networking two comps

[jhtc]

can any one please explain in simple terms how to connect two computors together(network them)Both units in same house but in differant rooms

[vehelpfulguy]

I would suggest you look around the web for sites that help with home networking. Try searching in google for "Home network" and phrases like that.

One site is here:

http://www.homenethelp.com/home-network.asp

Also if you have Windows XP there is some good help on networking in the Windows help.

[vehelpfulguy]

Are these 2 computers going to be connected to each other AND both connected to the internet.

Or are they just going to be connected to each other with no other connection (no internet connection).

Whatever you are going to do BOTH PCs will need a Network Interface Card (NIC). Either a wired one, or a wireless one if you are going wireles.

Your PC may already have wired NIC, a laptop will almost certainly have a wired NIC, maybe also a wireless one if it is a new laptop.

A wired Ethernet socket looks like this (with the tick against it). Dont confuse it with your phone connection. See the little icon above the socket:

http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/comp/ethernet/rj45_rj11.jpg

If they are both going to be connected to the internet you need to buy a ROUTER. This will split your single internet connection into multiple connection.

You then need to got the connection from the ROUTER to both PCs. You can either do this with a cable (an ETHERNET cable) or WIRELESS.

If you are just going to connect them together without an internet connection then you just need to connect a ETHERNET cable between the two PCs.

Luckily all of the networking software you need is included in Windows, but it does take a little setting up.

It may be worth you buying a small book on home networking, or this weeks copy of Micro Mart has an article on home networking. See here

http://www.micromart.co.uk/

[qapmoc]

Hi, VHG is correct but note that normal network cables are used to connect many PC's etc.... to a network, if you only want to connect two PC's together through their network interface cards then you need a special ''crossover'' cable for this to work.