I have recently connected 2 computers using dial-up networking and my phone system (An XP computer and a 95 (THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE!! MUHAHAHA)). One computer dials the other's number and the other answers. The problem is, that they only connect at very slow speeds like 26.4 or 28.8. Both modems are 56k V.90 and have the 2 phone jacks in the back of the card. How can I connect them better so that I can get a faster speed? The modem settings are configured at 115200b/s. I have TC/IP installed along with IPX/SPX and a number of other services protocols etc. Finally, when I dial to cvonnect to the internet I can connect at around 52kb/s. Also, can I just run a connecting phone line straight from one computer to another using the jack on the that is for a phone?

You can do that but your connection speed between computers is limited by the speed of the slowest modem and the amount of line noise they detect. It sounds like you want a 2 computer network with common dialup access. you can use any on of the ports, serial, parallel, USB or NIC(if you have network interface cards). the only consideration is a connection in this way requires a special cable called a crossover cable, sometimes referred to as a laplink cable. these are available from radio shack for about $10. Instead of them communicating at 28K or 52K, they will connect between each other at 10 or more times that speed. the fastest is a NIC connection which can be 10MHZ or 100MHZ or now 1GHZ. USB2 would give you about 40MGZ, USB1 would be about 2MHZ and the serial and parallel links would likely be in the 100's of KHZ range. For the internet connection you choose which machine (probably the XP machine) will be used to "share" the internet by enabling ICS (Internet connection sharing)

HPNA uses homephone lines to connect the Local Area Network at Home (Home LAN=HomeNetwork)instead of Ethernet cable or USB cables. There are a number of ways it can be setup. The first HPNA by the now defunct Diamond HomeFreee HomeNetworking system used their proprietary NICs in the Computers in the Net work. The Computer that is connected to the ISP using the Dialup modem was called Internet Sharing Computer and the others were clients. One HPNA networking Card (PCI) is first installed in the Internet Sharing PC ( the 'Host' PC) which has the Dialup Modem. The Card's metallic slot cover has two RJ-11 ports like the Modem Card. The Telephone cable from the wall is then removed from the Line-in port of Modem and inserted in a similar port of the HomeFree homeNetwork Card. Another short (3"-4") phone cable with RJ-11 Plugs at either ends connected the Modem's Line-in port with the Phone port of the HPNA Network Card. In summary, the connections were: Internet Sharing PC's Modem > Homenetworking Card in this HOST PC> Home Phone Jack>...... 1. ISP Home phone lines>...2. Home Networked PCs After installing the HomeFree Homenetwork PCI card (an ethernet card) with RJ11 ports (not RJ45 as in real Ethernet cards for Cat5 cables)for telephone cables at their metallic slot cover and installing the Drivers using the supplied software Disc and Windows Installation CD (or Windows Cab files from HDD)and Rebooting, the other software for Networking is installed to make this PC the Internet Sharing PC (The Host PC). After the first PC is setup like this, the other (client) PCs in the Home LAN is setup with HomeFree homenetworking PCI cards. The Clients don't need Modems because the Internet sharing PC is the one that dials the ISP.[No real harm in leaving the installed modems except occasionally there could be conflicts between Modem and NIC and the Home Network might have to be reset:-(] The PC(s) must be close to Home phone sockets.Phone cables with RJ-11 plugs connect the Client PC's NIC's Jack with the Home phone wall Plug. The Drivers for the NIC is then installed followed by the Networking software. The Host PC must be on and connected to the ISP via modem. Now this Client computer will establish the home network by locating the host PC and itself remaining as a client. Other PCs to the network are similarly added. The Networking Software's ICS Wizard will help setup Resource sharing (drives/folders & files, Printer etc) among the PCs while the NICs,phone lines and the Modem of the Internet Sharing PC enable Internet access to other PCs simultaneously with the HOST PC. If the Host PC is not on line with ISP there will not be Internet to any one of the PCs in the LAN but Intranet will work to share resources via the NIC and home phone lines. The speed of transfer bewtween PCs in the LAN will be max 10 MB/sec but the Internt Speed will be determined by the quality of the Modem in the Host PC, the phone lines of Telco and ISP and the Internet traffic.

You cannot just connect the two systems with a phone line. There are boxes available that will supply power and let you do that but I think you would have a real hard time finding one. You can set up an Ethernet connection with two LAN cards and a crossover cable for about 30 US dollars.