Connecting two computers

[alkatran]

This is driving me insane. I took the DSL cable (or whatnot cable) from laptop #1 and unhooked it from the wall and hooked it into laptop #2.

They both attempt to make a connection, but fail. I used to be able to connect two computers together this way but can't anymore.

Any ideas?

[dglienna]

What kind of cable is coming from your modem (is it dsl or cable).

You probably have to make sure DHCP is turned on in laptop #2
(you can check by running ipconfig from a cmd prompt)

if you are getting an ip address, then you might have to log on if it's dsl.

Post back with some details. It seems that you aren't trying to connect two computers together, or at the same time. To connect them together you would need a cross-over cable (or else to use a hub)

[alkatran]

Well, I have a cross over cable, but it's not here. The cross over cable also wasn't working to connect my laptop to my PC (which I had done a few minutes earlier on that day, I simply ignored it).

Here I have DSL (I assumed it was essentially a cross-over cable, are they different?), not cable.


Before I would hook the two computers using the crossover cable and less than a second later they were connected and I could get at the shared folders. Then it didn't work... I assumed the cable was damaged (although I found no damage) or a settings was changed.

[dglienna]

You should be able to hardcode an IP address to each machine, if one isn't offering an IP address to the other. Just make them \\192.168.1.1 and \\192.168.1.2 and you should be able to see each other if the Workgroup name is the same. You can use the default Netmask. Just tab over it. (255.255.255.0 ??)
You can check IPCONFIG to see if you have done it correctly, and you should be able to ping the other machine (ping 192.168.1.1 [from \\192.168.1.2]) and the opposite. post back your progress.

[alkatran]

Ok, the workgroup name wasn't the same. I'll fix that and try.

But, what exactly do you mean by hardcode an IP, etc... I don't have much experience with this, other than "hook cable into both and go".

What should I expect at each step?

[dglienna]

Go to My Network Places, and then View Workgroup Computers. With any luck you'll see both machines!

If not, you can run the wizard to set up a home network
It will run you through the steps needed. Basically both machines need an IP address. You don't want to share the internet connection (if you only have one network connection per machine).

You can also click on Network Connections, and right click on Properties and manually give each an IP address.

If both are able to get on the Internet, and you change the setting, you will have to change the system back. The connection to the modem is not a crossover cable, btw. Most modems have DHCP built in, which assigns an IP address. If you turn it off to make it work, you will have to turn it back on.

Just a heads-up.

[alkatran]

Ok, before I do this I need to make sure on a few things.

1: I've used these laptops for internet access, and they don't have an IP assigned?
2: I never had to go through any of this before...

What happens:
I hook up the cable.
The LAN connection's status changes to "Aquiring network address"
...wait awhile...
LAN pops up message saying Connection is limited or has no connectivity
...Right click, repair connection
Freezes on renew IP (well, essentially freezes, I can't cancel it and have to wait for it to finish and tell me it didn't work)

[dglienna]

That means DHCP is turned on (acquiring IP address)

Go to view network connections, right click on yours (not the 1394 if it's there)
You should see a box with Internet Protocol (tcp/ip). Click Properties, and uncheck the box that says Optain IP address automatically. (You need to enable this to get back online). Look at the ip address on the other machine after it has been on the internet, take it's IP address (using ipconfig) and add 1 to it.
Put the address in the box, with a netmask, and click OK.
Then you should be able to plug the cable into this computer, and connect them

[alkatran]

Amazing, it works great. And I don't need to turn it off to access the internet (I assume it;s because it's through another connection) :afrog:

[dglienna]

If you picked an address that could have been given by the modem, then you are in luck! If you ever have a problem because the other machine had that address (which I doubt) then just power off the modem. It will start at its lowest address again.