connecting machines.
 

I have two computers, one is a desktop PC running win98, the other is a laptop running XP.
How do I connect them so that I can transfer files between the two. Currently, I have to write everything to floppy disks and transfer things that way.

Re: connecting machines.
 

Re: connecting machines.
 

okay there are more than 1 ways to do this.

you can do it as you are doing now, this is the cheapest but not so good option most floppy disks dont even work these days.

you can use whats known as a direct serial connection which is not reccomended but basically comprises of a cable from one computer to the other attached to the serial port of both computers.

more reccomended are the below options

please note that all prices ive stated are off the top of my head and wont be accurate but should give you enough of a guide for your choice.

two network cards one installed in each pc with a special crossover cable is one easy route and a good one. It depends how far away these computers are from each other as a cable will have to join them. A network card can cost as little as about £7 and you could get somone to make you a crossover cable or buy one for about the same.

two network cards and a network switch. Same as before one network card in each pc, but instead of using 1 cat5 crossover cable to connect the two you use one standard cat5 cable from each pc to the switch. This has many advantages such as being able to connect other pc's to the switch at a later date. the network card price is as above and a switch can be as little as £20 for an 8port switch (up to 8 computers). again you can get somone to make you some cables to the length you require or if the distance isnt so great you could buy them.

the most expensive but most handy variation would be to have a similar configuration as above but to use wireless devises

two wireless network cards approx £30 each and wireless switch about £50
it works as the above wired connection but of course doesnt require the cat 5 cabling . it also means if you wish to network other devises such as laptop etc its fairly easy to do. There are downfalls with this . Its slightly slower than the cabled version (however still faster than a floppy dislk) and is more expensive. also wireless technology is restricted by geological factors. Ie walls. 3-4 walls maximum and if they are thick walls then you can reduce that. If the computers are close togther or in adjacnt rooms this wont be a problem. Wireless is also slightly more complicated to configure as it has encryption options to reduce the chance of somone sitting outside your house with a wireless laptop and gaining access to your data.

For prices you could try the following

www.dabs.com
www.scan.co.uk
www.cclcomputers.co.uk

personally i run both wireless and wired at home. I have a wireless adsl router so not only does it control the pc network but it also controls my broadband it also has a built in 4 port wired switch. So i can connect both wired and wireless computers to the same device. My laptop is wireless so are a couple of the pc's but my servers are wired directly to the device for speed.

Just to note :

wired connections are 10 or 100mbit/sec (100 is more common nowdays)
wireless is 11 or 54mbps the second being more expensive im afraid (there are other speeds available but you will find they are 22 or 108 and are actually just "special" marketing versions of the 11 and 54mb types)

any queries just shout.

Re: connecting machines.
 

if you dont want to go to the trouble or expence of networking the 2 pc's you have a better option than the floppy's, you have a digital camera, do you have a card reader? you can put files to your camera card and do it that way, its a lot faster than floppy disks and it will hold a lot more, i do this often with a 2gb microdrive, saves messing with cd's or dvd's. Might be worth looking at but if you transfer a lot on a regular basis you will be better off networking them

Re: connecting machines.
 

With Wireless cards you do not need a switch( or accesspoint). You can just set them up in Ad-Hoc mode. I do this regularly at work to share an internet connection.

Also, I would b epretty sure the laptop would have a network connection as most laptops from the last 3 years have them as standard. I have some spare PCI cards which OP can have one of for free. So £2-3 for a X-over cable is all that is required.

Using a Digi camera is Ok as an occasional method but not for regular use.

Ian

Re: connecting machines.
 

OK here's where I show my ignorance. How do you get the files onto the digicam?

The PC I'm currently using doesn't have a floppy drive which is a bit of a pain.

Re: connecting machines.
 

A USB key is a good investment. Then you can transfer files to any computer anywhere. The one I have holds 32 meg, so it's more than adequate for most people.

Re: connecting machines.
 

you are not using the camera itself just the memory card, you then use a card reader for the transfer, you just use it like a floppy or cd

Re: connecting machines.
 

Yes but how do you get it on the card?

Re: connecting machines.
 

Thanks for the advice chaps. My system/s report the following as being present:

Laptop: Network Adaptors, 1394 Netadaptor #2 and Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connections.

Desktop PC: Dial-up adaptor and Microsoft Virtual Private Networking adaptor

Does this help?????

Re: connecting machines.
 

the 1394 is the firewire port (used for things like digital cameras a bit like USB)

the other is a proper network card, if you have the same in the other pc you are away.

Re: connecting machines.
 

I would agree with previous posts, if you just want to transfer a few files now and again, a USB pen is a simple, low tech and cheap option. Dead easy.
Check out the prices here :-
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...le_Drives.html

If you want to network PC's and haven't done it before, get a technical angel who knows what they are doing !! and has done it before !! to help.
Networking a win98 computer can introduce security issues if the network connects to the internet.

I personally love the wireless option to bits.
No nasty wires to deal with, and I can work on my laptop anywhere in the house away from the wife and kids <grin>

It means I don't have to worry about synchronising files between various machines. I can share a broadband connection between the PC's. I can stream MP3 files to the stereo system. I can share printers.

But forget all that the single most important reason for getting a wireless system is that it provides a NAT (Network Address Translation) firewall. It hides the address of each individual computer on the network from potential intruder and hacker software.
useful for broadband and modem users.

OK so see how vunerable your PC is on the internet, run the test called Shields-Up (scroll half way down the page) You will get a good idea even though some of the information will be tech heavy.
http://www.grc.com/

For networking get a Technical Angel, to help you configure, troubleshoot and secure it properly.:D

Re: connecting machines.
 

If any of you are interested in the in & outs of comms this site, http://www.howstuffworks.com/index.htm

gives allsorts of advice in nice simple terms look under their Computer section.
:D

Re: connecting machines.
 

put the card in the card reader and then put the file onto the card just as you would with a floppy, ie drag n drop or copy paste etc

Re: connecting machines.
 

I'm just being my usual awkward self here because I've got one PC with card reader(s) and no floppy drive and one with floppy drive and no card reader. Both have CD writer/readers but I hate wasting CDs so I think I'm going to have to get a USB thingy. It seems like that would be more use than getting a card reader for the other PC. I download direct from camera to that PC.