How do I setup a connection between my two computers using a cat5 cross-over cable? I want this to transfer data only to different hard-drives on each machine. One is a laptop the other a normal tower pc. Any input is useful! Thanks

Connect the crossover cable to your PC's. Goto Control Panel - Click Network Under Identification ComputerName enter Laptop on your laptop and Tower on your tower. In Workgroup for both Enter HOME. Configuration Tab - Check to see if you hav NetBEIU as a protocol. If not,add NetBEIU. You do this by selecting Add, Protocol, Add, Microsoft, NetBEIU. (something like that) File and print sharing - Click on that and check both file and print enable or whatever those selections are. Now click OK or Enter or whatever to close up the windows. You will then be asked to reboot, Yes reboot. You may get prompted for Network login. Select any user name and password. Really doesn't varify anything. If you had selected Windows Logon as your primary network earlier (sorry) select no password and you will not get prompt for that after the first login. If you goto Network Neighborhood, either on your desktop or in explorer, you open that and should see two computers (after a little while). Now you need to select a folder or printer to share. You can share at any folder level - even at the C: (root) level. Can select password, but silly in a two computer network. Now just drag and drop or however you would copy files within your C drive. Good Luck

If you want to link them with TPC/IP all you need o do is to plug the cable on bot ends, then log in to each machine, right click on my neighborhood or my network then properties, then TCP IP for your lan card specify an ip adress (Any one would work ie 200.50.50.1. Note the other machine would have a simmilar adress but would be 200.50.50.2) and a submask ie 255.0.0.0. Then reboot and go to start, search, pc, and type the adress you gave the other machine (ie if you are into 200.50.50.1 you would search for the pc wit 200.50.50.2 ip) then just copy anything you want. hope it helps. :)

ricardo, i believe your subnet mask is incorrect. with a 200.*.*.* ip is classified as class C, so you need a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask not 255.0.0.0