Can I just plug my laptop into my desktop with an ethernet cable?

It seems kind of silly that I'd have to buy a router just to plug these two things together.  I have Win 2000 on the desktop and 98 on the laptop.

What are you trying to do with the 2?

Transfer files between the 2?
- Install netbeui on both systems and get a crossover cable to connect them together.

or

Internet access for the 2 at the same time?
- Get a router.

To network two computers together, all you need is a cross-over cable.  This is not a regular ethernet cable.  For a more detailed explanation, reference the following link:

www.littlewhitedog.com/content-8.html

all I'm trying to do is transfer my photos and mp3s from my desktop to the laptop so I can reformat the HD on my desktop.  

Then get the crossover cable that Nimrod talks about and install the netbeui protocol.

Netbeui doesn't need to be configured so the 2 computers should see each other after its installed on both.

OK, pretend like I don't know shit about computers

What's a netbui?

OK...

Computer use different protocols to communicate with each other.
When using the internet you are using the TCP/IP protocol.

Netbeui is a protocol that MS designed for doing exactly what your doing. (file sharing without to much hassle)

To install it..
Win2k (just do step 1)

Win98

Just plug in the crossover cable to the network cards, get the IP address of one machine and map a drive to it, then copy your files.

On the other hand of you setup everything through a router you can shares files and internet connection anytime without changing anything later.

Quoted: It isn't necessary to install NetBEUI.  Both machines, assuming they have net cards, will have TCP/IP installed by default.

Having talked many inexperienced users through this over the phone I've found it's easier just to install netbeui than reconfigure TCP/IP. They would always call back because they'd forget to revert the settings and their internet connection wouldn't work.


norman74

You will also need to turn on the guest account on the Win2k desktop.

If you don't do this the 98 Box will not be able open any of the shares on the Win2k system. The alternative is to share everything on the Win98 systems and connect to it with the Win2k system.

Here's how:

1. Right click on My Computer and select Manage
2.  In the left hand pane click on the plus next to Local Users and Groups
3. Click on the Users folder
4. In the right hand pane  double click on the Guest account
5. Uncheck the Account is Disabled box and click OK

If you don't do this the 98 Box will not be able open any of the shares on the Win2k system. The alternative is to share everything on the Win98 systems and connect to it with the Win2k system.

Uhh, he needs to know how to do a crossover cable.

End One:

White-Orange, Orange, White-Green, Blue, White-Blue, Green, White-Brown, Brown

Other end:

White-Green, Green, White-Orange, Blue, White-Blue, Orange, White-Brown, Brown

When you get an "Ethernet Crossover Cable", make sure the colors "match differently" as described above, if you don't get link lights (green light on plug in) when you plug them together, you probably do not have a crossover cable.

I am talking about Ethernet to Ethernet connection, if you are going to do USB or Firewire networking, that is a bit different.

Either of the methods will work to transfer files between your PC's.  If you are running on a cable or DSL broadband service you should always be running behind a hardware firewall/router.

Hm, don't enable the Guest account on the Win2000.  Easier to enable sharing on the Win98.  Win2000 like any NT4 based OS is a multpile user OS that uses user profiles, if he accesses the Win2000 machine from Win98 he needs to find his profile (C:\Documents and Settings\HisUserName, or if it's upgraded from a previous OS, C:\WINNT\Profiles\HisUserName), unless the stuff he wants are on the root of the C drive.   Win98 by default stores everything on the root level, therefore easier to locate the files to copy.

What's easier is buy a USB flash drive, 256MB only costs $60 or so.  It's old fashioned as SneakerNet but far easier.

Norman74, if you have broadband, get a router with the built-in switch!  Then you can connect your two PC's with straight thru -Cat5 cable and not have to get a Crossover cable also the Router will be act as a Firewall.  Troy is exactly right, you don't have to have Netbui, you can just set the IP setting just as he gave them and both machines will see each other.