hi, i want to connect one laptop to another desktop pc that i have, i guess i have to "build" somekind of a network, but never done this.., and im not thinking in wireless,.. can you tell me wich cables can do this? if you could put a screenshot of cables that can do this it would help me more here..to get a better "picture" of what im looking for, cus i have some cables here that i don´t know what they are for.. maybe i have them already.. and its just connect the cables or do i have to do something more?? thanks.

The slickest way to do it, assuming both PCs have network cards - is to get a network cable called a 'cross over' cable. Wherever you get it from, make sure they don't try to sell you anything else. Not a patch cable, a CROSS-OVER cable. stick one end in your desktop, one end in your laptop, then let the xp networking wizard do the rest.

If you are connected to the internet using a broadband connection I would recommend using a router instead of a crossover cable. Routers come in both wired and wireless versions. The advantages are these. First you can access the internet with either, or both computers without involving the other. Second, a router provides a hardware firewall, which is better protection that a software solution.

^^^^^^^ Yes, IF you have a broadband connection on one of those PCs, a router would be better.

HI OtheHill, Good morning :-) You wrote Second, a router provides a hardware firewall, which is better protection that a software solution. IMHO it's always better to have both hardware and software FWs. A hardware FW does not block programs from accessing the net without your permission. This is where the software FW prevails. i_XpUser

hi and thanks for the replyes, i have broadband connection, but my problem is the laptop is old, its an old computer that im still using for some work, and i need to tranfer that work to the other computer in a fast way , not floppy disks or recordable cd´s or internet, .. that old laptop, don´t have network card and its running win98 (450 mhz and 32 ram) , still i can use internet on it but whit usb cable.... the desktop pc runs winXp i say i need make tranfers between in a faster wway than floopydisks, cd´s, internet, cus the amount of times that im planning doing this would make it "hard" and useless ...... 1 , so no network card on one pc,..that method fails, 2 , router, don´t know what it is, ..is it cheap? can we find it anywere, any computer store ? is it easy to connect to the 2 pc´s, ..its just connect and we´re ready? or we need to know a litlle more about hardware to make it work? 3 , is there any kind of a usb cable that can do this? and work whit both win 98 and winxp? thanks.

I believe you can transfer files over a USB cable but I have never done it. A router won't help you if you don't have a Network card on the Laptop. Someone else here can probably assist you with USB transfer. Also Serial or Parallel port transfers MAY be possible. I say may, because I am unsure of WinXP's abilities in this regard.