Ez way for 2 pc's to "talk"?

[Donkey_Kong]

Hey guys, In my years of playing with computers I have never been able to get two to talk to each other, EASILY. At onetime we had 3 on a network and I think I could swap files and play games & stuff but that was awhile ago. I don't want to setup a 'network'

I have two sitting next to each other right now. What is the EASIEST way to get these things jiving?

Please don't give me a big ole' script about something all techy techy and all that cause chances are I won't understand it! I'm a point and click, copy and paste guy. NOT a programmer type so to speak.

THANK YOU!!  in advance... 

[ChadTower]

Use a crossover cable.

[DrewKaree]

Or hand puppets.  Have your wife be the voice of one of them, otherwise people will look at you funny

[AtomSmasher]

Use a crossover cable.

Yup, assuming both computers have ethernet cards (most motherboards from the past 5 years have an onboard one), then all you need to do is use a crossover cable.  If your using Windows XP then go to the control panel, then network setup wizard.  Should be pretty simple.

You can also get a switch instead of a crossover cable if you want to connect more then 2 pc's together.

[shardian]

Routers are super cheap now. Several years ago, me and my roomate in college got a belkin router for $20. Then you can hook however many you want up.

[ChadTower]

Seriously.  For only $80 you can hook up four routers.

[AtomSmasher]

$10.99 for a good reviewed switch on newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817111489

If you plan on connecting these pc's to a broadband connection, then you should get a router instead which cost around $20-30

Although, if its only 2 pcs then all you need is a crossover cable which cost around $2. 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812107216

edit* if you don't have ethernet cards in your computers, then that will be another added cost.

[shardian]

Routers are super cheap now. Several years ago, me and my roomate in college got a belkin router for $20. Then you can hook however many pc's you want up.

There. Happy Mr. stickler?

[ChadTower]

Routers and switches and eggs... whippersnappes and yer shenanigans.

Use null modems.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I'll shut them all down with a Smurf.

[Donkey_Kong]

uuugh see. I KNEW this would happen!

Use a crossover cable.

How am I suppose to make sense of this? 
Chad I thought I was specific and stressed the fact about no long winded high tech responses here!!

Or hand puppets.  Have your wife be the voice of one of them, otherwise people will look at you funny

Now this is more like it. I can do this. Will post results after the puppet show...Thanks Drew!!

Thanks guys! Truth is I know this is very easy to do BUT it seems my hang up is always actually getting through all the WINDOWS GARBAGE and into the files of the other Computer. 'Passwords' and 'network setup' and 'passwords' and 'user names' and 'share files' 'don't share files' and 'security checks' and 'hand checks' and 'toll bridges' and ...' '...

Why can't ya just...ahh whatever...

[Kevin Mullins]

Use null modems.

Serial to serial with a null modem adapter (crossover)... I hadn't done that in awhile.

[leapinlew]

Null modem! Nice. Haven't used that since Doom. Gotta love a 9600baud connection.

The problem with your request donkey_kong is the solution changes based on what you want to do. For example:

You want all the computers on the internet?
You want to share a few files or a lot of files? Do the files change often?
Are you wanting to run an application on both computers that requires a network?
What are the OS's on the computers?
Are you wanting to share a printer?

The answers could be anything from using floppy disk or a thumb drive to building a small network. The real variables are what you are wanting to do.

[shmokes]

uuugh see. I KNEW this would happen!

Um . . . I hope you're kidding.  Were you expecting that you could just light a candle between them and chant something, making all the files magically transfer??  How much simpler do you want it to be?  Go to Staples or some other store that carries computer stuff.  Buy a crossover cable.  Plug the cable into Ethernet ports on the back of the computers (hint:  it's the only port the cable will fit in).  Click your Start button.  Click Control Panel.  Click Network Setup Wizard.

[Donkey_Kong]

uuugh see. I KNEW this would happen!

Um . . . I hope you're kidding.  Were you expecting that you could just light a candle between them and chant something, making all the files magically transfer??  How much simpler do you want it to be?  Go to Staples or some other store that carries computer stuff.  Buy a crossover cable.  Plug the cable into Ethernet ports on the back of the computers (hint:  it's the only port the cable will fit in).  Click your Start button.  Click Control Panel.  Click Network Setup Wizard.

shmokes- That was JUST another lame attempt by me to try & be funny.   

I' don't want to swap files no more with that...They both have DVD Drives that I can just go that way. However, you must have missed up where I cried and bawled about that damn windows network wizard anyway.

Let's can the Networking issue.

Lew- wassup man!- You got questions cool. I'm going to ask 1 more thing on this thread and then we can ditch this whole thing and not take up anymore of our time.

I want to get Net Objects Fusion 9 from one system to the other.  I already transferred the whole folder on DVD yesterday. I still need to install correctly though and There Tech Support has not worked for me. I bought this from them on a download a year ago. Need ot get it working on this other dude here!!

Anybody? If ya can't help no problem. I will whine to them a few more times about it...They should just send a hard copy automatically on a $200 download man! I would!

[AtomSmasher]

I' don't want to swap files no more with that...They both have DVD Drives that I can just go that way. However, you must have missed up where I cried and bawled about that damn windows network wizard anyway.

I'm not sure why the network wizard is giving you problems.  All you do is connect the two computers, run the wizard on each one checking the box that says they are directly connected to each other and voila, its done. 

After that, just go to whatever folder you want to share, right click and click on "sharing and security", then click you want to share it.  Then when you go to network neighborhood on the other computer, that folder should appear there.

[AlanS17]

Just get both computers really really drunk. I mean totally hammered. That seems to make just about anybody chatty. A little mood lighting and soft music never hurt, either.

[DrewKaree]

shmokes- That was JUST another lame attempt by me to try & be funny.   

While you're tinkering with your computer, install the comedy filter.  It should prevent things like this in the future.

I want to get Net Objects Fusion 9 from one system to the other.  I already transferred the whole folder on DVD yesterday. I still need to install correctly though and There Tech Support has not worked for me. I bought this from them on a download a year ago. Need ot get it working on this other dude here!!

Anybody? If ya can't help no problem. I will whine to them a few more times about it...They should just send a hard copy automatically on a $200 download man! I would!

I have no idea what Net Objects Fusion 9 is, but it sounds like a program.  If it IS a program, you can't just transfer the folder, you need to run the .exe or the .msi or whatever it uses to install itself.  And you're right, for $200 they SHOULD send a hard copy, but I bet they charge for the disc.  I think you're hosed if you don't have the installation program you downloaded.

Looks like sneaker-net is the best solution for you

[sez]

Just get both computers really really drunk. I mean totally hammered. That seems to make just about anybody chatty. A little mood lighting and soft music never hurt, either.

I like the cut of your jib AlanS17.

[DrewKaree]

Just get both computers really really drunk. I mean totally hammered. That seems to make just about anybody chatty. A little mood lighting and soft music never hurt, either.

I like the cut of your jib AlanS17.

I think that's just the way his pants fit sez

[sez]

Just get both computers really really drunk. I mean totally hammered. That seems to make just about anybody chatty. A little mood lighting and soft music never hurt, either.

I like the cut of your jib AlanS17.

I think that's just the way his pants fit sez

Mmmm frogs eyes...

[Bones]

Mmmm frogs eyes...

Why is it always the Aussies who show the greatest lack of taste?

[Santoro]

Guess I missed all the fun. 

[shmokes]

I think you're hosed if you don't have the installation program you downloaded.

That was my initial thoughts, but then it occurred to me that he must have downloaded the installation file once upon a time, unless it was an ActiveX control or something, which I'm sure it wasn't.  Unless it was deleted, he should have everything he needs on his computer to transfer the files over and install it on the other computer.  He just shouldn't be looking in the Program Files folder for it.

[Donkey_Kong]

I think you're hosed if you don't have the installation program you downloaded.

That was my initial thoughts, but then it occurred to me that he must have downloaded the installation file once upon a time, unless it was an ActiveX control or something, which I'm sure it wasn't.  Unless it was deleted, he should have everything he needs on his computer to transfer the files over and install it on the other computer.  He just shouldn't be looking in the Program Files folder for it.

Uggh...this vendor TS is really tough to crack. the program rocks but I suppose they are to big to help a poor sole like myself..Never buy a DL and opt out for the Hard Copy. Not at that price. I suppose eventually we will figure this out. Doesn't need to happen till Timbercade is done and at that rate...

[boykster]

You really should just make the very small investment and setup a little network.  It's really easy, just ask Stingray if he ever comes back....

 

[ChadTower]

If he actually owns a license for a second install he should be able to call the vendor and request another copy of the installer. 

[Donkey_Kong]

We got support WoooooT We got support!!!!!!!

I might be able to pull this off guys. I think it is kinda like hhhht duh. But yous guys know me by now.

Net Objects Support says:
Thank you for contacting Net Objects Eurosupport.

If you have WinZip installed (or any other program that can unpack .zip files), please use it to unpack NOF.exe to a folder that you want, and then launch the 'setup.exe' file that you will find there after you unpack.


Woot! Now I MIGHT try this someday if I don't lose the e-mail, but whateva, thanks for all the help guys...Especially you ChadT       serious man...peace.

[Donkey_Kong]

Net Objects Support says:
Thank you for contacting Net Objects Eurosupport.

If you have WinZip installed (or any other program that can unpack .zip files), please use it to unpack NOF.exe to a folder that you want, and then launch the 'setup.exe' file that you will find there after you unpack.

Somebody probably mentioned this verbatim somewhere just above too. Well let me know if they did, I'm too lazy to look...
 

[jbox]

And now before you do anything else grab a couple of blank DVDs and make some backup copies of that installer so that next time... 

[AlanS17]

If you have WinZip installed (or any other program that can unpack .zip files), please use it to unpack NOF.exe to a folder that you want, and then launch the 'setup.exe' file that you will find there after you unpack.[/i]

The only zipped EXE's I've ever seen had a self-extractor. So I've never even seen one that needed WinZip or the like.

[melarky]

I' don't want to swap files no more with that...They both have DVD Drives that I can just go that way. However, you must have missed up where I cried and bawled about that damn windows network wizard anyway.

I'm not sure why the network wizard is giving you problems.  All you do is connect the two computers, run the wizard on each one checking the box that says they are directly connected to each other and voila, its done. 

After that, just go to whatever folder you want to share, right click and click on "sharing and security", then click you want to share it.  Then when you go to network neighborhood on the other computer, that folder should appear there.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I tried this (to hook my upstairs PC with the one in my arcade).  It didn't seem to work for me (both running WindowsXP), but I think it may be because I have a wireless router, and while the upstairs pc is plugged directly into it, the arcade pc is hooked up to the router through a wireless adapter.

I ran the wizard on both, but the shared folders don't show up on my upstairs (I didn't get any errors, it just didn't seem to work).

[boykster]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I tried this (to hook my upstairs PC with the one in my arcade).  It didn't seem to work for me (both running WindowsXP), but I think it may be because I have a wireless router, and while the upstairs pc is plugged directly into it, the arcade pc is hooked up to the router through a wireless adapter.

I ran the wizard on both, but the shared folders don't show up on my upstairs (I didn't get any errors, it just didn't seem to work).

have you tried pinging one from teh other?  Go to one computer and start->run->cmd <enter>

this opens a dos box, then type:

ipconfig <enter>

write the IP address down and go to the other computer and open a dos box again and type:

ping XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX

where XXX is the ip you got off the other computer.

report back the IPs of both computers and weather or not you got a response from the pings or if they just timed out.

[melarky]

Both pinged fine.  I tried from both (I pinged my main computer from the arcade, and I pinged the arcade from my main computer).  No timeouts, 0% loss, everything seemed to work well.

Maybe I'm missing something here, I ran that wizard on both, but it seems like I setup a network twice, am I supposed to run the wizard on the main computer and setup the network, and then locate the network with the arcade and connect to it?  I didn't see that option.  Sorry for the dumb questions, I've just never done this before

[leapinlew]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I tried this (to hook my upstairs PC with the one in my arcade).  It didn't seem to work for me (both running WindowsXP), but I think it may be because I have a wireless router, and while the upstairs pc is plugged directly into it, the arcade pc is hooked up to the router through a wireless adapter.

I ran the wizard on both, but the shared folders don't show up on my upstairs (I didn't get any errors, it just didn't seem to work).

So many things could be jacked up here. If they can ping each other, and your sure they are on the same network. You could try connecting to each computer by sharename. To do this, click start, run and type

\\computername

But replace computername with the name of the computer you are trying to connect to. If you have shared folders, and everyone is allowed to access to those folders, have simple file sharing turned on, using XP pro on both machines, have no firewalls on, allowing all the ports on the router.... you should be fine! 

[Donkey_Kong]

Glad some people are benefitting from the thread. I have officially retired from the networking days. However if I ever take it up again, I will definately know where to check for TS!!

Thank you for all of your help on this guys.