home networking question
 

Okay, my dad just got a used VAIO laptop w/ WinXPPRO on it, and wants to get all of his old files off of his old toshiba that's running win98se.

I seem to remember hearing that you can use a patch cable and network two computers w/out using a router, but I don't know how, or even if XP and 98 can see each other.

any advice would be helpful, my dad's at the end of his rope, and he's the kind of person who doesn't understand winzip, if you understand what I mean.

If he got a RJ-45 Patch cable he could hook the two systems up via nic cards and have an ad-hoc network.
Then he would have to share the files on the source computer so that he could download them onto his new system.
I use XP home, but I assume pro has the same networking wizards that home has.
Yes, XP and 98 can see each other, but it is a harder setup than if both computers were using XP.

I believe this is correct, and I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

You need a crossover cable to do the direct connection between the two NICs. I believe patch and crossover are the same, but it's been years since I've messed with this...

I don't think 98 can see XP, but XP should be able to see 98, so you'll have to initiate the transfer from the XP machine as a download, not the 98 machine as an upload. Just share the drives/directories you want to copy over so you can see them from XP. Put the computers in the same workgroup to see them in Network Neighborhood.

Clockworkgreen.. You are correct, patch and crossover are synonimous. DON'T buy a straight cable, or you will never get the systems to see each other. :) Personally made that mistake once.
Not 100% sure about the 98 not seeing XP, but as long as you share your 98 Files XP will see them.

Good luck!

I'm just certain about the backwards compatibility, not sure that 98 was configured to be able to see an OS that came out 5 years later. That's my only question. But I'd like to know after he tries it out.

Isn't "patch' cable either straight through or cross over? I know hub to hub is cross over and hub to pc is straight, so I assume pc to pc would be crossed as well.

98 can be configured for networking with the network set up wizard on the XP cd if you have it. If not I believe you can make a disk using the same utility through windows. I've networked to both 95 and 98 using it.

wow.
that was remarkably simple.
ran the xp networking wizard,
ran it again on the 98se machine,
paniced for a second, then remembered to shut off zone alarm, and
w00t! it works!

thanks guys.