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jpab924 · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 4:41 am Post subject: OT: networking question

Ok.....guys, I have a question about networking 2 computers together. I built over the weekend a desk to accomodate both computers I have, and want to hook them together so as I can use the same printer, scanner, yada yada yada. One system uses xp office pro. and the other has xp home. I plan on using the one with xp office pro as the host since it is the quicker of the 2 machines.

I have no digital cable service in my area, and both dial into the net using a 56k modem. So basically should I use an ethernet system, wireless, or should I use the existing phone lines in my house? If I understand correctly, I don`t need a hub if I use the phone lines that exist in the house????

What would be the best bet for running these 2 pcs together? Thanks in advance!!

Lizard · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 5:08 am Post subject:

well I would have to say the EASIEST way is going to be with a CAT 5 cross talk cable going through the lan cards, once you have that, set the work groups the same, don't bridge the connections, go into network connections and right click on the Local Area Connection and then go into the properties of Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and set a static IP, by this I mean set an IP address IE 192.168.1.1-254 (don't use a 0 or 255 as the last digit), once that is done, run the network setup wizard from the network connections and set it up for not sharing internet connections

hope this helps
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Smoothie · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 5:40 am Post subject:

Look at "PP-DC5E8P10BLH (Cat5 CROSS-OVER CABLE, 10 Foot) $4.27" on:
http://www.action-electronics.com/cabl-prc.htm
-or you might find the yellow Belkin 25' one at Radio Shack ~$9 (they're discontinuing it, therefor the low price) Their replacement for it is something like $15-$20. What I did was get the $9 version and a package of RJ-45 connectors, cut 8' off the 25' cable and attached connectors wired the same way (as crossover cables). I kept the 17' piece and gave my brother the 8' cable which cost all of $3.50 with the price broken down. Smoothie's a cheap bastard.

-But I already had the crimp tool that attaches the 8-pin RJ-45 terminals as well as the smaller 6 and 4-pin RJ-11's. It is possible to attach these terminals with a small flat screwdriver though. If you feel like screwing around with something like this, I could post the wiring sequence to make a crossover cable.
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Lizard · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:08 am Post subject:

save yourself the trouble and just get a cable
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ltgland · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:35 am Post subject:

2 NICs (network cards), and a cat 5 crossover cable.
Its the cheapest/easiest.

Set up 1 PC with internet connection sharing (does CP do this?), and as stated before set both machines with a static address on the NIC's within the same subnet.

Its going to be slow as hell using internet connection sharing, buts its only 1 phone line in use. remember to personal firewall your machine with the modem (does xp have this as default?), or some dozy jumped up little t&at may try hack you.

Lizard · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:49 am Post subject:

I wouldn't recommend sharing the internet connection with Dial up as dial up is SOOOOOO slow, follow my suggestions and it should be the easiest way
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jpab924 · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:54 am Post subject:

this doohickie to that doohickie.....aieeee! I`ll stop in at radio shack on the way home and see what they have. I was just wondering if I should go the ethernet route, in case digi cable ever comes to my area. This way its all set up and ready to go. Me thinks.

Anyways, xp pro and xp home have a network setup wizard and I just need to designate one as the host and one as the client and follow the prompts.

I`ve always been a do-it-yourself kind of person.....(I even built my own machine!) So hopefully I can work my way through this one. Seems relatively easy according to you guys.

Paul · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 9:02 am Post subject:

Or buy 2 WIFI 802.11b wireless cards and set it up as an adhoc network.

Lizard · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 9:15 am Post subject:

hey paul i gotta saying for yah K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid

don't go with the wireless cards, there are a pain IMHO plus if the comps are going to be at the same desk the the cord just goes behind them and there is no point to go wireless
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Smoothie · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 9:47 am Post subject:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/homenet/default.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mind/1299/flux/flux1299.asp

If you go the Ethernet route via Cat5 crossover cable, which I'd recommend - it's cheap and easy and simple, so it's reliable. It's also fast. The NIC that my laptop came with runs up to 100Mbps and the $14 card I recently got for my Desktop from Radio Shack handles that speed too. Wireless runs at a slower speed, so unless you want to use the laptop out in the backyard, the wired version makes more sense.

If digicable comes to town, their first choice will probably be to use your NIC's RJ-45 port, but they'll find it already occupied by your Cat5 pc-to-pc networking (crossover) cable because these guys on this discussion group suggested it... My brother just had a similar situation, except the cable modem came first and was occupying the RJ-45 that we needed to use for the pc-to-pc cable... Luckily, the cable modem also had a USB port so we were able to download the USB driver for it and re-hook it up through a free USB port on the computer, then used the RJ-45 ports on both the desktop and laptop PCs to network between them.
To simplify, he has:
(1) Cable from outside to the cable modem, then USB wire between the cable modem and Desktop PC.
(2) Cat5 Crossover cable from the Desktop's NIC (RJ-45) to the Laptop's NIC (RJ-45).
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Alex Roy · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 10:04 am Post subject:

I would also recommend running via standard Ethernet......one caveat though, crossover cables only run at 10mbps, regardless of if your network cards will handle 100mbps. If you want to run the full 100mbps you HAVE to have a hub or switch.

---If you are only going to swap large files between the two machines seldomly, the 10mbps is fine, just slow
---10mbps is also fine for sharing an internet connection, dialup internet connections are equal to at most .05 mbps
---the only reason to go wireless is if you have no means to run cable, have a laptop you want to have on the network without a cable, or if you have money that is just burning a hole in your pocket
---wireless networks (for the most part) are only 11mbps, and the decrease in speed the further you get....but that isn't an issue if the computers are sitting directly next to each other.

Smoothie · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 11:19 am Post subject:

Alex - I was believing you and went upstairs to check the crossover cable packaging - it says "transmits up to 100Mbps". Then I was still believing ya, thinking, "these bastards from Belkin cable lied right on their packaging". Then did a websearch on "crossover cable speed" and found everything from "a crossover cable only runs at half-duplex"** to "crossover cable alone probably runs faster than a switch because a switch has to do packet switching". According to the packaging for my Linksys 10/100 LAN card, half duplex is 10/100Mbps and full duplex is 20/200Mbps.
I'm kinda inclined to believe that 100Mbps is correct. Another reason why, is that crossover cables are also used for hub-to-hub cascading, which wouldn't be real viable if it caused a speed loss of 90%.

**- this doesn't seem right because Cat5 cables, whether they're straight-thru or crossover, have both transmit and receive wires.

http://cert.uni-stuttgart.de/archive/debian/user/2002/03/msg01519.html
http://cert.uni-stuttgart.de/archive/debian/user/2002/03/msg01523.html
http://cert.uni-stuttgart.de/archive/debian/user/2002/03/msg01257.html
http://cert.uni-stuttgart.de/archive/debian/user/2002/03/msg01244.html
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Paul · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 12:00 pm Post subject:

Lizard,

KISS mine!

Only kidding, couldn't resist the one liner!

I didn't say wireless was a good idea, just another option. I have a cable modem at home and use a Linksys wireless access point with a built in router and 4 port switch and I LOVE IT!

I'm the network manager for Foot Locker and am responsible for the design and installation of a 15 country 10,000 PC network and 30 phone systems. If you want some discounts at Foot Locker or Champs, let me know, we have friends and family discounts once and awhile.

I deal only in layers 1 and 2 and a little of 3 and really appreciated the help you and Smoothie gave me on my BIOS problem.

Alex Roy · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 12:29 pm Post subject:

I could be wrong, but last time I built a 4 wire crossover cable, it was only 10mbps.

Smoothie · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 1:19 pm Post subject:

General interest stuff on LAN cable connector wiring:
http://home.cfl.rr.com/bjp/RJ45pins.htm
http://opcenter.cites.uiuc.edu/nas/nash/uiucnet.info/cables.html
http://support.jp.dell.com/docs/network/ed402/En/specs.htm#8551

Well.. maybe not tooo interesting.
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox