Two PCs direct?

Hi,
I'm new to networking and just setting up a connection
between our current Win ME desktop and our new WinXP
desktop. I have read so many different systems plans that
I am lost. Can I simply insert NIC/LAN cards in each PC
and cable them together without going through hubs and
routers? I want to share the internet connection and the
printer. Grateful for any advice. Keep up the excellent
work. Best wishes, ph

In article <3d8201c42a62$7e112170$(E-Mail Removed)>, "ph"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Hi,
>I'm new to networking and just setting up a connection
>between our current Win ME desktop and our new WinXP
>desktop. I have read so many different systems plans that
>I am lost. Can I simply insert NIC/LAN cards in each PC
>and cable them together without going through hubs and
>routers? I want to share the internet connection and the
>printer. Grateful for any advice. Keep up the excellent
>work. Best wishes, ph

You can insert a NIC in each PC and connect them using a crossover
Ethernet cable. A regular (straight through) Ethernet cable won't
work for a computer-to-computer connection.

Run XP's Network Setup Wizard on both computers. It will make all the
necessary network settings:

XP ICS - Starting the Network Setup Wizard
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...rksetupwiz.htm

If you'll be sharing a dial-up Internet connection, make the XP
computer the host and the ME computer the client:

1. Run the Wizard on XP first, and tell it that "This computer
connects directly to the Internet. The other computers on my network
connect to the Internet through this computer".

2. Run the Wizard on 98 second, and tell it that "This computer
connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or
through a residential gateway".
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

Many thanks for the information. Sounds good to me. Am off
to buy the necessaries and put it all together. Thanks
again and all strength to the group. ph
>-----Original Message-----
>In article <3d8201c42a62$7e112170$(E-Mail Removed)>, "ph"
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>Hi,
>>I'm new to networking and just setting up a connection
>>between our current Win ME desktop and our new WinXP
>>desktop. I have read so many different systems plans
that
>>I am lost. Can I simply insert NIC/LAN cards in each PC
>>and cable them together without going through hubs and
>>routers? I want to share the internet connection and the
>>printer. Grateful for any advice. Keep up the excellent
>>work. Best wishes, ph
>
>You can insert a NIC in each PC and connect them using a
crossover
>Ethernet cable. A regular (straight through) Ethernet
cable won't
>work for a computer-to-computer connection.
>
>Run XP's Network Setup Wizard on both computers. It will
make all the
>necessary network settings:
>
>XP ICS - Starting the Network Setup Wizard
>http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...xp_ics/network
setupwiz.htm
>
>If you'll be sharing a dial-up Internet connection, make
the XP
>computer the host and the ME computer the client:
>
>1. Run the Wizard on XP first, and tell it that "This
computer
>connects directly to the Internet. The other computers
on my network
>connect to the Internet through this computer".
>
>2. Run the Wizard on 98 second, and tell it that "This
computer
>connects to the Internet through another computer on my
network or
>through a residential gateway".
>--
>Best Wishes,
>Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
>
>Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news
group
>for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer
questions
>addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
>
>Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
>http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>
>Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
>http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm
>.
>