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lhhai · Jul 27, 2005, 08:46 PM

Hi all,

I have 2 laptop. Each of them has a Ethernet card (I use it to connect to ADSL router to access internet). Can I transfer a file from one lapto to the other through the ethernet card ? I have a cable but I do not how to configure the operation system (Both of them uses Windows XP SP2).

Could you give me some instruction ?

Thanks a lot

Hai Ly

LTheobald · Jul 28, 2005, 01:07 AM

This should do the trick:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...22120121120120

ScottGem · Jul 28, 2005, 05:20 AM

If both are connected to a broadband router to share the internet, then you have a LAN. You can turn on File and Print sharing on both machines and then share and transfer files between them. Look up File and Print Sharing in Windows Help for details on how to do this.

If you want to just directly connect the two, then the instructions LT linked you to will help, but you need a "crossover" cable to do it. A regular ethernet cable won't do the job.

lhhai · Jul 28, 2005, 10:13 AM

Hi LTheobald and ScottGem,

My 2 laptop are now connected and I can tranfer the data between them. :)
And I feel please to share my experience to the forum.
Firstly, I want to make my situation clearer:
- I have 2 laptop and each of them has a ethernet card (which are used to connect to internet through ADSL router) and I want to connect my 2 laptop with ethernet cable (not serial or LPT cable). The link of LTheobald is all about LPT and serial cable, and it is certainly not suitable for me (but it give me a good search keyword: "direct connection" to search with google).
- My ADSL router just has one port; that means at one time, there is only one laptop can connect to the internet. So I do not have a LAN with such router. So the first suggestion of ScottGem is not suitable for me, but the second suggestion works well but we have some more works to do (plug the cross over cable between 2 laptop do not make them connected).

The keywords inspired by both of your post: "direct connection" and "cross-over" is very valuable. With some search with Google, I found my solution.
- First, make/buy your own cross-over cable
- Plug it between 2 laptop
- Right click the connection : Local Area Connection, Choose Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Click Properties and Set it an ip address
(for more detail see this webpage . Do it on 2 laptop with different IP.
- Enjoy the result.

LTheobald and ScottGem, thank you for your help.

Cheer :)

Hai Ly

LTheobald · Jul 29, 2005, 01:34 AM

:D Glad we could help

ScottGem · Jul 29, 2005, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by lhhai

My ADSL router just has one port; that means at one time, there is only one laptop can connect to the internet. So I do not have a LAN with such router.

Are you sure this is a router and not the ADSL "modem". The purpose of a broadband router is to share an Internet connection between two or more devices. Therefore it makes no sense to have a router with only one port. So I suspect you are referring to your ADLS "modem" (which is, in truth, a specialized router that shares the carrier's Internet connection with one device). Had you referred to this as your modem, my answer would have been different. I would have suggested purchasing a router so you could have both computers using the Internet at the same time as well as hook them together for sharing files. If the laptops have wireless built in (many new ones do), then you could get a wireless router and connect anyplace in your home.

One last point, while LT's link mentioned serial and parallel connections, Direct Cable Connection will work with an Ethernet or USB connection as well. But an Ethernet connection from NIC to NIC requires a crossover cable as I indicated.