Simple Networking Query for 2 PCs

hamster

* Two PCs with Windows XP Pro on one and the other has XP home.
* One has a Integrated Intel 10/100 Pro Ethernet Network Card


1) Can anyone recommend a good & cheap PCI based network card for one of the PCs (it will be using XP PRO) ?

2) Is is possible to run a cat cable between the two or do I need to get a hub in between?

3) The PCs are separated by 2 rooms ie a cable length of 15 meters. Is this acceptable?


The purpose is to share a internet connection between the two and for some gaming.

leeroybrown

Any cheap 10/100 ethernet card will be grand.

You'll need a "crossover cable" which is made by as the name suggests crossing over two pairs of wires in the cable at one end. (Easy to make ... they're readily available to buy too)

Thats grand. 15 metres should work without any hassle whatsoever.
(Theoretically speaking you could run 100m without repeaters. Practically speaking obviously you wouldn't go this far.)

spaczed

well i can't tell you everything but from my experience of xp networking :

1) pretty much any cheap generic pci 10/100 card should- i got mine in PC World for €14 (PC World own brand) and PC world aren't known for being cheap for anything much. worked without a hitch.

2) you don't need a hub to connect two computers - as long as you get the right Cat5 cable- you need a crossover cable instead of a standard patch cable- I don't think there's any difference in price between the two types anyway.

3)I pretty certain that the signal will carry if you can get a cable the right length - as far as i know ethernet cable can do 50 or 100 metres sometimes. But someone else here can probably say for definite.

I was sharing network/nternet between XP pro and home machines over a crossover cable, and i gotta say , XP really makes it easy to do, and almost configures a standard network by itself.

anyway hope it helps

hamster

Thanks Folks! That's just plain groovy! Hope to do this soon....

SouperComputer

its a piece of pi$$ hamster

your word for the day is: CROSSOVER !

wont work otherwise

hamster

ie, STP Category 5 patch cables should do the trick ? If I can get them longer...

http://www.peats.ie/cgi-bin/shop/db.cgi?view=1&id=2875&type=6&path=11x135x518

SouperComputer

no good buddy,

either a crossover (not patch, although some are called crossover patches!) or a hub.

you need to wire the RX to the TX and vice versa at each end you see, otherwise no data flow

you could cross one of those patches over, but thats a pain in the ass

BigEejit

And if you are watching costs ... STP = Shielded Twisted Pair = more expensive ... and UTP = Unshielded Twisted Pair = cheaper ... in most cases UTP will work just as good as STP, keep an eye out that you are not running your UTP network cable for any long distance beside mains cable

You can get a 25 meter crossover cable from www.marx-computers.com for €12 (inc vat, p&p a little extra) ... a few meters of cable lying loose behind the pc never hurt anyone

hamster

Hey that not a bad site! Good value too!

Cheers!