Hi... I have a Windows XP pc and a Windows 98 laptop. I have a rj45 cable. Can I connect directly the cable to the ethernet jacks? If is possible, how? If you want to chat with me just use my hotmail (jalek29@hotmail.com)

Yes you need a crossover cable. I just bought a 7 foot one at best buy and it cost me just under $25 Good Luck

NONONO dont buy it, make it. It's very EZ and u save mony in the long run. Home Depo they have all you need. Good Luck, Louis.

$25 for a 7ft cable! You got ripped off! Most stores I go to have it for under $15. Normaly I buy a 1,000ft box of cable for about $70-$80 and make my own patch cables. Even though it's easy to make your own cable(s), if you only need 1 short (crossover) cable, buy it pre-made; it's still cheaper and easier than buying the bulk cable and tools. After adding for the cost of the connectors, my 7ft cables cost about 15 cents, but a GOOD QUALITY crimper and (seperate) cable striper costs about $75-$100. You should have a cable tester as well; a cheap one starts at about $40 and a good one, such as the Fluke 620 that I use, costs about $550. (if you really want to go wild, you could buy a Fluke DSP 2000 which is over $2,000). You could get by with one of those $15.95 crimpers but you get what you pay for; junk!

use a cheap multimeter and ohm the cables out.