new at networking

I am new at networking an I just want to connect 2 computers together so that I can have one Server (Main with Internet service) and a Client. I know this does not have anything to do with security but it is the only closest place to network information that I can find so don't flame me for it. The Server will be the one with the high-speed internet connection (the one I am using now) and will be newer/faster than the client. All I need to do is connect my client to my server so I can share files, printer, and internet. What would I use (tool) to connect these two computers (hub, router, switch etc)? Also, these computers have different operating systems. The client will be using Windows 95 and the server will be using Windows ME. Will this tool still work?

Use two nic cards, cat5 cables, a router to plug your dsl modem into (port 5 I believe) and your two computers (port 1 and 2)....

Use a networking proggy like HomeNetwork (with ME) to see the two computers....

Having different Win's don't matter.... they'll see each other (As long as you have a networking proggy running)

You can get a Linksys router pretty inexpensively that will let you use the same internet connection for four computers. www.linksys.com

if the ME is NTFS the 95 box wont be able to access any files. and i wouldnt enable file sharing against the internet. Im not sure how you connect, but the easiest would be to enable internet connection sharing on the ME box, and use it as the default gateway for the 95 mach. 2 nics in the me, 1 in the 95 and a crossover cable connection them. disable filesharing on the outside interface

He doesn't need to worry about NTFS on Windows ME correct?

I have set up the linksys router before. Very simple. Good luck.

Using the two nic's and a router may be a little more expensive then the 3 nic's and a crossover, but, he'll save himself alot of headaches...

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He doesn't need to worry about NTFS on Windows ME correct?
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Sorry!your right, i was thinking xp, better go to bed....nahh!

I thought so too...

You're forgiven Tedob1 :)

Sweet Dreams

thanks dude, your oK!

/me looks in mirror with look of amazement...

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He said I was ok, he said I was oK!.... woohoo

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*jk* :)

/me needs to sleep too...

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Originally posted here by Tedob1
if the ME is NTFS the 95 box wont be able to access any files.

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Not exactly true..
Of course, as was corrected in the thread you meant XP (since ME doesn't support NTFS).
Still, if it was XP, it wouldn't be a problem: accessing share isn't like mounting the drive locally...

The only thing you might have to do in that case would be to make sure that the XP machine as an account for each user that needs access (as you would in a NT/W2k/XP peer to peer (no domain) network)...

The user trying to access the shared drive would be then be able to connect directly if using the same credentials (login/pass) on his machine or would have to re-enter his credentials when prompted....

Ammo

A suggestion if I may...

For more security, you can get a cheapo computer (a 486 even) and set up Linux or FreeBSD as a gateway server with the NAT daemon and as many firewall rules and security settings as you want... That way, your windows boxes can share all they want and you won't have to worry about anyone outside of your local net taking advantage of your sharing access.

Another route (and quicker if you are not familiar with *NIX at all), is to get a router (a hardware firewall/NAT box)... You can get a decent one for around $60, I believe (I don't know about that price for sure, but it's what I seem to remember).

I wouldn't trust a windows box connected directly to the internet if I had sharing turned on. That's just a scary thought to me.

The following links will be of interest to you:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.internet-sharing.com/

I hope that helps, man... Have phun and do play it safe! :)

Rev

Thank you guys. I read something in a book about a parallel file transfer cable for connecting 2 computers. Would a parallel file transfer cable allow my other computer to connect to the internet? Cause a file transfer cable is only about $12.

No. That would be difficult.

Depending on the OS's you are going to use, you are best off getting the Linksys 4 port cable/dsl router w/4 port switch and built in firewall. (About $130) Install a network card in each PC and then connect them to your Linksys via Cat5. The Linksys will allow you to share files w/internet access and will offer a firewall against the world. That way you're not exposing a system w/file & printer sharing to the Internet.

The Linksys box is easy to config and will allow for 2 more systems should you decide to do so. Setting up with a crossover cable between systems will limit expandability.

A parallel cable will allow direct file transfer, but internet access will not be allowed. And I would avoid using anything like Internet connection sharing in WIN98 and such. Try to go the hardware solution if at all possible, may be more expensive initially, but the security investment is worth the extra $$$.

I am A Network Administrator ask me anything

OK... please define a Tokether.

For those who are curious, a Tokether is simply a NT box that has both Ethernet and Tokenring cards, and routing enabled. It acts kind of like a bridge to allow a tokenring network to talk to a ethernet network. IT people swore up and down that you cant make a tokenring talk ethernet. you can. :) and thus we named it a Tokether. :)

Ryan> Those parallel transfer cables suck ass. You get almost no speed out of them. It would be quicker to put everything on a cd and walk it to the other computer. If you really want to go cheap, you don't even need a hub. Just use a cat5 crossover cable. If you don't have one and can't find one, the are pretty simple to make. Just get a lenght of cat5 wire equal to the distance between your computers. On one end, wire one pair to pin 1&2, and one pair to 3&6. On the other end, reverse the wiring. Although according to standards, the colors matter, they really don't and you don't even need the other 4 pins. You can actually use phone wire as long as you have RJ-45 (8 pin) connectors.

wiring
1------3
2------6
3------1
6------2

average> I just did a google search and only found 6 links with the word tokether. And they are all misspellings of the word together.

Bridging tonken ring and ethernet is nothing new. We had it running at the college I attended back in the late 80s on a test network. I will still swear up and down that you can't make a tokenring talk ethernet though. You are running it through a bridge. The tokenring and the ethernet are not talking directly to eachother. The NT/*nix/novell box is translating.

I don't speak dutch, but if I have a traslater I can communicate with someone who only speaks dutch. That doesn't mean that I am now bilingual.

True, and I know its nothing new. I was using sarcasm for the "network administrator" who dared us to "ask him ANYTHING."

Im sorry I didnt phrase it well, it isnt actually talking the other protocol. However, there were several "network administrators" who claimed the old network would NEVER be able to be hooked up to the new network and function.