Networking & wireless forum: Connecting laptop and netbook with a crossover cable

Thanks, but unfortunately I don't have a router.... I only have a normal modem... Maybe it would be easier if the OS were the same, although theoretically it should also work with Vista and Windows 7.

Why not try with a friend or family member that has one? Both the netbook and the laptop are portable.

Kees

I have found a thread somewhere on the net that mentioned a solution not mentioned anywhere else, and it worked! It worked also for the other people in the thread. They say to just write the IP of the other computer in the default gateway (the IP that is automatically assigned, although you could also assign it manually)... I did it for both computers and it worked, although I had not shared all folders, so only a few were shared, but both computers appeared in the network...

The root of your issue is you have no way to get an IP address on your PCs without doing it manually. So, you do it just that way. You give each a "static" address. They must both be withing a compatible range and you don't need a gateway address. The most simple way would be to use the old MS convention for LAN use. Set one to IP 192.168.0.1 and the other to IP 192.168.0.2. Set the subnet mask for both to 255.255.255.0. Your PCs should now happily connect. This doesn't mean you can access or move files yet. You need to set up file sharing and create at least one user one both PCs that share their username and password. It's also best if these are in the admin group. Good luck.

Hi, yes, that's what I had found on the net and what I had done, but it didn't work. I don't know if it is because the OS are not the same, or because the laptop (and the network card in it) are a bit old (about 5 years).
If you connect the two computers with the crossover cable and then try ipconfig /all (I think that's what it was, I found this info on the net too) you will find out the automatic IP address assigned by the crossover cable. (It won't appear if you just try ncpa.cpl, but it is there...)
I also tried those IP addresses you mention + the subnet masks, but the only thing that worked was adding the IP address of the other computer in the default gateway... I found this solution "hidden" in a thread, so obviously not a well-known solution, but it worked!