Need File Transfer Advice

[P50]

I want to move approximately a Gigabyte of files off of my notebook computer.

I just spent over 2 hours searching over 50 hits on various freeware sites.

This is ridiculous. Somewhere there has to be a free piece of code that will just move files between a notebook and a desktop machine.

Here's my setup:

-- Notebook Computer has PCMCIA Ethernet Card

-- Desktop Computer has Ethernet built in to M-Board

-- Both machines have USB ports

I read a brief phrase that Win'98 (and subsequent editions of windows) has this ability already built in.

This <I> can't </I> be as hard as the difficulties I'm encountering. I mean really, connect a wire, push a button and copy the files.

I don't consider this to be advanced technology.

Ideas ? Please ?

 

[TKpervert]

I did that once by taking the hard drive out of my old machine and putting it into the new one as a slave drive, then did disk-to-disk copies, then put the slave back into the old machine. Both were desktops, but I assume a notebook HD is compatible with a desktop machine.
There are some risks in doing this however, so if you don't like that idea do a Google with 'null modem copy files' without the quotes.

EDIT: hmmm, a little research tells me that an adapter ($20) is required to put a notebook HD into a desktop. This makes the 'null modem' approach look better.

 

[qjakal]

Hub...

Can you plug 'em both into a hub/router and network them? Seems to me that would be simplest, unless of course you upgrade to wireless on both...

I'll forward the request to an engineer friend of mine...have to agree that a USB device would be a nice solution for this kind of transfer.

Q

 

[qjakal]

Update...

Got a reply this morning:

------------------------------------------
"There used to be programs like LapLink which would work over serial and/parallel cables connecting two computers, but I don't have a copy, and you would need to buy that cable. Its about as easy to setup networking between two computer.

You can buy a USB Ethernet Adapter, but if either computer isn't several years old they should have a standard network adapter (with a RJ45 connector). The USB Ethernet Adapter just converts a USB port to a RJ45 port, allowing standard networking cables to be used.

The easiest way to network two standalone computers together is to get a "crossover" CAT-5 (or CAT-5e or CAT-6) cable and plug it into the RJ45 connector on each computer.
The next simplest way to physically connect two computer is to use any network connection device, such as a hub, switch, or router, and connect each computer to a port on the connection device using standard network cables (not crossover).

Either way, after rebooting both computers, you should be able to see the other computer in the Network Neighborhood of each computer. If not, make sure the Workgroup is set to the same name on both machines (in the Properties of My Computer). To be able to access files across the network, you must enable file sharing on the folder(s) of interest on the source computer. You can do this from Windows Explorer by right clicking on the folder and selecting "Sharing" or "Sharing and Security" and enable sharing the file on the network."
---------------------------------------------

Basically I still like the hub/router idea, but he gives a couple more options.......hope this helped.

Q

 

[tickledorange]

I have a crossover cable and it works great for things I want to trade between me and my friend's computers when it won't fit on e-mail. You just plug both ends into the network plug in the back of the PC and make sure both folders on the computer are capable of sharing with other users.

 

[P50]

Is the regular ethernet cable I have between the Modem and the RJ-45 plug in the back of my machine acceptable ?

Is a "crossover" cable similar to the "null modem" cables of days gone past ?

Do el-cheap-o plugs exist which flip the wires for me ?

Oh boy ! Just what I need ! Another adapter plug for my computer.

Anxiety aside, Thanks for the suggestions. At this moment, neither computer sees the other when I connect the two with the <I> Cat 5 patch cable UTP Evernew G3G205 </I> (whatever those magic words mean this week)

I tried enabling file sharing with Windows --> Control Panel --> Network --> Properties --> File/Print sharing

I continue to learn

 

[qjakal]

Crossover cable

http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.asp


Q