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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
 Posted - 24 October 2002 : 09:57:39
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I just got a new home computer!!! I'm looking for the easiest/cheapest way to connect my home pc with my laptop.
I've done minimal networking in the past so assume I know nothing  |
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Edited by - Steve D. on 24 October 2002 10:16:13 |
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HuwR
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
20595 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 10:07:10
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a standard network is your best option, and cards are very cheap these days.
there are also basic usb networking packages available also, depends on your budget really.
I have mine on a wireless network, so can use my laptop most places in my flat.
If you will be sharing a net connection, what kind do you have, as this may also affect your decision |
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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 10:13:22
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Actually both machines have NIC cards already.
I would like to share an internet connection, what kind is still up in the air. We just bought a new house (yeah me!) and are moving in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I can convince my wife to get either a cable modem or dsl.
So I guess, what I'll need to get next is a hub?
One of the biggest things I want to do is transfer all my personal files from my laptop to my home pc. Approximately 6 gigs of music, video, and other stuff. So speed is somewhat important.
As for cost, I don't mind spending some money, I just don't want to spend alot, if it's not necessary. |
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seven
Senior Member
USA
1037 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 10:31:59
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| Just get a Category five (CAT5) that is constructed to swap the transmit and receive paths. I think you can pick one up at Walmart. |
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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
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ruirib
Snitz Forums Admin
Portugal
26364 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 10:55:30
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If you appreciate going with the portable everywhere in your house and still be connected to your desktop computer and to the Internet, consider wireless as an option. Of course, using a cable as airilim described is the easiest and cheapest option.
I started with two desktop computers connect through coaxial cable. Later, as I added a portable, had to buy a 8 port hub and use UTP cable. I recently acquired a wireless access point and a wireless PCMCIA adapter. I tell ya, it's great to have Internet from all around the house  .
Wireless will give ya 11 Mbps. It's not as much as you can get through a wired UTP network (100 MBits) but I consider it good enough for home use. Heck, two years ago we were still using 10 Mbit/s Ethernet at work... |
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Bookie
Average Member
USA
856 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 11:07:15
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| Before I had a "real network" at home I used to connect my laptop to my desktop using a parallel cable and Internet Connection Sharing in Windows 98. Oh my goodness, that was so slow. I used to also play Delta Force and HalfLife connected through a parallel cable but it would freeze waiting for all the bits to go through. You can transfer files that way but it's probably faster doing it one file at a time with a floppy disk! |
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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
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seven
Senior Member
USA
1037 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 11:08:17
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Another cheaper alternative is a powerline product, you plug 1 end into a USB or network port on your PC and the other into a standard wall electrical outlet.
I've been doing some research on the product line, and it appears to be a good alternative with up to a 14mbs data transfer rate. The cost is $99US per unit, cheaper
than wireless that I have seen.
Read up on the technology here: http://www.linksys.com/edu/part6.asp
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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 11:39:40
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| fyi the cat5 with the tx and rx swapped is often referred to as a 'crossover cable' - it looks just the same as a regular cat5 , but will join 2 boxen directly. But wifi/wireless aln is more fun and way way cooler ;-) |
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Bookie
Average Member
USA
856 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 11:55:24
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| I just priced out wireless. :( At minimum I would need an access point and a card for my laptop. That would run me at least $200. My wife is always complaining about the wires so maybe I could talk her into it. (Doubt it). Right now I have a small hub that hooks to my dsl modem/router which sits right next to my desktop. It would be nice to put the modem/router and wireless access point in my basement and not have to worry about running cat5 cable throughout the house. |
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Steve D.
Average Member
USA
640 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 12:00:30
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| I'll probably get a x-over cable for the interim, and then once we settle in to the house I'll look in to a network. Hopefully I can convince that wireless is the way to go. Her old company had it, and she was always jealous because she didn't get to have it. Maybe I can bribe her with that. |
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ruirib
Snitz Forums Admin
Portugal
26364 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 12:06:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookie
I just priced out wireless. :( At minimum I would need an access point and a card for my laptop. That would run me at least $200. My wife is always complaining about the wires so maybe I could talk her into it. (Doubt it). Right now I have a small hub that hooks to my dsl modem/router which sits right next to my desktop. It would be nice to put the modem/router and wireless access point in my basement and not have to worry about running cat5 cable throughout the house.
Of course, buying an Access point is the way to go. However, most wireless manufacturers support a minimum number of computers that can talk to each other based solely on NICs/PCMCIA cards. Usually these applies to a low number of computers (3 for Linksys, which is what I have, 3 also for Belkin). So if you are mindful of the money being spent, this may be an option... I'm not sure about the operating distances though. It's shorter than with the WAP, of course). |
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 12:24:03
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Or if you want to have a real giggle get a usb/firewire bluetooth card for the desktop and a bluetooth pcmcia card for the laptop. That way as you get more bluetooth 'stuff' (coming as standard in many mobile phones here now) they can all chat hapily :-)
And you can use your mobile as a modem through GPRS for your laptop on the move, too, which is cute :) |
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 24 October 2002 : 12:25:11
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| But re-reading the title of the topic you did ask for the easiest, not most expensive way of connecting 2 PC's ;-) |
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