home networking x2

[regan1985]

ok i need some help my networking skills have been tested and im stuck!!

atm i have to machines in my room both connected to a different router for the internet both using wireless!!

what i want to do is keep this and add a cable between the two using ethernet cards and a hub! i have these already! 10/100mbs hub!! i only want to do this so i can transfer files and play files on one machine to the other!! how do i do this??

ps one is on xp and the other is on vista!!

cheers

 

[Thermopylae_480]

I'm confused. Are both routers in the same room? Why not simply connect both computers to the same router using ethernet cable?

 

[regan1985]

no neither router is in my room, only the hub which i hope to connect via wires to is in my room aswell as my 2 pcs

 

[regan1985]

thats the thing i dont want to connect them via the router because there very slow and i only connect to them at 11mb

 

[Jess Stingray]

Hmm... if you want to share the files directly between the two PC's, you need one of these:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-132-BE&groupid=46&catid=150&subcat=

One end into one PC, same the other end, you're done.

 

[regan1985]

got some , ive got the cable and a netgear ethernet hub model en 104tp i used it years ago when i had a home wired network!

its all pluged in and picked up on both pc, but i get a limited or no connectivity symbol,and im not sure how to connect them without looseing my wireless network

 

[Jess Stingray]

Well, you should be set then, it should work as soon as you connect it all, provided they are on the same Workgroup.

 

[regan1985]

it keeps wanting to connect via my wireless card tho?

 

[Jess Stingray]

Try connecting htem directly together, without the hub.

 

[regan1985]

yeh same problem

 

[Jess Stingray]

Are sure you are using a Crossover cable, not a patch cable?

 

[regan1985]

that could be it, its a patch cable is that wrong?

 

[Jess Stingray]

To connect systems directly together, a crossover cable is needed.

 

[regan1985]

even if im going via a hub?

 

[mtaylor89]

transfering files over the network are EXTEMELY slow, i do not recommend it, esp if you are running vista, vista sucks for transfering files over the network

 

[regan1985]

it does but its the only way atm,so if you can help please do

 

[lemonadesoda]

1./ You can connect the 2 routers together, with a REGULAR patch cable (not crossover). Make sure you connect via one of the "hub" ports, and dont connect via an internet port, or you will have half your network on the wrong side of a NAT. You will NOT find an "uplink" port on a router. An "uplink" port usually requires a crossover FYI

2./ I do think your suggestion of a hub/router with your PC's in your room is the best idea, even though it adds more hardware which isnt strictly necessary. The reason... you can add MORE devices to your hub, like printers and WAP and webcams etc. It is also cheaper on cabling. Which could add up to a lot of money if you need to add LONG cable runs between your PCs and the 2 routers. Much better to have a single run along the shortest path.

3./ My tip is to junk the old netgear hub you have. It is VERY VERY slow compared to their newer gigabit hubs/switches. Go for the FSV124G (4 ports) or GS105 (5 ports) or GS108 (8 ports). If you get the GS108T it is a MANAGED hub/switch. That's interesting, because it will allow you to control the bandwidth to each port. Good if you are internet sharing with a family member, or with yourself on 2 different PCs. So you could have a torrent server/client on one PC and limit the bandwidth, so that you dont choke your main PC for online gaming and downloads etc. It also has a bandwidth monitor and logger which may be of use depending on what you are doing.

4./ Repeat the tip. If you will transfer files across 2 PCs you've got to use gigabit network between them. You will be amazed how slow transfering CD's or DVD's worth of data is on an old 10/100 network. Do yourself a favour.

5./ You could also consider getting rid of the wireless routers and replacing them with Wireless Access Points that can BRIDGE a network and TALK TO EACH OTHER to create a single network... rather than your existing system of them providing access to laptops and wireless cards in a hub and spoke system.

My network:

1 x FVL328 Router and 8 port hub (this is the main internet access)
2 x WAG302 Wireless Access Points BRIDGING two buildings together
1 x GS108 (main backbone between PCs and fileservers)
1 x FS105 (for printer and fax stand)

Although I have enough ports on the GS108 for the printers too, I didnt want to have to send 4x long cable runs to the printers, so I stuck a FS105 at the end of a long cable to ONE GS108 port, and hung the 2 printers, fax and scanner off the FS105.

Hope the info helps

 

[regan1985]

cheers i will look into it, might end up spend £40 on a new usb hard drive as i didnt plan on buying anything but i would get more out of that id imagine

 

[snackbarber]

how to connect the two with your hub/eth

Regan, you got some other suggestions but no one really told you how to do what you are trying to do with what you do have.

1. Connect both computers to hub via ethernet cables.
2. In Network control panel right click on your LAN connection(not the wireless one) and do properties
3. Select Internet Protocol(TCP/IP) I dunno if its called the same in Vista. Assign an IP address to the 1st pc like 192.168.1.10(make sure this isn't the same ip range that your wireless network is using) and a subnet of 255.255.255.0. Leave gateway and DNS server fields blank.
4. Now do the same on the other pc except give it the address 192.168.1.20. Leave gateway and DNS server fields blank.
5. On xp machine goto start>run> type cmd and at the command window try to ping the address of the other machine(192.168.1.20). you should get some replys. If you don't you might have a firewall on the other machine blocking the pings.
6. Share folders on each computer by right-clicking and choosing properties. Go to the sharing tab and click the box to allow sharing. Lets say the folder is called "games". On the other machine you should be able to go to start>run> and type int \\192.168.1.10\games and be able to view that folder and its contents.

If that didn't get you going post back.