The Un-Official Proxomitron Forum

Hey everyone!

I am trying to connect 2 of the computers in my house together with a crossover cable to transfer some large files, but am having some trouble. They are both on the network so I could transfer the file that way, but they're both wireless so the speed isn't as fast as it could be.

Anyways, I have searched all over google on how to configure 2 PC's with a crossover cable and gave them both static IP's:

Computer #1 (Windows XP SP2)
IP: 192.168.0.20
Subnet: 255.255.255.0

Computer #2 (Windows XP SP1)
IP: 192.168.0.21
Subnet: 255.255.255.0

The tutorials I read said to leave the rest of the fields blank.

So, after giving both computers static IP addresses, I connect them together with a crossover cable and neither computer connects. The LAN connection says "network cable unplugged" on both machines. I have closed firewalls on both and tried restarting them and they still will not connect. I tried connecting both machines to my dad's new laptop which has vista on it and they both connect to it fine and can transfer files and everything. I have installed the latest drivers for the network cards on both machines and I don't know what else could be the problem.

Can anyone see something that I've done wrong and give me some help because this is driving me crazy!
Thanx

Shea;

Hey, long time no see....


You say that you are going to connect two machines directly, and by giving us the network setup parameters, I presume you will be using the network adapter cards. You pretty much confirm this by saying that each computer will talk to your dad's laptop OK, and again, I'm forced to assume that you used the network. Fine.

Then tell me again where you have a "slowdown" of the large file transfer speeds? Unless you have network adapter cards that are immeasurably faster than your hub/router/switch, then you're gonna have the same transfer speed, whether the cards are connected directly, or through the hub/router/switch.

And wouldn't most of those files have been transferred anyway, by the time it took you to write your message to us? >:]

Sorry, just being realistic. Your network settings looked fine, except that you have to disable DHCP, too. That may explain why the laptop connected just fine, by default Vista runs a DHCP server service. (One of their many "fine" features, I'm sure you'll agree.)

HTH


Oddysey

Both the computers and the laptop are on the network wirelessly, not wired into a hub or router. The wireless cards are 54 Mbps and a direct ethernet connection through the network cards is 100 Mbps. Also, both machines are in the basement, and the modem (which has built in wireless) is 2 floors up so they don't even get a constant 54 Mbps. When you are transfering a few gigs of files between the 2, the speed increase with ethernet is very noticeable.

And the files I'm talking about are DVD images and yes the original ones finished transfering over night, but there are quite a bit more and it would be nice if I could get them to transfer a little faster than a couple hours.

And for disabling DHCP, I forgot to mention that I also gave the vista laptop a static IP address (192.168.0.23).

Also, when I have the crossover cable connecting the 2 PC's, the light from the network adapter is not lit showing that there is no connection and when either PC is connected to the vista laptop, the lights light up right away when the cable is plugged in.

does "direct connecting" require swapping the send/receive wire in the same manner as the "null modems" (parrallel/serial port) from the days of yore?

I have no idea what you are talking about ProxRocks haha. When I say direct connecting, I just mean connecting 2 computers together with a crossover ethernet cable plugged into the network cards.

back in the day, before ethernet (RJ45) cards were pretty much standard on every PC, "direct connect" file transfer was basically done via the 9-pin serial port (RS-232) or the 25-pin parallel port...

but, in the case of the 25-pin parallel port, you simply did not use the "same" cable that connected the PC's parallel port to your external Zip Drive, printer, or other peripheral, you needed a "special" cable (a 'null modem') that was basically the same 25-wire cable but had TWO (send and receive) wire "reversed"...

i've never connected one PC's RJ45 "directly" to another PC's RJ45...
i'm just wondering if doing so is similar to the ol' antiquated serial/parallel 'null modem' "direct connect"...

Oh, yeah it's pretty much the same. The crossover cable has 2 wires reversed like you're saying.

ProxRocks Wrote:back in the day, before ethernet (RJ45) cards were pretty much standard on every PC, "direct connect" file transfer was basically done via the 9-pin serial port (RS-232) or the 25-pin parallel port...

but, in the case of the 25-pin parallel port, you simply did not use the "same" cable that connected the PC's parallel port to your external Zip Drive, printer, or other peripheral, you needed a "special" cable (a 'null modem') that was basically the same 25-wire cable but had TWO (send and receive) wire "reversed"...

i've never connected one PC's RJ45 "directly" to another PC's RJ45...
i'm just wondering if doing so is similar to the ol' antiquated serial/parallel 'null modem' "direct connect"...

why don't u use your dad's notebook as a middleman to transfer the files.....dy