Help on connecting 2 computers using an ethernet crossover cable?

Question

Here's my setup:

Compaq PC in the basement with an ethernet card and a USB wireless adapter that connects to the internet through our Linksys WCG200 wireless cable gateway.

HP PC in the living room with an ethernet card and a USB wireless adapter that also connects to the internet through the gateway.

Both running Windows XP Home SP2.

I bought a CAT5e (which should be backwards-compatible with regular CAT5, correct?) crossover cable to network the HP and the Compaq together to share files, but I can't get them to see each other. The HP HAS TO stay connected to the internet through the wireless adapter - there's no other way. I'm willing to give up the wireless connection to the Compaq in the basement if it means I have to share the HP's internet connection with the Compaq over the ethernet cable. My question is, how do I configure the two computers so they see each other with the crossover cable? If there are any internet resources, could you point me to them?

Answer 1

Well, if you are connected to a gateway, they will already be networked together through that gateway! A gateway will issue "Local" address to each computer and that is a LOCAL network so you should already be connected! Just enable file and printer sharing and put them on the same workgroup. (use the network wizard) you ARE connected without any additional steps or the cable!

Now if you really just want a cable between them you will have to setup a SECOND network. You need to know what IP range has been issued by the gateway. -- Click Start - Run - type cmd in the run line and hit enter.
on the black screen type "ipconfig /all" without the "" and read the IPs. you will see something like 192.168.x.x and a gateway address 192.168.1.1 etc

Then on the ethernet card, from Control panel, Network Adapters - (you should see both the wireless and the Local Area adapter) Click on the Local Area adapter and the "Internet - TCP/IP" line.. click the use the following address
be sure to enter an address that is NOT IN THE SAME range as the wireless one. If the wireless used 192.168.1.100 then make the LAN card 192.168.10.1 on the other machine you will use 192.168.10.2 (be sure they are different) do not enter any gateway (since there isn't one without a router!) That will generate a NEW network and they can then communicate on either the wireless or the wired adapters.

Don't know why you want to go to all that trouble since you already have the two connected wirelessly but that will allow you to have wired as well.

Good Luck

Answer 2

If they are connected and file and printer sharing is enabled but they won't show up, open My Computer, Right Click C: and then properties. Choose the sharing tab and click the link. Under Network sharing and security, tick the Share this folder on the network. Tick the allow network users to change my files aswell. Give the hard drive the name you want to be seen for that drive on the network. Do the same on the other computer. After completion restart both computers. If this still won't work, e-mail me @ [e-mail]