How to Install a Crossover Cable
If you need to connect two computers for a simple network for file sharing and want to avoid the expense of a network hub, a simple solution exists. Using a crossover cable and the existing software on a Windows machine you can be moving files and even sharing a printer in less than an hour. The crossover cable is similar to a regular network cable. What makes it different is the way one end is wired into the cable's plug. The cable is available at online retailers or your local computer store.
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Instructions
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Connecting Your Computers
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1
With both computers powered down connect the crossover cable to the network socket on both computers. Select one computer as the "host" computer and turn it on.
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2
Mouse down to the start button in the lower left of your screen, click and select Control Panel, then Network Connection. You will see the network card on your computer and it will have a yellow exclamation mark and the words "Limited or no connectivity".
Move your pointer over the icon and right-click. A list will open; choose the "Properties" selection and left-click to open. Another list will open; double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).Configure the connection manually so click on the "Use the following IP address", the grayed out boxes below the phrase will become active. Click on the first box and begin to the following data in the appropriate boxes:
IP address: 192.168.0.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.0.1 -
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3
In the same window you will see another radio button that with two phrases, "Obtain DNS server automatically: and "Select Use The Following DNS server addresses". Click on the radio button for the second one. Once again the grayed out boxes will become active. You only need to use the first box. Click on it and enter the following numeric data:
Preferred DNS server: 192.168.0.1Save your work by clicking the "OK" button and move to the second computer.
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4
Power up the second computer and navigate to the screen that you saw in step 2. The data that you will need to enter is the same except for the IP Address entry
IP address: 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.0.1
Move to the "Select Use The Following DNS server addresses" and enter the following data.
Preferred DNS server: 192.168.0.1
Click on the "OK" button. -
5
Restart both computers and you will find that they are now connected.
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Tips & Warnings
In order to have access to files between the machines you will need to set up file sharing on each machine. Right clicking on the drive icon in "My Computer" will guide your through that process.
This process will only work with two computers. It will also preclude you from having an Internet connection unless one of the computers, the "host" has two network cards. You have a Wi-Fi card in one you can use it to set up an Internet connection and use that to connect the second computer to the Internet. But if the "host" is turned off, the second will not be able to connect to the Web. There is also a distance limit. If the computers are more than 100 feet apart, the signal across the cable will be too weak to maintain the network.
