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Hack 100 Networking on the Cheap: Set Up a Direct Cable Connection

You don't need a full-fledged
network to connect two PCs using XP. Here's how to
create a fast, cheap connection that's great for
sharing files and other network needs.

If you are reading
this book, which is (as you know) called Windows XP
Hacks, then you probably get questions and pleas for help
from your friends and family all the time (or you will, now that
you've read the book!). You're the
"computer guy" (women can be
computer guys too, my female editor tells me) and you have the
ability to "make it better." If
that's a fair assessment of your situation,
let's go through a scenario that happens to us
hacker-types quite often.

It's 8:00 on a Sunday evening, and the phone rings.
Your neighbor is panicking, because his computer is acting crazy and
he just finished working on a huge PowerPoint presentation for work
the next day. You grab your trusty laptop and your bag of computer
parts and go next door.

You sit down at the computer and play with it a bit. Sure enough,
it's got problems. The CD burner
doesn't work, and the floppy drive is shredding
disks. How's he going to transfer his file to his
work machine? He doesn't have a dial-up account or
Internet access, so you can't upload his file
somewhere and download it to your computeror perhaps
it's just too big for his 28.8 bps modem to send.

Lucky for you (and for him), he's running Windows XP
and so are you. Since you've read this book, you
have exactly what you need on hand to save the day. You transfer his
files to your laptop, burn a CD of the contents, and yet again save
the day. He offers you money, but you refuse, because
you'll keep him in mind the next time you need to
move your piano.

12.7.1 Remember the Boy Scout Creed: "Be Prepared"

Before
you can be the hero in this story, you need to have the proper tools.
You might not have all the parts you need on hand, but you can get
them with a quick trip to your computer store. There are three
different cables you could use: a null serial cable, a
parallel data cable, or a

null Ethernet cable. All three cables
are shown in Figure 12-8.

Figure 12-8. Null serial cable with DB-9 and DB-25 connectors (left), null Ethernet cable (right), and parallel data cable (back)

A null serial cable is the most universal cable;
nearly every computer manufactured in the last 10 years has a serial
port. The disadvantage is that serial transfer speeds are slower than
parallel or Ethernet speed.

A null serial cable is not a serial modem cable;
they look the same, but the connections are different. For this
purpose, you want a cable that has female connectors on both ends.
Serial cables can have two different connectors on the ends: DB-9 and
DB-25. The DB-25 is an older connector that has 25 pins. If a
computer has a DB-25 connector, it is probably too old to run Windows
XP. I own a serial cable that has a DB-9 and a DB-25 connector on
each end but I haven't used the DB-25 connectors for
years. If you want to carry a serial cable, it is probably safe to
buy one that only has DB-9 connectors.

If you have cable and some connectors lying around your office, you can make a null serial cable by connecting the same numbered pins on each connector, starting from the upper left, except for pins 2 and 3. Those pins are crossed so that pin 2 on one connector goes to pin 3 on the other and vice versa.

A parallel data cable
allows for faster data transfers than a
serial cable. A parallel data cable is not the same as a parallel
printer cable! What you are looking for has a male
DB-25 connector on each end. It is often called a
LapLink cable or an FX
cable. LapLink and FX were commercial products that performed this
function in the past. Since Windows XP has the functionality
built-in, all you need is the cable.

A null Ethernet cable
is your best bet in terms of speed and
ease of use. The advantages are that it works with all modern Windows
operating systems and will be the fastest connection you can get. The
disadvantages are that older computers may not have an Ethernet card
or they may not have TCP/IP installed. You can purchase a null
Ethernet card at most computer stores for a few dollars.

You can build a null Ethernet cable if you have a RJ45 crimper and RJ45 modular plugs by connecting the following pins with Cat-5 UTP cable: 1-3, 2-6, 3-1, and 6-2. The other pins are not necessary.

The null serial cable and the null Ethernet cable can be purchased
for three or four dollars each from almost any computer store. The
parallel data cable is a little more difficult to find, but
it's still a good choice. No matter which of these
you choose, you will be limited to connecting only two computers.

12.7.2 Cheap Networking with a Serial or Parallel Cable

Connect the computers using the serial
or parallel cable. Make certain that you are connecting the same type
of ports. Turn both computers on and log in so that both computers
are waiting for you.

Decide which of the computers will be the host and which will be the
guest. The
host
computer will be the
one that supports the incoming connection. The
guest will be the one accessing the remote
computer.

On the host computer, open the Network Connections control panel.
Click on the link labeled "Create a new
connection." Click the Next button to get to the
screen titled Network Connection Type. Choose the radio button
labeled "Set up an advanced
connection" and click Next. On the next screen,
choose the radio button labeled "Connect directly to
another computer" and click Next. When asked
"Host or Guest," choose Host and
press Next. You will be asked what device you wish to use to make the
connection. If you are using a parallel cable, choose
"Direct Parallel;" if you are using
a null serial cable, choose the appropriate Communications Port (the
one to which you connected your null serial cableit should be
labeled on your PC, but if not, check the documentation) and press
Next. You will then be presented with the dialog box shown in Figure 12-9.

Figure 12-9. Host User Permissions screen

This dialog box asks you which users will have access to the

host computer. If you are
unsure about the security of the computer, you should choose an
appropriate user. If you know the guest computer does not present a
security risk, just choose the Guest account and press Next. The
computer now has a network connection called Incoming Connections.

You need to know the network name of the
host computer. If you do not know it, on
the host computer right-click My Computer Properties
Computer Name. The network name is the name next to the
words "Full Computer Name."

Now it's time to configure the
guest
computer. Again, go to the Network Connections control panel applet
and click the "Create a new
connection" link. Select "Set up an
advanced connection," click Next, choose
"Connect directly to another
computer," and click Next. This time, when given a
choice of "Host or Guest," choose
the Guest radio button and press the Next button. When asked for the
connection name, type the network name of the host computer. If all
goes well, you should see the dialog box shown in Figure 12-10. If you do, click the Finish button to close
the dialog.

Figure 12-10. The New Connection Wizard

At this point, you have a physical and logical connection between the
two computers. Activate the connection by double-clicking its icon on
the desktop or in the Network Connections control panel of the guest
computer. When the computers recognize each other, you will be asked
for the username and password. If you provided guest access on the
host computer, you do not need to enter anything; just click the
Connect button. If the connection is made, Windows XP will pop up a
notification on the taskbar, as shown in Figure 12-11.

Figure 12-11. New connection notification

At this point, you have a network connection. You can use your
Network Neighborhood window to browse or search for the host
computer. Shared folders will work the same as if you were on an
Ethernet network. If your folders and printers do not have permission
for the user on the host computer, they will not have the ability to
share files or print.

Keep in mind that this method is a one-way connection. One computer
is specifically the host and the other is the guest. Those roles
cannot be reversed without creating another connection. If you would
like to be able to access the computers without designating one as
the host, you will need to use an Ethernet connection.

12.7.3 Cheap Networking with an Ethernet Cable

If you need to connect two computers and
you want a fast connection, you need nothing more than the

null Ethernet cable described earlier.
Both computers need an
Ethernet card with
correct drivers and the TCP/IP protocol installed. An advantage of
the Ethernet option is that it works on all versions of Windows, as
well as other brands of computers.

If your computer does not have an Ethernet card, you can purchase one
for $30 or so. For most home applications, a 10BaseT Ethernet card is
sufficient, though a 10/100 card is not much more expensive and can
send 10 times as much data. There are also cards called
Gigabit Ethernet, but they are considerably more
expensive and very few manufacturers include this type of equipment
in their consumer-grade equipment. My favorite Ethernet card is the
3Com 3C905BTX. It's reasonably priced and every
operating system knows how to deal with it. The DLink DFE530TX and
the SMC 1244TX are also widely recognized and can be found for less
than $25. Installing an Ethernet card with the
manufacturer's instructions in hand is not
difficult, but if you aren't comfortable working
with the hardware inside your computer, you should let a technician
do the job.

Connect the two computers using the null Ethernet cable. If the
drivers are installed on both computers correctly, a green or orange
light will appear near the point where you plugged in the cable on
each computer. These link lights indicate that
there is a physical connection present between the two computers and
that the two Ethernet cards recognize each other. If you do not see
the lights, it means that the drivers are not installed correctly,
the cable is not wired correctly, or the card does not have a link
light. The most likely cause is that the drivers are not installed,
but I find that about 1 cable in 10 that I purchase is wired
incorrectly.

Once you have a physical link established between the two computers,
it's time to make the TCP/IP protocol work. Go to
the Control Panel folder and open the Network Connections section.
(Under Windows 98 and Windows Me, this control panel is called
Network.) Search for your connection in its list and double-click it.
Then, open the item named Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). (Under Windows
98 and Windows Me, every card and every protocol are listed in the
same dialog.) Search for the one that says TCP/IP and has the name of
your Ethernet card next to it.

There are many ways to configure a local area network, but the
quickest and easiest way to connect two computers using a null
Ethernet cable is to set the values, as
listed in Table 12-2.

At this point, the two computers will act is if they were on a larger
network with routers and other equipment. You will not be able to
access the Internet, but you will be able to share files and
printers. The same restrictions apply here that apply to the other
cabling options; the usernames on one computer must have appropriate
permissions to access files and printers on the other computer.

If you plan to keep your cheap network connected all the time, use
the Ethernet option. Ethernet has the advantage of being the fastest
of the three cabling methods shown in this hack, and it is widely
accepted as the high-speed networking choice. If you choose to add
another computer at a later date or get broadband Internet access,
the Ethernet option will be the easiest to adapt to the new network


configuration.

Eric Cloninger