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Data transfer: Laptop <--> Desktop

Muse

Muse

Lifer
I'm contemplating purchase of a laptop and I see the HD's range from 20 GB to 40 GB. I have a desktop with 2 large HDs and wonder if I can set up data transfers directly between the laptop's HD and the HDs in my desktop. I'm looking at the Dell 4150 and 8200 Inspirons and they come with built in ethernet, I believe. My desktop has an ethernet card but it's hooked up to an external modem for my DSL internet connection via my phone line. How might I set up the data connection I'd like? It would be nice to get an Internet connection for the laptop sometimes, too, at least for OS updates, virus definitions, etc. Thanks.
 
Originally posted by: Budman
Get a HUB then connect your modem to the hub & your 2 pcs,this way you can share files & the internet.
Click to expand...
Will any hub do? I'm going to a computer show tomorrow and I've seen them there but I don't know anything about hubs, routers and stuff like that. Is it an external thing? Each PC and the external DSL modem - all three of these things connect to the hub?
 
And another way is to remove your laptop's 2.5-in HDD and with an adapter, connect it to your Desktop. Then you have faster, "in house" access.
 
Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Get another NIC and either connect to laptop with a crossover cable or a hub.
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OK, this would be installing a 2nd PCI ethernet card in the desktop, right? Then I connect it to the onboard ethernet of the laptop for the connection? What are the pros and cons of using a hub and how would I set things up with a hub? Thanks.

 
If you get a router (there are deals on these very often) instead of a hub, you can connect it to the DSL modem, then plug both computers into it and you'll be able to share the internet and the files between the two computers.
You can also add more computers to the network if you have a friend come over with a laptop.

 
Second the router idea. Lynksys 4 port for new users, heard good things about SMC, stay away from Netgears FVS318 VPN router with 8 ports, any other Netgear should be fine.

just my opinion though, this way you can game on the desktop and while you are dead waiting to respawn you can surf the net with the laptop.😀 I do alot of surfing during games.
 
Originally posted by: Muse
Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Get another NIC and either connect to laptop with a crossover cable or a hub.
Click to expand...
OK, this would be installing a 2nd PCI ethernet card in the desktop, right? Then I connect it to the onboard ethernet of the laptop for the connection? What are the pros and cons of using a hub and how would I set things up with a hub? Thanks.
Click to expand...



Yes. If you only have 2 computers, a hub doesn't make sense. An extra network card in the desktop + a crossover cable to the laptop does the same. You'll be able to share the internet access by setting up ICS on the desktop, only drawback is the desktop has to be on when you want internet on the laptop.

A router lets you share the internet connection and network the 2 computers together. Desktop would only need 1 network card and it wouldn't have to be on all the time.
 
Yes. If you only have 2 computers, a hub doesn't make sense. An extra network card in the desktop + a crossover cable to the laptop does the same.
Click to expand...
I really disagree. Having two nics and a crossover cable is an awkward setup. By far the more natural thing to do is to get a router/switch combo. The benefits are:

1. Internet all the time. No need to turn on your desktop computer.
2. Expandable. Easily accomodate more computers in the future if the need arises.
3. Print easier. If you have an ethernet capable printer, life will be good. Even if you don't, you can get a router with a print server built in!
4. Network Address Translation (NAT) and VPN pass-through. Makes for safer surfing.

I would recommend you go all the way and get a wireless router/switch. Then you can roam the house with your notebook.

dlink - wireless + router + switch + print server
dlink - high speed wireless + router + switch
netgear - high speed wireless + router + switch
netgear - wireless + router + switch
linksys - wireless + router + switch
smc - wireless + router + switch + print server

Any of these products are compatible with your setup and are available at your local electronics superstore or computer retailer.
 
I use a wireless router and pcmcia / usb cards for data transfer, but if its large files I have a portable 2.5" hard drive setup with firewire/usb2 this gets roughly 10x the possible transfer speed of the wireless setup.
 
I do it with a USB crossover cable. does it just fine. You can also use a parallel cross over cable. Both are available at staples or any prominate computer hardware dealer. Most options listed in this thread so far are also good. You need to pick what is most effecient and cost competitive as well as useful.🙂
 
Originally posted by: Tripleshot
I do it with a USB crossover cable. does it just fine. You can also use a parallel cross over cable. Both are available at staples or any prominate computer hardware dealer. Most options listed in this thread so far are also good. You need to pick what is most effecient and cost competitive as well as useful.🙂
Click to expand...
Yes. To further explain my situation: I don't have that laptop yet but I am building a 2nd desktop that's going to be downstairs: MSI KT3 Ultra2 MB, which doesn't have built in firewire. There is a version of this MSI MB that does have firewire support but I already have the board. I don't know if it will support firewire, maybe with a PCI add-in card, don't know. My other MB (current main desktop system) is an Epox 8K7A, and I don't know about firewire support. It would be great to get internet access for the MSI downstairs system, obviously. I don't know much about networking but from what I've read in this thread it seems like some kind of router setup is the way to go if I want any kind of convenient way of getting internet access for both desktops + the laptop. I assume I'd need a CAT5 connection from the downstairs desktop to the router. I read in an article in Computer Shopper that wireless is pretty slow compared to an ethernet connection with CAT5, which I suppose is equivalent to what I'd have by connecting to a router. Or is wireless potentially reasonably fast?

Some kind of router solution sounds especially attrative in that I gather that I will be able to access the internet from any of these three computers without having the other ones on - that's something that did concern me. Somebody said I should keep my old AT system for a hardware firewall, but that would require having multiple systems on. I'm using Zonealarm 3.x now and it's free for non-business use and AFAIK it's decent protection.

 
CAT 5 is a 100Mbps theoretical connection

802.11b (currently the most popular wireless standard) is 11Mbps theoretical, and is affected greatly by signal quality. You might have more packetloss also, if you are planning to play games over the connection.

The buy.com pricemistake of the day today is netgear wireless router (w/4-port switch) for $50 after rebate...

I have this router and i'm happy with it. a bunch of my friends also have it. I've always liked netgear stuff though. I have 3 computers connected to it with ethernet cable, and sometimes unplug my laptop and use wireless if I want to write email in bed.

802.11a, which is faster, is also available now, but it's not backwards compatible with 802.11b and is a lot more expensive, and I don't think it goes through walls as well.. 802.11g is coming out some time and should also be faster, while remaining compatible with 802.11b.
Most people with wireless NICs have 802.11b currently.

zonealarm is pretty good protection, I like the anti-ad features of the pay version also.
 
Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Quite a few of the network companies sell hardware firewall/router/switch combos.
Click to expand...
I went to a computer show today and saw some routers. I think that all of them were D-Link. The models were DI-704P and DI-604, and the 704 was the same (AFAIK) except that it has Printer Server support. These are 4 connection, so you can hook up your:

DSL
PRINTER
Computer 1
Computer 2 (laptop, for instance)

The boxes said they have a built in firewall. I have no idea how this works. They have a wall wart for DC power, so (unless you have them on a switched power strip, for instance) they draw power 24/7, which doesn't appeal to me but there may be no way around it. The wall wart said it draws .5 amp on the AC end of things.

They were $60 and $70 for the one with print server support.
 
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