Greets everyone.

I have one XP box, and one Slackware box - the XP box has an internet connection. The two machines are connected via a standard CAT 5e cable(Am i right in assuming this is as good as/same as a crossover?).

I would like to get them sharing the connection.

The XP box will report that the network cable isn't plugged in, and so will not let me use that interface. Using a loopback jack I have determined that the fault seems to be on the slackware box.

What's the trick to getting these two machines talking?

Many thanks,
vox.

A 'regular' CAT5 cable is not the same as a crossover cable.

On regular CAT5 cable the transmit and receive wires at one end match up with those same wires on the other end. If you try to connect two computers using CAT5 cable the (in your case) Slackware box is sending information on the same wires that the XP box is sending info on. On the receive wires, neither system is sending information. What you have is two computer talking to each others and not listening to each other.

A crossover cable is, as the name implies, crossed over. That is, the transmit wires on one end of the cable go to the receive wires on the other send.

FYI: Hubs and switches automatically set the transmit and receive wires for you


Get a crossover cable and it should work...

Great explanation, many thanks for your help! I'll have to remember to bring a switch next time :/

vox

Or just a pucket hub...
I have also seen adapters that have cat5e female connector on one end, and a crossover on the other... a crossover adapter