how do I network a desktop and a laptop?

Question

I have a Dell Dimension 4300s that  I want as my main pc and I want to connect my Dell Inspiron 1000 with a dial up connection but have no idea how to begin. Please Help!!

mindylee08 · Answer

thank you steve i do have a cross over cable but how do i know if i have ethernet network adapters? and how do i find the windows builit-in Internet Connection Sharing software?

volcano11 · Answer

If both computers have ethernet network adapters, you can connect them together with a special network cable called a cross-over cable. Sharing an already slow dialup connection is will just make for a slower connection, but it can be done, using Windows builit-in Internet Connection Sharing software.

Steve

mindylee08 · Answer

where do i find the device manager? and both the pc and laptop have the spot the plug goes but i do not have a dial up networking option on either of them that i can find any ideas or clear websites i can look at so i dont drive u insane ??? lol  i have tried the network connection wizards but they are not any help.

volcano11 · Answer

Your 4300s likely has an ethernet adapter. You will need to look in Device Manager and expand the network adapter listing by clicking on the + sign to see if the laptop has a ethernet adapter. If it does, it should have a plut on the back or side where the network cable would plug in. Use the Windows help files to look up internet connection sharing. There is ton of information at your fingertips in the Windows help files.

Steve

volcano11 · Answer

Have you looked in your help files to see how to access Device Manager?  One way is to right click on 'My Computer', select Properties from the drop down menu, click on the Hardware tab, then click on Device Manager.   If the plugs are there, then you likely have ethernet adapters on both computers.  Device Manager will tell you whether or not the ethernet adapters are properly installed.     If they are properly installed, connect them together with the cross-over cable.   Then on each computer, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections.  Right click on the LAN connection and select Properties.  Find the Internet TCP/IP protocol, select it and click on the Properties button.  On the General tab, check the box to 'Use the following IP address'.  Then, on one machine, enter the IP address 192.168.1.1.  On the other comptuer enter the IP address 192.168.1.2.   Now on the computer that is going to make the dialup connectdion, in Network Properties, right click on the Dialup connection and select Properties.   On the Advanced tab, click the box for Internet Connection Sharing.   Please note that I have never considered or never tried to share a dialup internet connection, so I cannot be absolutely sure this will work.  It should work, but I have no experience nor do I want to gain any experience.   It would probably be a good idea to reboot both computers after making these changes.    Steve

mindylee08 · Answer

thank you i dont really want to either but high speed is not an option where i live and i am sick of fighting for the internet lol.

mindylee08 · Answer

i found the device manager the laptop has it but i am not sure of the pc it says Intel(R) PRO/+Management Adapter.  but i do have a USB Mobile Port Replicator with Ethernet will that work if what i have installed is not right?

volcano11 · Answer

Yes the port repicator with ethernet should work.  The Intel Pro adapter will work as well. Steve

mindylee08 · Answer

i got them to connect but i can not get the laptop online it says there is no dial tone but u can hear that the line is in use. any ideas?

volcano11 · Answer

On the laptop, go into Network Properties again, right click on the LAN connection, select Internet - TCP/IP Protocol and click on Properites. For subnet mask enter 255.255.255.0. For Gateway, enter the IP address you assigned to the desktop (if you followed my earlier instructions, it would be 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2) You may have to enter that number for the dns server as well (sorry I don't remember as I've not used internet connection sharing for a few years).

Steve

mindylee08 · Answer

its getting closer but i am having a hard time because i use msn 9 and i need to figure out how to play with it.  thank you agian for your help.

mindylee08 · Answer

i can not get the lap top to  connect  i have no idea what to do now  lol i have looked and nothign has been any help but thanks for yours

arnieday · Answer

If your desktop is aleady connected via dial-up, you naturally will ot be able to make a dial-up connection from your laptop since the line is already in use. But if you followed Steve's setup suggestion the laptop should connect to the Internet via the desktop (provided it is turned on and connected!

mindylee08 · Answer

i got the two to connected but i was not able to get online with the laptop but i think that it was because of msn9. i conacted them for some help but since they do not recommend doing this because of of the lack of speed with dial up they were unable to help me.

arnieday · Answer

I just want to be sure that you understand what we are saying......that you can have only ONE of your computers connected to the phone-line at the same time. The other computer then connects to the Interner via that computer and the cable/wireless connection thereto. Can you confirm that you understand this? It should work since that is what we did when I was still on dial-up and my wife wanted to use her laptop. So long as only one computer was 'online' at any one time, the connection speed wass the same as if we had only one computer. If we were both onlune at the same time, the connection speed was 50% of normal. Comprende?

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

how do I network a desktop and a laptop?

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