Does my Intel® PRO/100 VE Desktop Adapter have auto-negotiate?

My two desktops have all but identical hardware & software (both run XP Pro SP2). I use no router or hub (at least not between these two computers) and for security and other reasons, connect PC 1 to a CAT 6 cable for web surfing and downloading. Occasionally, however, I'll want to back up those youtube videos I download to PC1 onto PC2. I've been using flash drives to do this, but I was curious whether this could also be done via the Intel Pro/100VE NICs in both pcs. Once this simple pc-to-pc network is set up, I thought that during a backup session, I'd just have to disconnect PC2's CAT cable from the house Internet jack, connect the cable between both NICs make a copy of the file(s) that I want to send from the C drive of PC2 to that of PC1 and click send.

However, I've read that the first step is to have valid connectivity between the NICs. That is, you need a CAT crossover cable, not the CAT patch cable I have. OR one, if not both NICs need to have auto-negotiate capability. During a file sharing session, auto-negotiate (which I think is the same as auto-detect, ditto Auto-MDIX, ditto Auto-MID-X) senses that the cable is a patch configuration and electrically re-routes the connections as a crossover (for what I think the Wikipedia calls Full Duplex data communication).

Thus, I connected both NICs with the patch cable. But in Explorer on both PCs, when I click on Network Connections, click the NICs icon, click Configure, click Advanced click Link Speed and Duplex scroll to Auto Detect and click OK, I can't get the NICs to communicate (ie. the red X stays on the icons and the LEDs on the NICs don't light).

So does anyone know if 1.) The Intel Pro/100VE NICs have auto-negotiate. 2.) If yes, how do I enable it or is it done automatically when I connect a patch cable instead of a crossover cable? 3.) If these NICs do have auto-negotiate and if it's fully plug & play, what else has to be done to get these NICs to talk to each other?

Can this kind of NIC to NIC card file sending via CAT 5 cable be done without having to load the Windows XP CD every time I want to transfer files from the hard drive of one pc to that of the other?

And does this involve little more than creating a unique IP address for each of the pcs. If yes, can someone please provide a step-by-step procedure?

 

There is nothing in the user guide to indicate the Intel® PRO/100 VE Desktop Adapter autodetects the cable type--indeed, it seems to indicate the opposite even though it doesn't specifically state it.

So, you need a cross over cable--on booting, your PCs should use automatic ip configuration and you should be able to connect. To make things easier, make sure they are both in a workgroup with identical names.