Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Hi all,
am a total newbie. I have one pc connected to a set top box. I have just bought another pc and would like to share the internet connection. The second pc is situated about 6 ft from the first one. Can I just connect the second pc with a cable? I realise that the first pc would have to be "on" all the time. I don't mnd that.
I would be most pleased to get an "idiots" guide as to how to set this up. If I need a router to make things easier, so be it. I am not worried obout the costs as such ( I am an old boy.. very).
Both pcs run XP ( the first pc has XP pro) the second one has XP home.
is there any further info needed?
Please help
Thanks

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Yep direct cable connection would work, various ways to do it though. Do both PCs have ethernet cards/ ports installed?

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

:welcome:

You can use internet connection sharing, to share the connection, but this is often a nightmare to setup.

Personally, It would be much easier to setup using a router- normally it is just a case of plugging in the router, rebooting everything, registering the router with ntl, and then rebooting again. A router will cost you £20 or less if you go for a wired solution, or £27+ for a wireless solution (plus the cost of wireless cards if you need them). If you need recommendations for makes/ models have a look at our articles section :)

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Thanks for the replies
Paul.. yes both pc's have ethernet cards

Chris,
I have read mostly all the articles i think. However, when the routers are mentioned.. I need the router for a STB. i guess that is different for a cable modem!!. please suggest the best router in your considereed opinion.
Thanks

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Bhau, you can use a router on a STB, its not that different to setup compared to a normal modem.

you only need to clone the mac address of your main computer and after that you should have an internet connection through the router.

also when you have a router its soo much easier to setup print/file sharing.

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Try one of these http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/52897/rb/19551259448
You can also connect your printer to it so both PC's can use the same printer
It's a cheap make but with 191 very positive reviews for £11.99 +vat you cant go wrong

nyck

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Welcome :tu:

I think you should get a router. I've got a Linksys one from PC World for £50 including the wireless USB bit. Anyways, It's caused me no problems. I can share files/internet everything over it. If you computer is close to other one, I sugest you can get a wired cable for the router, that means, you'll get a better connection and stuff. I've got it for my laptop and it's very good.

Hope you can find something soon!

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Thank you for your replies.
I shall get a router as suggested and a cable to connect the other one.
..shopping tomorrow!!Guess I shall get an external hard drive too for backups.
Shall let you know how I get on. Am sure i shall need a lot more help to sort this out
Thanks again
cheers

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Ooooh, External Hard Drive? :) Awesome!

Computer shopping is my favourite :tu:

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Or you could get one of these bad boys ;)
http://www.infrant.com/

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

mhuggett
Looks awesome.. did not have a price on there.. any idea of the cost?
cheers

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Yeah... Dont hold your breath.. Im waiting for Santa..
Fully populated (2tb) its about £1200 i think :)

(Also, ive run out of plug sockets!)

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Regarding the router. I would recommend getting a wireless one (The linksys WRT54G is very popular). These come with wired ports as well, so they give you a choice of going wired or wireless. Even if you don't go wireless now, you may want to in the future, and it would save you buying a second one at that point.

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Yes, This is the one I have and it's very good :tu:

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Thanks, good point re the linksys.WRT54G.. will go for that one.
shall get all the stuff tomnorrow.cables, router etc.!! guess i dont need anything else to set up.
@mhuggett, think i shall wait awhile for that too...

Thanks a lot
cheers

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Good luck :tu:

I got my router package from PC World for £50! Check there ;)

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

We installed a linksys router yesterday (BEFSR41). We've gone through the polava of getting it set up between two comps, but! we got the wired version :)
(no plans for nothing spectacular here... not for a while anyway)
Internet is fantastic - sweet... I don't have to beg for the internet connection!! :D

Now the file sharing bit between two comps... keep it simple please, I need a slow explanation :)

(it'll probably come in handy for the original submitter of this topic too) :)

thanks in advance :)

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

I just right click on what I want to allow access on and share on a network.Deside if you want to allow remote users to change files or not and apply the changes.
Failing that just run the network setup wizard on both machines :)

Printer sharing can be done in much the same way as I do file sharing right click on printer (in printers and faxs) and select share name it and the other pc will find it :) If your using older versions of windows you will need drivers for the clients version

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

ah, cool - a friend did try to explain earlier to us but just confounded everything by making it sound more complicated than necessary :-p

I shall now try what you suggest :)

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Thanks for the suggestiions.. will come in very useful when i get my setup working. Hopefully I should have time to do all this on Tuesday.
Any and all suggestions/help is very much appreciated.

cheers

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Be careful of permissions as well. As people can get stuck trying to figure these out. Share and NTFS
It all depends on what flavour of XP you have as to how you set them up.

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

Just an update!
Got the WRT54GS and have the network all set up.. seems to be working fine at the moment.
Thanks for all the help!
cheers

Re: need help[ to connect 2 pc's
 

I thought I had the network all set up.. unfortunately No!
Both the computers connect to the internet OK.. however I dont seem to have the connection between the 2 computers.
The main computer just shows Local Area Connection
The second computer shows
Local Area Connection and a "1394 Connection"

How do I get the 2 computers connected to each other, so I can have file sharing etc. I have already managed to get the C drive of the second computer to show a hand underneath ( sharing?), but the main computer obviously does not see it.

Any help would be much appreciated
Cheers!

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Managed to get it sorted.
thanks

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Let me guess: The firewall was blocking requests?

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Danielf!!!Absolutely right. next question.. how do I disable the windows firewall permanently from the second computer. The main one has Norton Internet Security.. I have disabled that firewall.
Thanks for your help
cheers

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Accessories -- System Tools -- Security Center?

Have you disabled to firewall completely? It is generally considered best to run a firewall even behind a router. The router will protect you against (unsollocited) incoming traffic, but does not secure outbound traffic. This is where the firewall helps.

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

3 ways

http://www.utexas.edu/its/windows/re...sable-wfw.html

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

@Danielf
Yes I have disabled the firewall completely. If the firewall is enabled I cannot get to file and printer sharing etc. How do I have a firewall behind the router without it affecting the network connection? please let me know.
Thanks
Cheers

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

I don't know about the windows firewall, but in zonealarm (free download) you have a 'trusted zone' (which is separate from the web). In zonealarm you add the ip address of the other machine(s) on your network to the trusted zone, and the firewall will then let any traffic between the machines in the trusted zone pass through. I'm sure other firewalls have something similar, but I've only used zonealarm, so I can't tell you how to do this with other firewalls. I'm sure somebody who can will be along shortly though.

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

@danielf.
Have got the second computer in the trusted zone. ( Norton let me do this)
so I have the firewall on the main computer. However, I cannot configure the windows firewall on the second computer and that is still disabled.
Maybe I should download a free firewall ..Zone alarm? and configure that.
Would you reccommend it
Thanks for your help
Cheers

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Getting zonealarm would be one option I suppose. Many people use it, and as far as I know, it's fairly decent (though I'm sure there are people who hate it). Zonealarm does give you decent control over outgoing programs, which is what you want the firewall for, seeing that your router gives you good protection from inbound traffic.

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

@danielf
Thanks. Have downloaded and installed ZoneAlarm. Configured as you suggested. seems all set now. both computers working fine.
Thanks so much for your help
Cheers

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

Well, that was easy. Glad to be of help :)

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

You should be able to set a port exception up, and I believe that its port 445.

Try that and see if you can set up file sharing :)

Re: Need help to connect 2 PCs
 

@mhuggett
Thanks.. file sharing was set up. It was the firewall.. so all seems to be working fine...
I did buy the freecom Classic external drive (250GB). Now i have to set that up to be able to back up the hard drives on both computers. been an interesting learning curve.
thanks all for the help I have received. ( am sure will need a lot more.. sorry for being a pain so far)
Cheers