Dear every one Help...I need some info regarding networking 2 pc both running XP and connected via crossover cable. I want to share files and share my broadband connection, I know I should use static IP addresses, have the same workgroup name and different computer names that’s all done. I can ping loop back each computer but I can't ping the computer name. I can share files using IPX protocol but I still can't ping. I tried every thing I even made a network disk and it still does want to work. I know stuff have been posted on the net about crossover networking but it really did read allot of stuff and still not got past that problem. Thanks to all contributions

it may be, your os is windows xp home aditional. In home aditional, first you have to share your drive or folders or files, then you can connect to each other. Because of security, windows ban all of networking services in home addition. check your xp firewall check box is cleared or not. for xp internet connection sharing, go to http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

am using xp pro on both computers

and as with regards to the fire wall i have it disabled on both computers..any other thought?

Why not use the networking wizard built into XP on the PC with the Broadband connection, it creates a network disk to install the correct parameters in the other PC. If you are using ICS then it installs a basic DHCP server. www.wown.com

Well as a first step I just want to use tcp/ip as the main protocol used to share files on the crossover cable. if i can get that to work using ICS shouldn’t be a prob. the problems is I can't ping the nodes due to some problem. i tried to use static ip's on both computers and also tried using the network boot disk that the wizard gave me but still no luck... any further thoughts would be great.

well not being able to ping seems like a problem with the NIC or you have some sort of a firewall, maybe not the build in XP firewall, but a firewall. you may wont to make sure you have NO firwewalls running and check the NICs, if the NIC is working properly then there is usually a light on it that will light up when connected. hmmm... i dont know much about IPX, but make sure the IP addresses are in the same subnet and have an IP address on one comp like: 192.0.0.1 and the other comp can be: 192.0.0.2 (this is if you have a subnet of 255.255.255.0)