Question: Is it possible to use a crossover cable to connect two computers together for the purpose of Internet sharing?

“I have two computers here. A desktop computer that has LAN CARD#1 connected to a cable modem and LAN CARD#2 connected to a laptop computer with only one LAN CARD installed. Both computers are running Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2. Desktop computer is running IE7 and laptop computer is running IE6 (If that matters?).

Internet access works fine on the desktop computer, and connection to the laptop computer has been established. Internet access to the laptop computer does NOT work but the connection to the desktop remains fine?

Can someone explain the steps in detail how to create a small two computer network where one computer is connected directly to the cable modem and the laptop computer shares the Internet connection from the desktop computer via crossover cable.

Two computer network, no router, switch, or hubs. Just two NICS, One Crossover, Both on XP Home. How do you create a crossover cable Internet sharing connection?.”

Answer: Read the comments on this article below. You will discover that attempting to run a shared Internet connection between a host and a client computer using a crossover cable is not the best option for you. It is extremely difficult to configure and takes a huge amount of time to figure out. When and if you do figure it out, performance is horrible because of terrible data transfer speeds caused by network bottle necks.

It is much better and easier to spend less than $20.00 on a cheap network router. Having a router is very simple. Plug in a few cords and cables, and within minutes you will have a super fast and very secure shared Internet connection between two, three, four, and even more computers. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to figure out how to create a shared Internet connection using a crossover cable. It is not worth your time or effort! Especially knowing that you can just purchase a inexpensive router that solves all these problems instantly!

Here are a few routers that I recommend. They aren’t $20.00 but these are routers made by my favorite and most trusted company, Linksys. Again, they aren’t $30.00 but you can find them on Amazon used for not too much more than that…

1. Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router - The Linksys Wireless-G broadband router is really three devices in one box. First, it’s a wireless access point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. There’s also a built-in four-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
2. Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster - The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there’s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There’s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
3. Linksys BEFSR41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch - The Linksys EtherFast cable/DSL router connects multiple PCs to a high-speed broadband Internet connection or to an Ethernet backbone. Configurable as a DHCP server, the EtherFast router acts as the only externally recognized Internet device on your local area network (LAN). The router can also be configured to block internal users’ access to the Internet. A typical router relies on a hub or a switch to share its Internet connection, but the Linksys EtherFast router channels this connection through the full-duplex speed of its built-in EtherFast 10/100 four-port switch. This combination of router and switch technology eliminates the need to buy an additional hub or switch and serves your network as a completely dedicated, full-duplex backbone. Now your entire network can enjoy broadband Internet connections supported by its switched backbone. This unit requires an external cable or DSL modem with an Ethernet RJ-45 interface. This product comes with a one-year warranty.
4. Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch - The EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Switch provides an easy and flexible way to boost your network’s performance while migrating to the power of Fast Ethernet. It is designed to meet the needs of small businesses, medium-size businesses, and small-office/home-office networks, and it allows you to run high-end video, multimedia, and other speed-intensive applications at blistering speeds.

Don't forget to join our free mailing list so that you can get the best deals sent straight to your inbox. Just for joining, we'll even get you hooked up with some amazing FREE prizes!

Join Our Free Mailing List and Get These Free Gifts Instantly!

1. Free $250 Dollar Gas Card!
2. Free $500 Dollar Sam's Gift Card!
3. Free $500 Dollar Home Depot Gift Card!
4. Free $500 Dollar Southwest Airlines Gift Card!
5. Free $500 Dollar Walmart Gift Card!
6. Free $1000 Dollar Victoria Secrets Gift Card!

You get $3250 Dollars in free gift cards just for joining our free mailing list. Join now and get connected with the best deals online and score all these gift cards free! - Learn More or join below: