I apologize if this problem has been stated before, but I didn't fully understand the other posts. I am trying to link two comptuers over a crossover cable to play a number of old IPX-based games. The computers connect fine via TCP/IP, but I can't get an IPX connection. Is it possible my computer doesn't have an IPX driver? In the Network Connections/LAN Connection/Properties list, it has the standard NWLink IPX/SPX/NETBios Compatible Transport Protocol, but I don't think the IPX protocol is installed, and it's not on my computer. If that is the problem, can someone tell me where to find this driver?

What "other posts" are they? i_XpUser

It is more than likely the games were written for MS-DOS/W9x, XP being based on NT does not allow direct port access..

If IPX shows up in Local Area Connection > Properties then it is installed. If it isn't then you can soon install it by clicking Install > Protocol > Add. Be aware that the implementation of IPX on Windows XP is different than that on Windows 98 and they are not compatible. If one computer is running Windows 98 you are going to have problems. But as franki says, if the game uses IPX it is most likely meant to run on a DOS based machine and is not going to run on Windows XP. Stuart

No, my friend also runs WinXP, and he is able to play it fine, and I can't find any difference between his network settings and mine. When I click Install-Protocol, the problem is that Windows says it can't find any drivers for the selected device. Does that mean I already have it?

That suggests to me that your Network Interface Card isn't installed properly. The only device a network protocol would use is a network interface. Check your NIC in device manager that it is installed and working correctly. Stuart

the "can't find driver" problem used to happen when Novell IPX/SPX was selected, and not Microsoft. Basically one should have had a driver disk for Novell Netware client. But that shouldn't be a problem with XP. Once you have installed the protocol, go into properties and make sure the Frame type is NOT set to auto. You must manually configure frame type on both PCs to be the same, it doesn't matter which (to my knowledge), but Ethernet 802.2 is the standard. IPX/SPX is the only protocol still (barely) around which has to worry about an Ethernet version - this reflects the fact that it's so old. It comes from a time when the Ethernet protocol did not have a fixed standard. Much like all the wireless 802.11 versions nowadays, Novell had to just forge ahead with their own versions of Ethernet, to meet sales, rather than wait for "the final" Ethernet frame type. "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON