Technical network question

[Lukus]

I have a laptop computer running XP. My friend has a stationary computer running Vista. My friend and I have our two computers next to eachother. We'd very much like them to be able to talk to eachother, ie, we'd like to be able to play games against one another and preferrably also exchange files. We're both computer retards.

We tried running the windows guides for configurating cable networks (or w/e it's called when it's not wireless) but to no avail. We're not getting any IPs with IPCONFIG. We've got this cable thingie hooked up via our internet holes in the computers, so we're not using a hub or router. The computers say that there's a connection, but that it's limited. Nothing that we want to do works. I realize that google could probably help us, but since I'm stupid and lazy, I figured that perhaps someone here could give me some tips on what we need to do?

Hlep!

 

[Nology5890]

A router or high speed modem that doubles as a router could possibly help you out. I don't know all that much, though. I just know that they would either need to be on the same network, or that you would have to go through a match hosted over the internet, which I figure you don't want to do.

 

[Silencer]

OK, so I assume you've got each computer with a separate modem plugged into its USB or Ethernet interface (so you're not sharing your Internet connection)

Also, each of the computers needs an additional network interface each.

You need to connect those with a cross-over cable - the connection might not work if you use a straight-through cable (which is the normal type of cable used to connect to hubs, witches, routers etc)

I would set up your interfaces (you should got to Control Panel -> Network Connections -> Properties for those) statically, like

IP address  192.168.1.1
subnet mask 255.255.255.255

for one, then

IP address  192.168.1.2
subnet mask 255.255.255.255

for the second one.

Also, make sure your computers (go Control Panel -> System -> Network Identification or something along those lines that is there) are in the same Workgroup (e.g. NMARULEZ)

Then you could simply use the file sharing wizard in XP to make a share on your computer.

 

[SuAside]

with the first version of Vista, it was impossible to share files to xp platforms through making shares (& vice versa), but it might have been patched in the meanwhile, i don't know.

if that is still the case, you'll need to run an ftp server or something to swap files.