Best way to link laptop w/ PC?

[joshg]

I am to be receiving my new lappy sometime soon in the mail, and I know for a fact that I will be moving files constantly back and forth between it and my desktop. Can anyone give me tips as to the best way to link a laptop and a desktop together for filesharing? Thanks!

- Josh

 

[hans007]

uh ethernet? crossover cable. you can do it with firewire if both run WIN ME. usb cables work i think on some win9x OSes. but ethernet would be best

 

[joshg]

OK, so I just buy another NIC for my desktop and have the lappy connected to that extra NIC on my desktop? Also how would I set that up? I will be running either win98se on the lappy, might go to Win2000. Currently running 98se on the desktop, thinking of switching to 2000 there as well, too, maybe XP when it comes out if it's like/better than 2000 with way more speed.

Please let me know, I'm new to the whole networking computers together thing

Thanks!

- Josh

 

[Zach]

You already have a NIC on the PC? It would be best to get another, but if that NIC aint being used for a cable modem or DSL modem you can use it. Best if they both go to a broadband router.

 

[joshg]

Yeah I'm already using the NIC for my internet connection but I have seen where people used two NICs on one computer to share their internet connection with another PC?

Also what are my other options? How fast does Serial Cable connection go? Also, Printer cable connection? What about those USB connectors I've seen on some online stores before? I know USB can move at least a pretty good amount of data.. (I.E. BUSlink USB File Transfer Cable, etc)...

Thanks again,
- Josh

 

[hans007]

i wouldn't buy another nic. just use a hub. if only one computer is using the internet connection you can still do it with a hub (yes i've tried this) . also you can get a router and share with both. you just use file sharing. you have to enable it in control panel -> network in 98 though

 

[theplanb]

Hubs may require extra power plug socket

 

[4824guy]

You can also move files between 2 pc's with Windows built-in Direct Cable Connection program and a parallel cable. You don't have to install any hardware to do this.

 

[TheCrusher]

The direct cable connection is the simplest/cheapest way to go for simple file sharing. It's slow, but the whole thing will cost you about $10.

 

[joshg]

Hi thanks, I asked this question earlier but I guess it got skipped over? How fast is direct connection via Parallel, and via Serial? Does anyone have some kind of bandwidth tests, etc? (As in, __ MB/sec, __ KB/sec, or whatever?)

Thanks again!
- Josh

 

[joshg]

PS to that last post, I don't know if this will affect it in any way.. The laptop is 550MHz, 256MB PC100, 8GB, the desktop is 1.33GHz, 512MB PC2100, 40GB 7200RPM ATA100... what kinda speeds in bytes/sec format (MB/sec, KB/sec etc) should I be kind of expecting with this setup using either Serial or Parallel direct connection?

 

[Quickfingerz]

I'd get a 10/100 switch just in case saves you time in the long run.

 

[joshg]

Yeah I won't really be moving very much files, just some small documents, emails, etc mostly I bet.. I don't think I have need for a switch or anything, just something real simple and cheap, fast to set up...

- Josh

 

[MrBond]

Go serial cable then. It's slow (no faster then both serial ports will go, usually 112k), but it will do for what you need. When the files get larger, just get another NIC, and set both PC's in the same workgroup. Share the folders you want to move files amont, and have at it

 

[lacunae]

stick with the original plan (extra nic + crossover cable)... its cheap (<$20), fast (100Mbps), and if you setup ICS on the desktop you can use your internet connection on your laptop as well.

the other options (par, ser, usb) are pretty slow: upto 5Mbps usb, 0.7Mbps par, 0.4Mbps ser (according to the LapLink website &amp; using their cables/software) also, that serial speed seems high to me... tried moving a couple files (~3MB each) from one of my computers to a friend's computer (w/o nic) using a serial connection and windows' direct cable connection... started it, went out to lunch, came back an hour later &amp; it was barely into the first file still -- moving yes, but oh-so-slow! (ended up cancelling it and connecting his hard drive to my machine)

also, a broadband router (or a hub/switch) is a good solution, but is clearly more than you need right now. with only 2 machines, its hard to justify the additional expense. you can add one later if you have more machines to hook up (and then you could steal the extra nic out of the desktop to use on the new machine)

oh yeah, all the speeds up above are Mbps = megabits/sec, NOT megaBytes (MB)...

also, it makes life easier if you make your second NIC a different brand from the first, just so its easier to identify which you're working with when you're setting everything up.

 

[joshg]

Yeah lacunae thanks for the tips.. I think I'll just buy a new NIC, I was wanting to get a Netgear FA312 anyway.. Also about the Mbps, yeah for 100Mbps it's actually 12.5 MB/sec, 10mbps is 1.25 MB/sec, ideal bandwidth on a 100mbps I would probably get about 5-6MB/sec I bet, not too bad I'll just buy a NIC for around $15

Thanks again everyone..

- Josh

 

[Zach]

Second NIC is best, but really I like the Netgear 310's better... been around a long time, well supported by OS's.