Connecting two PCs through ethernet

[KansaiRobot]

Hello This is my first post

I would very much appreciate some pointers on this:

I have in the past, connected two computers (among other devices) using the serial port and the USB port. but have never used ethernet

I looked for video tutorials on this but I only find how to connect the two PCs, use the ping command to check if they are connected and that is where the tutorials finish!!!

what I want to know is how can I do something similar to what I do with serial ports in which I have some application that sends data through the port on one pc, and in the other pc for example the hyperterminal to see what data is being sent.

How can I do something like this with an ethernet cable???

Thanks a lot for the help!

Kansai

 

[JackMDS]

How do you get the Internet?

What else do you have beside the two PCs?






How you get the Interent?

 

[kornphlake]

Tutorials only go as far as making each PC pingable because beyond that it really depends on your application, the software you're using to send and receive data between the PCs has to support Ethernet and has to be configured to do so.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you want to share files between them, then get a wireless router, plug both PC's ethernet ports into the LAN ports, and then start sharing directories on the machines.

In order to access them, you must know the username and password on each machine to access the file shares. IOW, there must be an account on both machines.

Another way, is if you have Windows 7, and use HomeGroups. That will let you share your Documents, Pictures, Music, and Movies folders among the PCs in the HomeGroup.

 

[piasabird]

Helps if yu have a router 2 patch cords and 2 pc's with ethernet. This is easiest in windows. usually if you get internet the provider shows up with some kind of modem anyway.

Theoretically if one PC has 2 ethernet ports you can use like a crossover cable and connect the second PC to the first. This actually created 2 networks or 1 wide are network with a subnet. Getting that to configure on your computers may be difficult. That is why a router with dhcp that configures automatically almost in windows is a better idea.

 

[Lemon law]

I very much disagree with piasabird, as I have been using a cross over cable and windows ICS to network my PC and my wife's PC together ever since 2004. No expensive and frequently needing to be replaced routers needed. And windows ICS works with almost any modem, can be rock solid reliable if properly configured, and other than the initial expense of a crossover cable, costs nothing to change as new broadband options become available. And if I had a nickle for every router reported broken on this forum, I would be a very wealthy man.

But I would be less than honest if I advocated windows ICS for everyone. As windows ICS is basically limited to two and only two windows computer, and for famdamilies having 3 or more users, unlike me with only two, yes you will likely need a router to connect network all your computers together. So I will not per say bad mouth routers either.

As my net working advice is and remains, know all your networking options and pick the best one for your individual situation. Advices is cheap from experts aka drips under pressure, but remember its you and not them that are going to pay your internet monthly bill for internet access.

As for the myths and old wives tales about ICS becoming unstable with higher speeds, as my new connection rate now exceeds 12/mbits/sec down, I am glad to report it is nothing but total bullshit.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yes, but is your ICS computer running XP, or Windows 7, LL?

XP's ICS was stable. I've heard bad things about Vista's, and now Win7's, ICS features.

 

[KansaiRobot]

Thank you very much for all the responses.

I suppose I will use a crossover cable.

But I am not asking how to connect the computer (I am assuming I will be able to do it without problems after setting the appropriate ips etc)

what I am asking is, ok, suppose I already have the pcs connected through ethernet. I dont want to share files or see the other pcs folders. What I have is :

On one pc an application that constantly sends data through the ethernet cable

I need on the other pc an application to see this data (something like the hypertherminal that I used for serial communication). Is there an application like this??

Thank you for all your help:thumbsup:

 

[JackMDS]

On one pc an application that constantly sends data through the ethernet cable

That means configuring the general capacity of file sharing (even if it might be not file sharing per-se) so the Data can be transmitted/streamed from one computer to the other.

However as I posted before, if you would explain how your Internet/Network system is connected and what type of OS' are involved, it will be very easy to give further useful information.

The crossover cable is for exchanging data when the computers are not connected to anything else just between themselves, otherwise the situation is different and you need a real small Network.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/setting-up-a-home-network

 

[kornphlake]

I need on the other pc an application to see this data (something like the hypertherminal that I used for serial communication). Is there an application like this??

Thank you for all your help:thumbsup:

What kind of data is being sent across the network, if the data is http traffic a web browser should allow you to view the data, if it's something like a feed from a web cam the manufacturer of the web cam should provide the application for viewing the data. AFAIK there isn't a hyperterminal like program that will view all data that comes across an ethernet port, there are too many data formats that can use the ip interface to be able to decode all of them in one single program.

You are being quite vague in your questions, is this an actual project where you have some real objective or is this just a thought exercise?

 

[KansaiRobot]

What kind of data is being sent across the network, if the data is http traffic a web browser should allow you to view the data, if it's something like a feed from a web cam the manufacturer of the web cam should provide the application for viewing the data. AFAIK there isn't a hyperterminal like program that will view all data that comes across an ethernet port, there are too many data formats that can use the ip interface to be able to decode all of them in one single program.

You are being quite vague in your questions, is this an actual project where you have some real objective or is this just a thought exercise?

Thank you for your answer. Well the data is just string (characters) as far as I know.

My situation is the following. I have received two applications (exe files) without knowledge of the code or documentation about it. I only know that they send data (one through the serial port, the other through the ethernet port). I think the data that they send is just a series of characters.

The PC (with these applications) is going to be connected to a microprocessor (either through serial or ethernet)

The project I am working on involves debugging a program for this microprocessor. I am working on the code for this.

BUT

I want to check first what kind of data are these applications sending and if what they send is the same.

So, I am planning of connecting this PC to another PC and open an hypertherminal like application so that I can see the string of characters that is being sent.

I am looking for an application to do this...

 

[KansaiRobot]

That means configuring the general capacity of file sharing (even if it might be not file sharing per-se) so the Data can be transmitted/streamed from one computer to the other.

However as I posted before, if you would explain how your Internet/Network system is connected and what type of OS' are involved, it will be very easy to give further useful information.

The crossover cable is for exchanging data when the computers are not connected to anything else just between themselves, otherwise the situation is different and you need a real small Network.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/setting-up-a-home-network

it is much simpler than that. I just plan to connect the two computers with one cable. Both operating windows.

I have done this before for serial ports but it is my first time with ethernet

 

[masteryoda34]

Thank you for your answer. Well the data is just string (characters) as far as I know.

My situation is the following. I have received two applications (exe files) without knowledge of the code or documentation about it. I only know that they send data (one through the serial port, the other through the ethernet port). I think the data that they send is just a series of characters.

The PC (with these applications) is going to be connected to a microprocessor (either through serial or ethernet)

The project I am working on involves debugging a program for this microprocessor. I am working on the code for this.

BUT

I want to check first what kind of data are these applications sending and if what they send is the same.

So, I am planning of connecting this PC to another PC and open an hypertherminal like application so that I can see the string of characters that is being sent.

I am looking for an application to do this...

It sounds like you mean to say that you want to inspect the communication protocol for an application you have. Wireshark may be helpful.

 

[Lemon law]

Yes, but is your ICS computer running XP, or Windows 7, LL?

XP's ICS was stable. I've heard bad things about Vista's, and now Win7's, ICS features.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My experience is limited to XP computers.

 

[kornphlake]

Thank you for your answer. Well the data is just string (characters) as far as I know.

My situation is the following. I have received two applications (exe files) without knowledge of the code or documentation about it. I only know that they send data (one through the serial port, the other through the ethernet port). I think the data that they send is just a series of characters.

The PC (with these applications) is going to be connected to a microprocessor (either through serial or ethernet)

The project I am working on involves debugging a program for this microprocessor. I am working on the code for this.

BUT

I want to check first what kind of data are these applications sending and if what they send is the same.

So, I am planning of connecting this PC to another PC and open an hypertherminal like application so that I can see the string of characters that is being sent.

I am looking for an application to do this...

I'd start by finding some documentation on the software you have, this isn't some kind of homework project is it?

 

[mammador]

A standard patch cable (cat 5, cat 5e, cat 6) would do the job. Using a crossover cable only was in the early days of Ethernet. Now, most Ethernet cables available can connect nodes.

Within the network connections section of Windows (on each machine), IP addresses have to be statically assigned. Assign 192.168.1.1 on the first machine an 192.168.1.2 on the second. You would have to disconnect your usual Internet connection (,i.e. to your router), as the NICs cannot focus on both at the same time.

Create a folder on both desktops, and in Run use the IP address and the folder name to send information.

 

[yinan]

In the ethernet world, nothing is ever just sent as a series of characters. Everything has to be encapsulated into packets that have headers and all sorts of identifying information. It does not sound like what you want to do will work at all.

 

[KansaiRobot]

I'd start by finding some documentation on the software you have, this isn't some kind of homework project is it?

I wish it were.

In the corporate world (at least in this country), unfortunately things are not that simple. You receive some resources and are said "Ok, work with that".
My last resource will be trying to figure it out if the source code is somewhere in the company files.

 

[KansaiRobot]

In the ethernet world, nothing is ever just sent as a series of characters. Everything has to be encapsulated into packets that have headers and all sorts of identifying information. It does not sound like what you want to do will work at all.

Are you saying there is no way I can see what data is coming?
Is there not some program or application that reads those headers and identifying information but display only the raw data contained inside?

 

[Lemon law]

Are you saying there is no way I can see what data is coming?
Is there not some program or application that reads those headers and identifying information but display only the raw data contained inside?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
There are, IMHO, only somewhat trivial differences between data and packets. Its just a different way to denominate the same thing. I never worried my pretty head about data and packets, windows ICS takes care of it without my intervention. And yes, you need a crossover cable to set up windows ICS. With a router, networking uses a patch cable, but its the router itself and not the cable itself that does the cross.

As for me, I can set ICS networking with a crossover cable in usually five minutes flat providing both windows computers have all the necessary networking protocols. The network set up wizard takes care of all of that housework. And if properly set up the host computer almost always has an address of 192.168.0.1 and the client computer is dynamically assigned an address of 192.168.0.xxx where xxx can be any number between 2 and 254. After that I usually make what ever number assigned to the client computer into a static rather than dynamic address which greatly helps ICS stability.

After than, as long as file and printer sharing was selected, its easy to share printers.

But one more snake in paradise, third party firewalls can kill networking until you read the fine print in the firewalls to allow it.

 

[stuartl89]

You don't really need two computers to do this. All you really need is the one computer to run the app on and a protocol analyzer to capture and look at the data:

http://www.ethereal.com/

-S

 

[AprilGra]

I found the solution for myself - when I need to connect USB or Serial device over network or share the device between two PC's - https://www.flexihub.com/usb-over-ip-software.html

In my account I can see all connected devices and even invite the other users to access it.