brihoppy

i want to connect my old laptop to my new pc in order to transfer all the files i have stored on it...i was told i needed an RJ45 cable which ive got but im having trouble connecting and really havent got a clue how to carry on...

any advice would really be appreciated...

cheers in advance...bri

Beefy

If youre using a direct connection between 2 pc's you need to use a crossover cable. A standard Cat 5 cable which is probably what youve got will be a straight through cable.

brihoppy

[quote=Beefy]If youre using a direct connection between 2 pc's you need to use a crossover cable. A standard Cat 5 cable which is probably what youve got will be a straight through cable.[/quote

its a cat5e crossover patch cable...

what do i do...?!?

Beefy

Hmm sounds like the correct cable then.

How are you trying to connect the 2 pc's?

brihoppy

first of all mate, thanks for the interest...tried looking in search but cant really make head nor tail of whats been said in there...!!!

so ive got the cable connected into basically the only ports that it will fit into on both my laptop and my new pc...

my network places in win xp seems to recognise that something is going on as it tells me i have limited connectivity and displays when i unplug the cable...

ive tried running the networking wizard but they just dont seem to see each other...???

Beefy

Home or small office networking overview:

If you have more than one computer, or other hardware devices such as printers, scanners, or cameras, you can use a network to share files, folders, and your Internet connection. For example, if you are working online, someone else can be surfing the Internet from another computer at the same time. If you have multiple computers and one or more other hardware devices such as printers, scanners, or cameras, you can also share access to those devices from all computers.

There are several ways to connect computers or create a network. For a home or small office, the most common model is peer-to-peer networking.

In a peer-to-peer network, also called a workgroup, computers directly communicate with each other and do not require a server to manage network resources. A peer-to-peer network is most appropriate when fewer than ten computers are located in the same general area. The computers in a workgroup are considered peers because they are all equal and share resources among each other. Each user decides which data on his or her computer will be shared with the network. By sharing common resources, users can print from a single printer, access information in shared folders, and work on a single file without transferring it to a floppy disk.

A home or small office network is like a telephone system. On a network, each computer has a network adapter that acts like a phone handset: just as you use a handset for talking and listening, the computer uses the network device to send and receive information to and from other computers on the network. With home or small office networking, you can:

Use one computer to secure your entire network and protect your Internet connection.
Share one Internet connection with all of the computers on the network.
Work on files stored on any computer on the network.
Share printers with all of the computers on the network.
Play multiplayer games.
Setting up your network is a two-part process:

Install and configure the appropriate hardware on each computer. Some hardware might require additional configuration to get connected to the Internet. For more information, click Related Topics.
Run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer in your home or small office network.
The Network Setup Wizard guides you through the steps needed to set up your network.

You can use a residential gateway device, through which all of your computers connect to the Internet. Or you can set up one computer to communicate to the Internet using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). All computers in your network can communicate with the Internet through a single connection at the same time. All members of your family can surf the Web, check their e-mail, and play Internet games through a single connection.

Notes

To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Setup Wizard.
The Network Setup Wizard is only supported on computers running Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Home Edition, and Windows XP Professional.
Your ISP might charge you for having multiple Internet connections. Check with your Internet service provider for details.

hectic

can you 'not .. save to disc snd then tranfers from disc to 'other' pc.. or.. set up a 'new' email account on the other pc themn email them from one to the other?

brihoppy

i really thought it was as simple as connecting up with the cable and cracking on with it...

i havent got a clue...and ive tried the networking wizard...doesnt seem to work for some reason

Beefy

If youre trying to network 2 XP machines then I dont know why the wizard wont work. If its a case of an older windows machine to an xp machine then I had lots of problems doing something similar with an old windows 98 laptop.

You have to make sure that both PC's are in the same Workgroup (right click my computer, properties, computer name, change and make sure the Workgroup is the same on both PC's). However I thought the wizard did this for you.

Im assuming youve no CD burner on the older laptop as its probably quicker to write a few cheap CD's and copy them that way (or use a memory key). An external USB CD writer could be another quickfix.

brihoppy

well i finally managed it...!!!

had to manually configure pretty much all of it as the networking wizards didnt work for some reason...

a warning to anyone who attempts this...make sure you know how to do it first if you dont want to get to the point where your shiny new computer is in danger of being smashed into a million pieces...!!!

thanks to all those who offered advice...

Beefy

Glad to hear you finally sorted it all out.