Networking two PCs...why so hard?

Argh this is really doing my head in. Im trying to connect two PCs together so that i can share files...thats all! Why's it so damn hard? I did it in like 10 minutes between my PC laptop and my iMac, and i cant do it between 2 Windows machines.

Ok, my laptop has XP Home, the other desktop has XP Pro..does that make a difference? I made a network disk thingy on a floppy and ran it on my computer (its an instuction in the networking wizard thingy piece of crap) but that didnt work. Can anyone just please point me towards a tutorial on how to do it or maybe write some simple instructions? Im using a cross over ethernet cable to connect the two pcs. I Head there's an easy way to do it by typing IP addresses etc. Anyway, any help is good help! Thanks :S

To the best of my knowledge, under your network settings, there's a passive IP toggle. You want to use a passive IP address. Then, *I believe* you can detect other computers once they've all been properly named b mapping the network drive, by right clicking on your 'my network places' icon.

Half of what I do on a computer is dumb luck anyway, or I'm some kind of idiot savant who knows how to make computers do just about anything, without being aware of it.

Right click your "my computer" icon on your desktop --> Properties --> computer name --> Change ------ make sure they have different names and are on the SAME workgroup.

Without a router you will have to use dhcp for IP addresses. So manually putting in IP addresses won't work as your ISP will deliver your IP to you.

You will need to set up internet sharing. The network wizard should work fine?

I tried networking my house with XP Pro, and I wound up just saying fluff it. Nothing was connecting to each other, and then I just decided, as long as they were all getting the internet, I'm fine.

Now, networking with Macs, SO much easier.

Heh, for me, it was just a matter of plugging the computers to the same router and I was done. Using XP Home (me), 2000 and 98SEj. Windows just doesn't want to work all the time.

[quote=msz070]Now, networking with Macs, SO much easier.[/quote]
I could whip a cable outta any computer in my complab here at school, get online as soon as the lan cable was in the back of my powerbook, and trump all of the schools assorted firewalls faster than you could say 'windows'.


Unfortunately...I no longer have my powerbook.


There is no end to my lamenting.

Man...every computer related post in here is somehow transformed into a 'mac is better', 'windows is better' post. Atleast, most of them.

so i guess the response i was going to post to the original question of "because they're evil?" wouldn't have helped, hmm? ;)

chris

typically the simplest answers are the most likely to work. Just screw around with it, and hey, if you're lucky, it'll work.

[QUOTE=Pganguly]typically the simplest answers are the most likely to work. Just screw around with it, and hey, if you're lucky, it'll work.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the replies, im gonna get a router today, i think that will make it a lot easier. Getting broadband on Tuesday! yay!