Hello,

Been a GNU/Linux user for a while, although networking is where I completely fall short.
Just wondering how if it's possible to create an adhoc connection between my desktop and my netbook via a cat5 cable connected to each?
My desktop is running Ubuntu 11.04 x86-64 while my netbook is on Arch x86.

They both have wireless capabilities if wired is not possible.

Thank you for your time,
poltak

So I am guessing that when you say "AdHoc", you don't mean the actual WiFi AdHoc mode, but rather just connecting the two machines together.

You can connect to machines together as long as you have a crossover Ethernet cable, a hub or switch, or if the Ethernet cards are auto-sensing. It sounds like in this case you would want to use a crossover cable, as you don't have a switch/hub, and it is unlikely those devices are auto-sensing.

It would actually be easier to do this over WiFi though, as WiFi has a dedicated AdHoc networking mode where devices can communicate with each other directly rather than through an intermediary hub.

Crossover cables schemes can be found via wikipedia.org, usually internet cable modems have one in box. Difference is ~2 cable contacts on one side of cable change places.So in worst case scenario you can cut "normal cable", put wires in order and attach one new RJ head.

Wireless with good antenna(i found that my usb stick is working better then PCI + shipin antenna) on other hand is far more usable with portable devices (~books,mobile).

Ah, thank you. I thought an AdHoc connection was just any temporary connection between two devices :P

Anyway, I do have an old switch lying around somewhere, I know that. But yeah, how does AdHoc networking mode over WiFi work? It's built into network-manager, I presume? What's the advantage of having this mode over an sshfs connection?