Make a LAN with 2 Laptops: Step-by-Step Guide

[complexhuman]

how do I make a lan?

I have 2 laptops...both has a ethernet card...Do I need some sort of hub or something for only 2 pc?
thx

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm fairly sure you can simply directly connect them for a direct connection. Otherwise, you'll need a hub or a switch or a router (last one for internet capabilities).

 

[dduardo]

If your going to hook up the two computers directly you need a crossover cable.

 

[darkar]

can u connect them through USB?

 

[EnumaElish]

You can "beam" data through infrared ports if you have those on both laptops (I think). Not sure whether you need a LAN in place to do that but I am guessing you don't. I don't know about USB.

 

[loseyourname]

I'm pretty sure you can network two computers through USB, although I don't know how. There might even be instructions somewhere in your OS telling you how to do it.

On the other hand, it's incredibly simple to do it using a router. You don't even have to know what you're doing, as the installation disc guides you through the process.

 

[EnumaElish]

Do you need a DSL modem in addition to a router? Can you set up a LAN completely isolated from the Web? (I suspect the answer is "yes.")

 

[loseyourname]

You can use Bluetooth to network Macs without a router or a modem, providing both computers have Bluetooth capability and the Airport network card installed (which comes internally on all new Macs, but I don't know how long that's been the case). I'm not sure how you would do it on a PC, but it seems like the hardware would at least be enough, and you'd just need the right software to do it.

 

[Anttech]

Do you need a DSL modem in addition to a router? Can you set up a LAN completely isolated from the Web? (I suspect the answer is "yes.")

of course you can, just buy a switch or hub. and connect (assuming you have network cards installed on your computers) your pc's into the switches / hubs using ethernet cables (straight through)

If you leave your NIC's to auto-configure you will get an APIPA IP address, which will allow you to communicate between your computers using IP... If you have netbios/netbeui installed you will be able to communicate between your computers using the computer names...

 

[darkar]

It seems like u need a different type of cable to allow 2 pcs to connect together through USB, (like the working of cross wire).

Check this out. http://www.laplink.com/products/cables/overview.asp

 

[Kenneth Mann]

of course you can, just buy a switch or hub. and connect (assuming you have network cards installed on your computers) your pc's into the switches / hubs using ethernet cables (straight through)

If you leave your NIC's to auto-configure you will get an APIPA IP address, which will allow you to communicate between your computers using IP... If you have netbios/netbeui installed you will be able to communicate between your computers using the computer names...

Simple hubs are basically dirt cheap, but the problem as I see it is the fact that most dealers don't want to carry those these days. They want to sell you the expensive stuff, where they can make their profit. I had a simple, cheap hub, but when it went South I found getting a replacement a problem. Everybody wanted to push wireless stuff, etc.

KM

 

[ramesh_king11]

I have 2 laptops...both has a ethernet card...Do I need some sort of hub or something for only 2 pc?
thx

It is very easy to conncet lan between two laptops, The thing is is you just need a cross wired cable. you can easily get the cable wiring diagram from google. Then you will go to your network conncetions and select option (obtain ip automatically) if it is not connceting then also then you give ip like follows in both computers.
computer 1: ip 192.168.1.100
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

computer 2: ip: 192.168.1.101
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Then it will automatically connect each other. not need any hub or router. if you have any doubts you send me message i will help you

 

[EnumaElish]

you just need a cross wired cable.

Is this an Ethernet cable? Are these examples of such cables? If not, can you post a link for an example? Many thanks.

 

[Anttech]

It is very easy to conncet lan between two laptops, The thing is is you just need a cross wired cable. you can easily get the cable wiring diagram from google. Then you will go to your network conncetions and select option (obtain ip automatically) if it is not connceting then also then you give ip like follows in both computers.
computer 1: ip 192.168.1.100
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

computer 2: ip: 192.168.1.101
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Then it will automatically connect each other. not need any hub or router. if you have any doubts you send me message i will help you

You should also point the default gateways at one another.. I have seen on many occations Windows get confused when you don't do this. In theory you shouldn't need to but in practise you do

 

[Astronuc]

I set up LANs at work and at home.

The DSL/Cable modem -(RJ45 cable/wire)-> router -(RJ45)-> PCs (NIC).

I use Linksys routers had have had great experience.

Then set up a workgroup - same for each PC.

A printer can be local or networked - I have installed the printer as local on one PC and then it is a network printer for the others.

If done correctly, file sharing and printer across the network is simple. Each PC accesses the internet through the router, so you don't have to pay the ISP for multiple PCs.

 

[Anttech]

A LAN is a "Local Area connetion". In Cisco speak it sits at the access layer of an Infrastructure.
What you just described there Astronuc is not a LAN, but a WAN link to a single end node.

To create a LAN all you need is Network enabled devices, a Hub or Switch, Ethernet cables and some means of configuring the Network addresses so they can communicate using IP.

Thats it, you don't need a DSL modem, or a Router.

 

[Astronuc]

What you just described there Astronuc is not a LAN, but a WAN link to a single end node.

To create a LAN all you need is Network enabled devices, a Hub or Switch, Ethernet cables and some means of configuring the Network addresses so they can communicate using IP.

Thats it, you don't need a DSL modem, or a Router.

Thanks for the clarification.

I started with a Linksys hub and then replaced it with a router. I thought it was still a LAN. All the PC's are in the same working group. I think even some of the literature I use still refers to it as a LAN. All I know is that the PC's communicate with each other, and each can access the internet independently.

 

[merchant89]

the other day, my kid was messing around with my laptop and after that when i tried to connect to the internet using my broadband cable the web browser would keep saying no connection found. So i opened up my network connections and found that the LAN network was missing. After that i tried to create a new one but couldn't. So could anyone direct me in the correct direction. Thanks

 

[Evo]

the other day, my kid was messing around with my laptop and after that when i tried to connect to the internet using my broadband cable the web browser would keep saying no connection found. So i opened up my network connections and found that the LAN network was missing. After that i tried to create a new one but couldn't. So could anyone direct me in the correct direction. Thanks

Call your ISP's tech support and have them walk you through the correct settings. They should be open 24 hours a day. If not, get a better ISP.

 

[NoTime]

Is this an Ethernet cable? Are these examples of such cables? If not, can you post a link for an example? Many thanks.

Yep. That's the right cable.
Good for connecting two machines.

 

[trajan22]

I just skimmed this but just to clarify you can create a lan between two laptops with an ethernet. You can share just about anything through this connection including cd drives etc. I would suggest searching this on yahoo or google and you will get plenty of results on how to do this. Also make sure you are setting windows to share your documents (or whatever you are trying to share) the default is to keep it secure and not share it.

 

[Panda]

Another point is that if you want to share internet access from the other computer Windows XP needs DHCP. There is a wizard in the XP set-up to make one computer (The one with Internet Access) a mini DHCP server.

Of course if your ISP does not allow you to use more than one computer on a connection you will need an external Internet Router.

I successfully networked my PC and DVD player using a crossover and setting the PC with broadband as a DHCP server. I would rate it as an enthusiatic amateure level of knowledge rather than network expert, but not complete novice.

A good ISP will talk you through it though if you can afford the premium rate phone call...

 

[-Job-]

You don't need a DHCP server, you can just manually assign an ip and specify the appropriate gateway.

 

[Evo]

A good ISP will talk you through it though if you can afford the premium rate phone call...

A good ISP offers free tech support.

 

[verty]

A good ISP offers free tech support.

Just remember, if it's free it probably isn't worth much.

 

[Evo]

Just remember, if it's free it probably isn't worth much.

They're the largest DSL provider in the US and the tech support is excellent. And it's free. I've never had internet service where I had to pay for tech support, but I only use a top provider and at prices starting at $14.99 a month you can't beat it. My DSL modem started giving me problems after almost a year and they overnighted a new one to me for free.

 

[russ_watters]

the other day, my kid was messing around with my laptop and after that when i tried to connect to the internet using my broadband cable the web browser would keep saying no connection found. So i opened up my network connections and found that the LAN network was missing. After that i tried to create a new one but couldn't. So could anyone direct me in the correct direction. Thanks

You can try running the network setup wizard in accessories->communications, but without more info, it is tough to know what the problem really is.

 

[Evo]

I started with a Linksys hub and then replaced it with a router. I thought it was still a LAN. All the PC's are in the same working group. I think even some of the literature I use still refers to it as a LAN. All I know is that the PC's communicate with each other, and each can access the internet independently.

Yes, you're correct, what you have is a LAN (local area network). A LAN is just two or more computers connected together.

Sorry it took me over a year to set that straight.

Which is why merchant89 needs to call his ISP tech support, they may just need to tell him what boxes to check off in his preferences, he may not even have a LAN.

 

[trajan22]

I have yet to see good tech support from any company, you can almost always figure it out yourself by surfing the web rather than playing games with these tech support people. So I wouldn't recommend it but that's just me.

 

[Evo]

I have yet to see good tech support from any company, you can almost always figure it out yourself by surfing the web rather than playing games with these tech support people. So I wouldn't recommend it but that's just me.

Anytime I've had a problem a one minute call to tech support solved the problem. Just some setting that needed rechecking.

Tech support would be the first place I'd start, unless you're using some Brand X ISP that has no clue what they're doing. And those ARE out there.

Again, my advice would be - get off the cruddy Brand X ISP and get a real Tier One provider. They will probably be less expensive, provide better service, and offer more free services.

 

[Anttech]

Again, my advice would be - get off the cruddy Brand X ISP and get a real Tier One provider. They will probably be less expensive, provide better service, and offer more free services.

Unless of course that real Tier one provider is going through the "lets outsource, cause it make so much financial sense" game :)

 

[j777]

The cut and dry answer to your question is no you don't need a hub or a switch. All you need is a crossover cable like http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=9449" .

Microsoft has a lot of information about setting up a home network at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/default.mspx" and if you google around for things like "connect 2 computers crossover cable" you'll get good results.

 

[Anttech]

16$ for a cable, wow.. what a waste of money