quickest, cheapest, easiest way to network two desktops together so that.............

[djshowdown]

me and a pal can play red alert 2 against eachother :)

im assuming some sort of wired solution would be easy, cheap and reliable

can anyone make me an idiots guide or direct me to one?

much obliged :P

[Thrax]

Buy a cheap switch, and get patch cables for both PCs. Connect them to the switch, someone hosts the game. Done.

[djshowdown]

ok perhaps its my fault

i didnt stress how naive i was when it comes to networking

switch?

patch cables?

please link me to some examples

boy do i feel silly right now

[djshowdown]

would something like this suit my needs?

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0513410725.1164849206@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdaddjhjlflidcflgceggdhhmdgmi.0&page=Product&fm=13&sm=0&tm=undefined&sku=941712&category_oid=-24984

[Thrax]

SWITCH (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1123638180850&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper)

A patch cable is a standard network cable. Anything that doesn't say "Crossover" or "Rollover" on the package will do.

[isiea]

ok perhaps its my fault

i didnt stress how naive i was when it comes to networking

switch?

patch cables?

please link me to some examples

boy do i feel silly right now

A switch is a device that properly switches the connection speed between the ports it has. A good example of a cheap yet reliable switch is a D-Link DSS-5+.

The opposite of a switch is a hub. A hub is a repeater that repeats itself among all ports. This is bad for security and bad for port-sniffers. Its also bad for throughput as it causes collisions on the network. NO ONE USES A SWITCHHUB NOWADAYS.

Patch cables. Patch cables are usually BLUE and if you read the small black fine print it usually says: "CAT-5e", the end looks like that of a phone jack telephone cord, only slightly large in length and has more than 4 copper contacts. When networking two computers using a switch or a hub, make sure the patch cable is straight through. (The other type is cross over cable again which no one uses)

Buy TWO CAT5e STRAIGHT THRU cables (preferably blue) of appropriate lengths NOT CROSSOVER (the cables are labbeled when you buy them so look for straight thru here), connect it to either ports on the switch and a second cable for the other computer.

So you'll need:

1 switch
2 cat5e blue straight thru cables of appropriate length.

wow. as i was typing hmm and hit the submit reply it looks like well.....hmm they beat me to it.

[Thrax]

The opposite of a switch is a hub. A hub is a repeater that repeats itself among all ports. This is bad for security and bad for port-sniffers. Its also bad for throughput as it causes collisions on the network. NO ONE USES A SWITCH NOWADAYS.

I think you mean no one uses a hub nowadays.

[isiea]

yes thank you. fixed that one up :)

[djshowdown]

thanks very much fellas

now we can play red alert 2 without the unreliability of playing online!

also means we can hurl abuse at eachother in real time and in spoken word, as opposed to text

technology (in this case the net) is great but theres no substitute for some good old taunting and abuse

[isiea]

yeah you can even expand it, and make a little get together with some buddies for an 'ol fashioned lan party!

[djshowdown]

yeah

its crazy how even with all the games that are out there the simplest of games like red alert 2 can keep me entertained for hours

[mtrox]

I think these guys are assuming you understand how to give your two computers IP addresses. If you understand the basics of IP addresses and making sure they are part of the same subnet, just get the switch. If not, buy a router that includes a 4 port switch. The router has DHCP which will hand out IP addresses in the same subnet.

[Cyclonite]

Windows will default to the 169.254.xxx.xxx IP address if it can't find a DHCP server, so he probably won't have to mess with IPs.

[mtrox]

Hmmmm.....you're right they should network on 169's shouldn't they? Guess I've just never done it. In the normal course of my day, as soon as I see that I know I'm dead.

[djshowdown]

well if i get into trouble i shall be back anyways
cheers ppl :)

[mirage]

If all you want is to connect the two pcs to each other, buy a single "crossover" cable and connect the two pc's to each other directly if you want to avoid paying for switch or hub and a second cable. That is the cheapest way.

[Kentigern]

Ditto

[Lincoln]

TWO CAT5e STRAIGHT THRU cables (preferably blue)
Did you seriously just say that? The color is irrelevant. Totally and completely irrelevant.

mirage, right on. If it's just two PCs, one crossover cable is cheapest. Oh well, sounds like he got it working :)

[Cyclonite]

Hmmmm.....you're right they should network on 169's shouldn't they? Guess I've just never done it. In the normal course of my day, as soon as I see that I know I'm dead.

True, I've never used it either. In my course of work, it usually signifies an issue. But, I'm going to assume it works.

[edcentric]

maybe he likes blue?

[mtrox]

The color is irrelevant. Totally and completely irrelevant.
I think all isiea was suggesting was to pay attention when you mix and match CAT5 colors. Blue is the new black, and red patch cables are just so "last season"....

[djshowdown]

the colour is irrelevant

im gonna get someone to lay a base coat on all my cables then finish them in kandy paint anyway

[isiea]

I think all isiea was suggesting was to pay attention when you mix and match CAT5 colors. Blue is the new black, and red patch cables are just so "last season"....

back in the day when i knew *nothing* about networking i always ended up buying the wrong gear. first i should've got a router, not a switch, and when i got the switch it was because i had gotten a hub.

Second was cables. I should have gotten straight thru when i had crossover, and they were yellow (the crossover ones). While back in the day i was a total n00b when it came to networking, and learned it all myself, it was the blue cables that was my saving grace, although today i know i know colour is completely irrelevant. oh the memories.......

thanks mtrox....general keebler for bringing that up ;) and by the way, i prefer yellow patch cables. they match the colour of my rig. ;)