Help with crossover cable... PLEASE

Guys i have no clue what im doing. I did a search and found a few things, but i just keep hitting dead ends.

All i want to do is connect my notebook to desktop to transfer some files.

Heres where im at:
Crossover cable connected between notebook and desktop
My notebook is currently also connected to internet through wireless
both desktop and notebook have icons in the tray stating "Local Area Connection, Speed: 100 Mbs, Status: Limited or no connectivety"- both icons have little yellow triangle with "!".... only diff is that desktops icon says "Local Area Connection 3"
I have XP Pro on my desktop, XP MCE on notebook.

Any help would be appreciated

I just want them connected to transfer some files, then i want everyhitng put back to normal cause im paraniod about having any kind of network with my wireless connection... as my own router picks up 5 other wireless networks around me. I have WEP enabled through my router.

Thanks

 

Re-run the network setup wizard on your computers. Say you don't have an internet connection and it should setup the network accordingly. Then once you are done transferring, re-setup your network.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

 

The easiest way (meaning desktop isn't getting its IP address from some other DHCP server.):

Go to desktop. Open Internet options in Control panel. Find Connections tab. Click on any of the dialup connections (there must be some). Click Settings. Then Properties. Then Advanced tab. There should be some checkboxes. Check the first. If there is also combo underneath tghe first checkbox, choose Local Area Connection.

This will make your desktop "Host". Its IP will change to 192.168.0.1.

Now Your notebook should automatically assign the IP address like 192.168.0.xxx. That is it.

Check sharing and security. It is good to have the same accounts and passwords for one user on both computers, so there will be no security issues.

Once you are done, and you don't need that desktop host - you can just uncheck that checkbox.

If both desktop (wired) and notebook (wireless) have access to the router (wired+wireless) which is also a DHCP server, then that is it. Desktop is getting its IP from router, and notebook too. So they are already in a network. Just check security and sharing permissions and that is it.

Hope it helps,

WEP is ok, so don't worry. I use wireless network all the time. It is slower than the cable though.

 

hmm, ok, i just got it with USAF's way, but i'd lke to try it your way to see what is easiest after i end of formatting. So, how do i get rid of this network that ive created. i used the "set up a home or small office network" option.
Now say i just want everyhitng back to default?....
Just to clarify, cause i dont know what im talking about myself... When i click on the "My network places" icon on my desktop, the first group that shows up is "Local Network" and it has both my computers shared files in there, and a shared drive from my desktop.

Thanks guys

Edit to add- on both computers i still have the icons in my system tray saying the Limited Connectivity thing. but im still able to share files

 

The most important thing is that you can see the files.

Wizards are OK, when they work. Please notice that the first suggestion is actually when you connect desktop and notebook only. No wireless router. So your desktop is giving IP.
The other way is with the router that has cable ports and antenna. So it is giving IP to the desktop and to the notebook.

Limited connectivity after wizards? Well, I don't use them...

Cheers,

Ivan

 

OK guys, now im really confused.
I unplugged the crossover cable from both computers, so that now there is no direct connection. My Laptop is still connected to internet through wireless. Then i plugged the regular ethernet cable back into my desktop to get on the internet. And my computers are still networked together! It like knows they are linked through the router and i can still access files from either computer. How do i shut it off now? I dont want the network anymore.

 

But that is good. That is the second solution I was talking about. If you want to kill the network sharing - do it that way - don't share anything, and that is it. Go to firewall and unclick Files sharing in the exceptions list.

Please notice that Internet access is also a network! Your router takes care of the IP for both computers - that makes them connected in a network. Now If you don't want notebook to access your desktop do the security and sharing settings on a desktop. That is it.

Hope it helps,

Ivan

 

any computers connected to a router are on the same network. they may be in different logical groups (domains, workgroups, etc.), but if they are connected to the router, they're on a network.

whether you have anything shared from any computer is another level that is up to you as the user to turn on or turn off.

 

But, by creating a network didnt i somehow create a link between the 2 computers that wasnt there before? Or was it always there? I just dont want any security vulnerabilities because i have my wireless radio on in my router for my notebook, i dont want anyone to be able to tap into that wirelessly and get into my notebook and then into my desktop through that.... maybe im paranoid... but i am picking up 5 other wireless connections from my apartment.

So isnt there a way to make a connection between my 2 computers ONLY when they are directly connected by my crossover cable. So that THAT cable is the only means by which to transfer data, and when i unplug it there is no longer a connection. Just like a usb would act or something like that?

sorry for being a complete newb when it comes to networking.

 

No. things are like this:
Router has both wired and wireless capability. That means anything connected to it is in a network (not always in a same workgroup though!).

So you don't need to connect the desktop and the notebook by a cable. They were already connected. Don't worry about wireless - just make sure it is protected. I suggest WPA-TKIP security. It is much better than wep. If you already use wep make sure it uses 128 bit key. Google around and see how to protect your wireless. There is also MAC address list so you can make only your desktop an notebook connect to the router.

Forget about that crossover. It is so much easier with the router and the security set. At least I would do it that way.

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Hmmmmmm. ok. well ive been playing around with it all quite a bit now. and i think it is just somehitng that the more you work with the more it makes sense. lol.
Right now i am using WEP in 64bit, but ill change it to WPA cause my router has an option for that too. Does using any of these encryptions have any kind of impact on the overall speed of my connection?
And i do currently have MAC address filters enabled.

Im trying to enable WPA... and this is what it is showing me:
802.1x
Radius Server 1 IP (0.0.0.0)
Port (1812)
Shared Secret
then same thing for Radius Server 2
the (...) is what is already inputted in the field

Do i make the "shared secret" a password?
When i enbled it just like this and then tried to connect to it, it gave me a whole bunch of weird stuff. like setting up a profile or somehting. Its not just asking me for a password like with WEP