PC to a laptop

[qmann]

I have a friend who has a pc and a laptop. His laptop is currently used as a travelling laptop that hooks into a domain. He wants to also be able to hook his laptop into his pc at home to be able to access files there and transfer them over. His laptop is easily hooked into the network at work and runs windows 2000. His PC at home run Windows XP. How do i set it up to hook up to his pc at home without harming any of the settings at work. His pc on windows XP currently has no type of network, but he is hooked up to a cable modem. Any helpful sites or help here would be great, thanks.

 

[kippy13]

Hi,
See if anything applies here.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/howto/

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[bcastner]

You take two steps:

First, you preserve his work and home settings by using the Netsh.exe Dump and Restore features. See Daniel Petri's tutorial:

http://www.petri.co.il/configure_tcp_ip_from_cmd.htm

Second, you use a cross-over Cat-5 cable to connect the two machines together into a small network. The desktop machine will require the addition of a second network adapter (ethernet) to allow the use of Internet Connection Sharing. Steve Winograd, MS-MVP, has written a good step-by-step tutorial for ICS under Windows XP, the 'Host' in this instance:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

 

[willdwilly]

There is another way, its a USB crossover cable,works very well.Reasonably priced at Stores or on line.Kelly

 

[criado]

it is possible to be able to log onto two different domains with windows and it is not difficult at all just setup a second user and then setup that user onto your domain at home duh!

 

[bcastner]

If you connect with a plain USB cable, cross-over or otherwise, two different computer's USB ports you likely will lose the motherboards on both.

You are scaring me, wildwilly.

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/usbmain.htm

(I suspect this is what you meant.)

Best,
Bill

 

[qmann]

thanks for all the info...
i'm actually thinking that i will use a com port and just go dcc.
thanks for all your input guys.

 

[bcastner]

Use the ethernet ports and use the native Windows file sharing software and capabilities.

Are you going to get 100 mbs/Full Duplex through your Com port?

Or use a printer? Or share a network resource at the Home site?

Seriously, a cross-over cable is US $5-10 to buy at your local computer store. Your cross-pinned serial cable is substantially more, and offers less in this use.

 

[bcastner]

I hope you know that XP will recognize the cross-over cable connection automaticly. I should ammend my comment above in that to share the internet connection the desktop will require two ethernet adapters. Add US $15 to the above.

See:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/addxp.htm

 

[qmann]

speed is not a factor in this set-up, it is temporary and he dosen't really want to spend money he just wants it done now... i'm sure you know the type

 

[bcastner]

Then the $5 cross-over cable is your best bet. DCC is a real pain, and the cable, relative to a Cat-5 x-over, is much more expensive.

And it is more than slightly tricky to setup relative to XP autodiscoverying the process.

 

[bcastner]

I make one exception: Buy the 'Laplink' package, with cable, at the local computer shop.

 

[tedsmith]

bcastner: Why should there be a problem with a cross over USB cable?
Surely the supply voltages wouldn't be directly connected to the USB ports without a current limit would they otherwise a faulty USB divice could blow up the computer?

What software would you need?

 

[bcastner]

tedsmith,

If you use a "cross-over" cable you are connecting two USB controllers together -- both powered.

This is quite a different thing than connecting a controller to a non-powered USB device endpoint.

You can cause serious damage by doing so.

 

[micker377]

Wildwilly may have been talking about a USB connection cable that has an interface box to use in place of LAN networking. About $40.00 at stores.