please help

xirokx

xirokx

xirokx

Soldato
Joined
2 Oct 2004
Posts
4,362
Location
N.W London
Hi,

I have three desktop computers which have 1 eternet cable port in each which is occupied I need to connect all three computers together (somehow) whilst 1 computer is connected via USB to a hard drive…

I think they call this type of setup a WAN…

What type of wire would connect each of the three desktop’s together? Each are using xp pro.

thanks in advance
 
Hi,

What you need ia a LAN (local area network) and to do this you need either a hub (not recommended) or a switch. Uplink all the machines into the switch with a CAT5e ethernet cable and assign an IP address to each device (or connect one and use DHCP).
 
i cannot add a router to the three computers as their eternet ports are currently being used...

therefore I thought if i connected each pc together then to a hdd I could do it that way?

or use sometype of device to do this?
 
They are connected to a router, the router is connected to a server 50miles away..

I cannot gain access to the router or the server...

so i need to connect three pcs together inside the same room then to a hard drive..to share files...

can I use a crossover cable? or connect each pc using a usb cable? or add a network card with two ports?

alternatively can I add an adaptor to the existing eternet port in the back of each pc which would give me two input ports?

pls clarify
 
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Crossover cable would need a network card to connect it to.
Disconnect the three machines from the router, connect them to a switch, then connect the switch to the router?
 
if I add a switch dont I need to reconfigure the router to accept the switch?

just checking as I cannot gain any access to the router (i dont have password or username) or remote server whatsoever so dont want to spoil anything..

are you sure by adding a switch the current eternet connection will not be harmed in anyway i.e. disconnection from remote server etc..
 
No.

When you disconnect the ethernet cable, it might drop the address, but if all else fails, it'll re-assign the IP address when you connect it back up.

PCs --> Switch ---> router.

Obviously, you'll need to tell the switch to give each PC a IP, but that's quite simple.
 
can someone kindly spec me a switch?

what does a switch do?

to take it one step further can i use a switch to share files between each of the three pcs?
 
Last edited:
cool

thanks for your help..

thats great so I will buy a switch and not a harddrive then share files between three pc's that way

thank you so very much
 
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