Hi

I've got 2 laptops: 1 old one non wireless and 1 newer one that is wireless (connected to SKY BB). I need to transfer some files off the newer one (pictures, MP3s etc)

Is there an easy way of doing this without reverting to burning to cd/dvd - perhaps by creating a mini network and transferring through the router :confused:, or can you connect the machines directly to each other??

Excuse my naivety on this area - hence in need of some advice and guidance.

Anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Si

Go and buy a cross over CAT 5 networking cable.

Enable windows file sharing on both the PC's then pull the files off the old one.

Once done make sure you turn file sharing back off

THe cable should cost you less than £5 anywhere, but probably costs about £1 to make up these days.

If you can't get a cross over you can use two normal patch leads and do the same thing through the network ports of a router or switch/hub.

tuppence worth: USB memory stick? Providing the old machine isn't very very old!

Si,

There's so many different ways of transferring data these days, whether be by cd/dvd, usb pen drives, external hard drives or over a wired/wireless network. The above replies are spot on but all depends on the spec of the older laptop really. I am presuming the new laptop has vista, its obviously wireless and should have a LAN port and plenty of USB ports. You have a router which is great, this will need to have more than one port though to allow to computers to connect to it. You say your old laptop is not wireless, does it have a LAN port that would allow you do connect it to the router to create a local area network ( LAN )? If it does then you could set up a LAN. If it doesn't your really stuck with cd/dvd burning or USB pen drives.

By far the easiest, and most cost effective if you have an existing USB pen drive is to just copy the files from the new computer to the old computer. Of course this all depends if the old computer has a USB port which i would be pretty sure, if its not really old, will have.

Sorry if its long winded. Just trying to give you all options. There is more available but wont confuse matters. Hope this helps you out.

You beat me to it GnatG.

cheezemonkhai / Aspman:

I've got a standard ethernet cable (use to connect old laptop to router), can this be used, if I get another? Can I use the ports on the Sky router?:confused:

GnatG

Thought about the USB stick but I've only got 1GB at the mo (my Corsair 4GB packed up and is on it's way back to them for FOC replacement). Also have around 60GB to transfer, so wanted a slightly quicker way of transfer. Good thought though

Si

Newer laptop is XP Pro - not sure about Vista yet, and yes is wireless, has LAN port and 4 USB. Router has 4 ports plus wireless. Old laptop is also XP and I it does have a LAN port because I hooked up the internet direct to router.

So, like you say, I could just create a LAN with both laptops connected via the router (albeit 1 wireless). Is there a connection tool in XP or a wizard to help set up, cheezemonkhai talked about switching file sharing on.

Thanks Si

Yeah thats right.

Connect your old computer to the router via network cable. Your new computer to the router via wireless. Enable DHCP server in the router. This assigns an address to each computer on the network. You have to make sure both computers have the same workgroup name so its easier for them to see each other. Once this is done, on your new computer right click the files you want to share and select sharing and security, then under the Network sharing and security tab tick the box for share this folder on the network and tick the allow network users to change my files if required. Then click apply.

If all is set up right go to your old computer and all files that you have shared should be

visible under Network Places.

Thanks LG

Understand everything except the "Enable DHCP server in the router". How is this done, how do I access the router? Or would my Sky router already be DHCP enabled.

I guess I'd need to log into the router through IE - obtain IP address with ipconfig. But that's were my limited knowledge comes to a halt.

Sorry Si,

My computer crashed there. Typical Vista.

Anyway, to check if DHCP is enabled by the router, which it probably will be, try the following.

1. Connect any computer to router via ethernet.

2. As you rightly said. Select RUN and type cmd then press enter.

3. Type ipconfig/all at the command prompt and several details should come up

4. Look down the list for your ethernet adaptor and you should see DHCP server address.

5. It will probably be 192.168.X.X ( where the X is replaced by numbers.

6. type exit at the command prompt

7. Open internet explorer and type in the server address obtained from Step 5 above.

8. This should open your router set up page and from there on your looking for an option to enable DHCP server.

9. When you have found this logout of the router.

10. It should now assign an address to each new computer that accesess the router. ( providing you having got MAC filtering set up that is. )

Is the Sky router a black or white one?

Almost certainly you will have DHCP enabled already because you're using the wireless and the wired ports already.

Sky router is the black one - make a difference does it?

I'll try all that tonight when I'm back at home - is it likely that the router will be password protected or anything when I log in?

Vista eh - perhaps not worth the upgrade then:rolleyes:

Thanks for your help on this

Si

You beat me to it GnatG.

And you beat me to a lot of the other very good advice!

OP: You can get external USB hard drives for around £50 - I think I saw a 250GB one in Maplin yesterday. Just an option in case the networking thing doesn't work.

Hi Si,

Zooty is right in what he/she is saying. Router should be DHCP enabled although all computers could have been configured manually and even if it is DHCP enabled make sure it is set up to supply enough addresses as per the amount of equipmant you have.

e.g. If your router is 192.168.2.1 and you have two computers that you would like to connect then they would be 192.168.2.2 and 192.168.2.3. So you could configure it to allow it to give out address in the range between 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.3.

If you wanted to add something later on, lets say a games console or ipod touch then you would change the range to 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.4.

Its all very technical sometimes but its good fun configuring it. I have two laptops running Vista and in the mean time whilst i am getting used to it all i dual boot my second laptop with Vista and XP.

Black Sky router should be a Netgear one. If your met with a password screen i am almost sure the username is: admin and the password is sky.

Have fun, let us know how you get on.

Thanks GnatG - my Dad has a 500GB external USB drive, but is away working and has it with him. Hence the networking question - otherwise that would have been ideal

Thanks Si

Rather than the wired/wireless I'd just go for a cross over or two wired connections.

My reasoning, 100Mb or 1Gb is a lot lot faster than 54Mb (if you're lucky) speed from wireless.

Right then guys - gave this a bash last night..............

.

..

...

....and it worked fine.

Thanks for the advice LG - got into the router ok, yes it was password protected, and it was already DHCP enabled. Thought great, I'm halfway there but then spent ages trying to get the two machines to see each other (so to speak :confused:). But I found a Network Connection Wizard (on both machines) and this set everything up, sorted the shared folders etc.

It was just a case then of copying files from new machine to shared folder, and off again with the old machine.

Thanks for all the advice - next job is to decide whether to re-install XP Pro or upgrade to Vista :confused::confused: but that's a different thread altogether!

Thanks again guys

Si

Upgrading to Vista is a dog! Stick with XP.

Hi Si,

Glad you managed to get it all working. I bet you feel great. I have never used the connection wizard when setting up networks on XP becuase i prefer to set it up manually. There are so many different options that you need to make sure are the same in both comps.

Anyway Si, am please its all worked out in the end.

As for the upgrade to Vista. My advice for you would be to leave XP Pro on it. If you did decide to upgrade then download and run the Windows Vista Installer Advisor and this will alert you to any possible conflictions with your current programs and Windows Vista. If you then decided to upgrade please back up your valuable documents to an external hard drive first, then if something goes wrong with the upgrade you got your docs safe and sound.

By far the cheapest way to get a Vista computer is to buy a new one. I believe Windows XP is going to be supported for a while yet anyway.

Enjoy, whatever you decided.

I have never used the connection wizard when setting up networks on XP becuase i prefer to set it up manually.

I just went through each section 1 by 1 on both machines to ensure that I had the same settings - quite easy on reflection.

My advice for you would be to leave XP Pro on it.

That's the message I'm getting from elsewhere - so will re-install over the weekend.

Thanks again for the advice

Si

I was going to suggest buying an external hard drive, partly because it would have been the easiest way but also because I was wondering how you back up your files if you have 60GB of them.

Ext Firewire or USB2 hard drives are pretty cheap now & if you have no easy way to back up I would deffo recommend getting one.