Moving files between PCs via wireless router

I am leaving my job this week and have a load of personal stuff on my work laptop I'd like to save before it gets reimaged. I'd like to simply copy a pile of stuff from it, across my wireless network, onto a second laptop I have here at home.

I am more familiar with Macs, so please consider me a PC networking virgin. The work lappy has Win2k; the home laptop has Win XP Home. I believe the Windows firewall is active on the WinXP machine (it's not mine, I'm borrowing it while my Mac is sick ... so I'll be coming back in a couple of weeks asking how to get the files from the PC to the Mac ).

The router is a Linksys ADSL modem/router with hardware firewall active but no wireless security implemented (not a lot of point where I live ... )

Anyone know what I need to do?

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

create a shared folder on the destination machine. go to my network places on the source machine and connect to the shared folder on the destination machine and copy stuff to it.

[Stuartbe]

Rather than mucking about with workgroups and user accounts I would personaly just stick a simple ftp server on one of the machines and ftp the files over.

Or you could use the peer to peer option in hyper terminal to transfer them.

Thank you for the replies so far, however as a PC networking virgin, I have to ask ... how do I set up an ftp server? And how do I connect to a shared folder?

You are talking to someone who doesn't have the first clue about any of this stuff.

[danielf]

my 2p: Don't go wireless, but use cable (assuming both machines have ethernet). If you need to copy large amounts of data (gigs), you run the risk of the connection dropping (briefly). This will abort the entire copy process. Since you'll have no way of knowing what was and was not copied, so you have to start again. Wired is quicker, and it doesn't drop the connection.

Originally Posted by danielf

my 2p: Don't go wireless, but use cable (assuming both machines have ethernet). If you need to copy large amounts of data (gigs), you run the risk of the connection dropping (briefly). This will abort the entire copy process. Since you'll have no way of knowing what was and was not copied, so you have to start again. Wired is quicker, and it doesn't drop the connection.

Ok, sounds like good advice, andI have some spare ethernet cable. If I connect the two laptops directly to each other, what will happen ... and what's the best method for copying files between them?

[Stuartbe]

O.K. mate, take a deep breath, Here we go

1. download this on the computer you want to copy the information to and run it, It should not need any configuring but you will have to tell it the location to store the files.

2. Switch of the firewall on the destination laptop, This can be done from control panel / windows security.

3. find the IP of both computers by opening a command prompt on each computerm do this by clicking on start, then run, In the box type cmd and press enter. The type ipconfig in the prompt in the black box. Note the IP address of both computers

4. Open a browser on the computer that has the data on it and type ftp://192.168.1.4 Asuming thats the IP of corse.

Drag and drop the files into the ftp window.

Close and remove the baby ftp file.... Job Done

Any problems just let me know, I will PM you my number so I can walk you over it......

[Graham M]

Originally Posted by danielf

Wired is quicker, and it doesn't drop the connection.

As long as youre not miles away from the router and the router/card isnt dodgy you shouldnt have this problem. If you go by the Windows shared folder method, remember to tick the box to make the destination folder writable

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Ok, sounds like good advice, andI have some spare ethernet cable. If I connect the two laptops directly to each other, what will happen ... and what's the best method for copying files between them?

You'll need a crossover (x-over) cable and set up a network. However, a thought just occurred: I don't know how much data you want to copy, but I just bought the wife a 1 gig usb stick (Kingston) for £20 from ebuyer (unbranded is even cheaper). Why not take the really easy route, and have a nice large capacity usb stick to boot?

I would just right click the drive with the data and click sharing and security(in guessing win2k has this too)enable file sharing and just grab what you want either wired or wirelss(may need to reboot laptops in between

[Stuartbe]

Thats providing both laptops are on the same workgroup ect....

I think FTP is better for this one, Given the OP technical knowlege......

If there left default then they will both just be WORKGROUP anyway MSHOME is only set on xp when you run network wizard or rename it during install.Yeah if they are on WORKGROUP my ways just a few clicks lol Even if the w2k machine doesnt have the same setting, setting a drive on the xp machine to share without any other network settings and ticking allow network users to alter files will allow you to access the machine from the w2k lappy and copy file to it that way

[AndyCambs]

This is also assuming that you are not taking company confidential files with you of course (you do mention something about leaving your job?)
Depending on the volume - email it to yourself

How about removing networking from the equation and copy the data onto USB flash drive? Simple - but effective!

[Gareth]

If the work laptop has a cd writer on it, you could always just burn the files you want to keep to CD... blank CDs are extremely cheap nowadays.

As for transferring the images to your Mac once it's feeling better... er, just pop the CD in the drive