Networking my Vista laptop to my XP Pro desktop

[cboard_member]

So my laptop came this afternoon - woot, for sure, except there's a lot of stuff on my desktop I want to get onto it without having to resort to the million DVD march.

My first attempt was the old fashioned "plug it all in and prey". I have two possible cables: what I assume is a standard RJ45, which came with my Xbox 360, and the one currently connecting my desktop to the router.

Needless to say, the plug'n'pray didn't work. So I get to the network connection wizards.

I've tried all available options, I've created network setup disks (floppies!) and I even googled once or twice. I have no idea what's wrong.

One weird thing is that when the cables are all plugged in, both computers state that all cables are unplugged...

Workgroups are the same. Obviously, network diagnostics stuff detects nothing (it never does, in my experience).

Any advice / help for someone who is almost a total network newb?

[matsp]

Windows firewall enabled?

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Mats

[cboard_member]

On both, as far as I'm aware. Plus I have some kind of McAfee running on both.
Should I try it again with 'em both disabled?

[prog-bman]

Are you trying to wire to computers together using a single cable? Like plugging it into one network card to the other network card?

[cboard_member]

I am indeed. Suddenly I get the feeling I should be using a switch... or whatever they call it.

[matsp]

You may find that if you have older hardware on one end, a "crossed wire" is needed - this is a wire where the wires in one end is connected to the corresponding opposite at the other end (i.e. RX+ -> TX+, RX- -> TX-, TX- -> RX-, TX+ -> RX+). Or use a switch.

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Mats

[cboard_member]

You may find that if you have older hardware on one end, a "crossed wire" is needed - this is a wire where the wires in one end is connected to the corresponding opposite at the other end (i.e. RX+ -> TX+, RX- -> TX-, TX- -> RX-, TX+ -> RX+). Or use a switch.

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Mats

Alright you seriously have permission to talk to me like a 5 year old right now - that went straight over my head.

Either way, that sounds... involved. Isn't there another way?

[matsp]

Well, inside your cable, there's 6 or 8 different wires. These wires have different "names", such as TX-, TX+, RX-, RX+, etc.They normally go "straight", so TX- on one end goes to TX- on the other end. But if you want to connect two "same thing at either end", you need to connect RX (recieve data) to TX (transmit data), and vice versa - if you connect RX to RX, both ends are listening on the same piece of wire, and TX to TX, they are talking to each other using the same wire - a bit like one person listening to the microphone end and talking into the speaker end of a telephone handset.

Does this make sense now?

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Mats

[cboard_member]

Yep, thanks for the description! They wouldn't happen to be called crossover cables would they?

[matsp]

Yep, thanks for the description! They wouldn't happen to be called crossover cables would they?

Yes, crossover cable or crossed cable is the same thing - in old days you'd have "nullmodem" cables to do the same thing with serial ports.

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Mats

[Isolder]

My first attempt was the old fashioned "plug it all in and prey". I have two possible cables: what I assume is a standard RJ45, which came with my Xbox 360, and the one currently connecting my desktop to the router.

You should be able to connect both the desktop and the laptop to the router using the two cables (it sounds like they're both RJ-45 (ethernet) ) ?

Then it would be a simple matter of setting up file sharing. You could use Windows XP built in sharing / security by enabling sharing and additionally making sure that under the Security tab the user you'd be connecting with was added.

As an alternative you could use a FTP server/client to do the transfers. FileZilla for example: http://filezilla-project.org

[lightatdawn]

A crossover cat9 cable should do the trick as mentioned. You can make one yourself if you're that way inclined or pick one up at the store for way more than its worth. You also have the option of (very slow) serial connection if that fails and you have an old com cable kicking around (like from an old printer maybe).

The easiest way though is to just pick up a router and connect all computers to that. I'd highly suggest turning off windows firewall completly on both systems while your working with any of these methods. It will screw you otherwise. Also, for ease of use, ensure you have "Simple File Sharing" enabled in Explorer Window->Tools->Folder Options->View->Advanced Settings->Use Simple File Sharing. After setting up a network you may also likely have to reboot both systems. I've also had times where a windows box does not "see" the other boxes until quite a few hours have passed. Windows Networking is a little broken. Good luck.