Linking 2 PC's using crossover via extension box on wall

[acharris]

Hi all, my mate has asked me to help him setup a sharing of 2 PC's via a cross over cable from his house to his shed, which he is turning into something (though he has not told me what he wants to do yet)

Anyway he has run a straight patch cat 5 cable between the 2 extension boxes and then he was using a crossover cable going to each PC from the extension boxes at each location. He said it did not work, so I said that it is because he is using the crossover cables so the data is switching a few times along the cat 5.

So my question is which is the best way to run this network setup?? I told him to do the crossover on the extension boxes and then run the patch lead from each extension box to the PC's. Will that work or not , as I am not up on setting up networks via extension boxes. His idea is to use 1 patch lead one end and one cross over the other end, which I don't think will work, but not being clued up I am not sure.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Anthony

 

[oddjob62]

You only need crossover at one point in the link.

So if he has:
PC - Xover - Patch - Patch - PC
PC - Patch - Xover - Patch - PC
PC - Patch - Patch - Xover - PC

Any of these should work

 

[acharris]

Thanks for your reply. Now makes perfect sense. Like I said not really into wiring up extension boxes, usually for people I use pre-built cables and setup the network that way by usually running the wires up into airing cupboards or attics and then down. Thanks again, much appreciated.

Anthony