE A CROSS CABLE, IF ITS WINDOWS XP AND HAS A LAN CARD. CONFIGURE LAN AND TRANSFER.\nEASIER IF U HAVE AN EXTERNALL HARD DRIVE.
731430
No.  I assume you are running Windows XP, but set up a network with your two PCs.   \n\n1. Start at "Start"\n2. Go to "My Network Places"\n3. Choose "Set up a home or small office network"\n4. Use the wizard and select a name for the network (default MSHOME is fine but rather boring)\n5. Run the wizard on the second PC and use the same name for the network on both PC\n6. Reboot both PCs\n\n\nNow, is the printer a local printer to the primary PC?  If so, go to the control panel and view the printers.  Make sure the printer is shared.  Then install the printer on the second PC (easiest is to use the driver that came with the printer, but it may be a printer that comes native in Windows or you can download a driver.  But on the 2nd PC set it up as a network printer.\n\nGood luck!