um can someone tell me if this is true can i connect two pcs only two with just using a cat5 crossover cable or do i need something else need for sharing files and some other things thx to any1 who can help
How-To Geek Forums » Windows XP
connecting 2 pc's
(34 posts)
Also if you have an internet connection that uses Ethernet to connect to the computer you will probably need a router to have the internet connection and the two computers connected at the same time.
If you have an Internet Gateway device then a switch will work too.
Some motherboards do have two Ethernet connections but usually they don't.
Edit: Updated to list the Internet Gateways as an option too.
@whs: It depends. As I understand it a switch just connects different computers together. You would need a NAT router to share the internet connection between the computers. The NAT router bridges the local computer connections together with an internet connection.
You would need an IP Address from the ISP for each computer to use a switch instead of a router. Something that is more complicated and expensive to get.
jd, I have 2 PC's on a switch and both are on the same internet line (same modem) - no router or any other hardware involved. Works perfectly - in fact better than the router that I threw out. But I have not tried any sharing between the two (since there is no need), but I would think that this works too.
I am not sure I understand your question. Though here is the setup: Each PC connects from the ethernet port on the PC to the switch. The switch in turn connects to the DSL modem and the modem, of course, to the phone line.
Addition: the one PC (a laptop) is on a 15 foot ethernet cable. Just to say that a relatively long cable works.
Ok. I just read a little bit of some wikipedia pages at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router
It appears according to those pages that there are different layers of networking and routers/switches are just marketing terms that don't always mean the same layer.
Edit: Thinking about it, it could be what I thought before and you just get more then one IP Addresses from your ISP for free.
If you do ipconfig /all from the Command Prompt do you have an IP Address of 192.168.0.x , 10.x.x.x or something else like 69.x.x.x or 71.x.x.x?
Note: It's not important, I'm just wondering if that is the case. Also if it is that means that it depends on the ISP/Modem Type weather or not you need a router or a switch.
Ok. 192.168.1.254 is a local address. Some device must have a DHCP Server running and I only know of routers or DSL Modems with a builtin router doing that. A switch cannot provide DHCP to my knowledge.
If you go to http://192.168.1.254/ in your browser does a web page come up? If one does that would say what device is working as a local DHCP Server.
Ok. That matches what I found when did a Google search for the IP Address and found http://compnetworking.about.co.....-254-d.htm
It lists "Netopia / Cayman Internet gateways" as having that IP Address.
Your Netopia DSL Modem must also be an Internet Gateway.
I think an Internet Gateway does similar things that a router does so that would be why you only need a switch and not a router.
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