networking help please

[jb21]

hi guys i`m wonder if any 1 can help with a problem i have. i have 2 pcs on there own modems, and was wondering if theres any way to link the pcs so as i can transfer stuff to and from each other without going through the internet.
both are on xp.
i did try a netlink usb cable but could not even get the drivers to install properly.
the only way i seem to be able to do it is if i disconnect 1 of the modems and plug the network cable into the router .

 

[MH]

Buy 2 more network cards about a fiver each and a switch about a tenner!

Thats the easiest way

 

[jb21]

thanks for the reply mate iv`e got the extra network cards already installed on the pcs. can you point me in the right direction for a switch becuse the ones i`ve just googled look like routers.

 

[MH]

Yeah they do

http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=798936

That way you can assign internal IP's

 

[karym6]

are these analogue modems? Or DSL modems?

If they are DSL modems, have you considered replacing them both with a router?

 

[jb21]

cheers for the info mate will get one over the weekend.

 

[jb21]

are these analogue modems? Or DSL modems?

If they are DSL modems, have you considered replacing them both with a router?

i have a router mate and the modems are on virmin cable. what i`m trying to do is keep my net connections seperate while still being able to connect the two pcs

 

[karym6]

Oh ok, thats unusual - is one for work and the other for home?

 

[jb21]

Oh ok, thats unusual - is one for work and the other for home?

i`d rather not comment on that

 

[MH]

Ones Legit and one is shall we say.....................

 

[karym6]

Ok, I get it.

Would a dual wan router be of any use then?

 

[jb21]

i think the switch is gonna be the cheapest option. i would prefer to keep the modems seperate

 

[beady]

If you've already got a router, then you should be able to use that as a switch. I assume you've got the router connected to one of the modems? As long as you set a static ip on the 'other' machine's ethernet card (so that it's on the same network as the router, but doesn't overwrite the 'other' modem's dns stuff) it should work.

Now, I guess you're on windows, in which case I don't know specifically how to do it, but there (should) be no reason it won't work.

 

[oneman]

What I think you need is a private network between the two PC. Connect the spare network cards on each PC to either a plain switch (around £5 for a 4 port 100mbps switch) or a cross over cable.

Then you need to assign static IP address to the network cards on a private subnet. I am going to assume that routers on the WAN connections are using 192.168.x.x subnets. In order to avoid confusion I would use 10.1.1.1 for one PC and 10.1.1.2 for the other PC. Set subnet mask as 255.255.255.0 and leave gateways, DNS, WINS and all the other settings blank.

Now when you want for one PC to talk to the other one, map a drive using the private IP address of the other PC.

10.x.x.x is a reserved range on the public internet and there is no chance of traffic destined for the other PC being routed externally.