How to Connect Two Computers With a Hub

Connecting two or more computers will allow you to share data, files and printers. Most new computers come equipped with Ethernet network cards already installed. Most operating systems have built in tools to allow easy networking and file sharing. Before you know it, you’ll be networking like a pro.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Network cards
• Hub
• Two CAT5 strait-through cables

1. Power up both computers and the hub. Find your computers' ethernet sockets. They are located on the outside of your computers and look just like phone jacks, only a little bit bigger. Ethernet jacks are part of your network cards and are built-in to all modern computers. Network cards allow your computer to talk to other computers and the Internet.

2. Plug one end of a CAT5 cable into computer A’s ethernet socket, and the other end of the same cable into the hub.

3. Plug one end of the other CAT5 cable into computer B’s ethernet socket, and the other end of the same cable into the hub.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are connecting only two computers, you can do so without the use of a hub. Just use one cross-over CAT5 cable to connect the computers directly to each other’s network card.
• To make folders on computer A accessible from computer B, right click on any folder in computer A and choose "Sharing" to make them shared. Vice versa to do the same for B to A.