Thread: How can i transfer files form PC to laptop

I want to transfer some huge data or files from PC to laptop, using ethernet wire

What do i have?

On PC:
Windows XP sp3
NIC (ethernet card)
Avast pro

On laptop:
Windows Vista
Avast pro

I want to use ethernet wire to transfer files, I tried to do this following guidelines from a site, this site guided to connect the ethernet ports on laptop and PC using ethernet wire, then change the computer name by right clicking My computer-> properties -> computer name -> change, so that both laptop and PC have similar name.

Then run ping ipofother(Where ipofother is ip address of other computer) and ping nameofother ( where nameofother is the name of other computer). If the messages show some packet loss, it means either data cable is corrupt or the firewall is blocking access.

Last step , in run command type \\ipofother on both laptop and PC, if the procedure was successful you will see the windows explorer of other on the both laptop and PC, but i got an error message. Could'nt remember exactly that error message

I run all commands from laptop to PC successfully, but there was packet loss (4 %) from PC to laptop.

Should i uninstall avast from Laptop, as the packet loss occurs when pinging name of laptop from PC, Is it have something to do with different OS on laptop and PC

I don't have any experience with networking :001_tt2:

workgroup names have to be same for both the computers.

Btw , if can post the link to tutorial it ould be more useful to judge. I don't think avast is a problem.

I think we can achieve this using a LAN connection.

Control panel > Network Places > Set up a Home or Small office network

You dont need to do all these things. Its very simple. First tell me - do you access internet on both laptop and pc? if yes, how? via a switch/hub?

U can't use normal Straight ethernet cable. U must use Cross Cable.

Straight cable use to connect two different types of equipments such as
PC-Switch, PC-Modem etc

Cross cable use to connect two similar types of equipment
ie PC-PC, Switch-Switch, Router-Router etc

Originally Posted by sujithsukrutham

U can't use normal Straight ethernet cable. U must use Cross Cable.

Straight cable use to connect two different types of equipments such as
PC-Switch, PC-Modem etc

Cross cable use to connect two similar types of equipment
ie PC-PC, Switch-Switch, Router-Router etc

yes, exactly the point i was trying to come to.

If you access internet on both the pc and laptop via a HUB - then striaght calbe will work. If you wish to connect them directly via a lan wire - it must be cross-cabled. thats why i asked first.

@capri

Waiting for your reply. Plz answer my previous post.

Originally Posted by sujithsukrutham

U can't use normal Straight ethernet cable. U must use Cross Cable.
Straight cable use to connect two different types of equipments such as
PC-Switch, PC-Modem etc

Cross cable use to connect two similar types of equipment
ie PC-PC, Switch-Switch, Router-Router etc

I used the ethernet cable that's connecting PC to modem
O.K, so you said that this ethernet cable and cross over cable are different, it means i need to buy new cross cable for the purpose. I have another wire used in iptv settop box.

To all

The cable has cat 5e written on it and it only has four wires (two white, one orange, one blue).

I am not sharing the internet connection on PC and laptop, but my laptop is configured to access internet, i.e. i can't run internet at same time on both laptop and PC

And i have no idea what's a HUB, i am using wireless modem, but i don't want modem to get involved in file transferring, I am afraid it will effect the internet usage or something like that :001_tt2:

It was hard grasp all those at once, so was taking time to post reply

I studied the diagram of cables, there is interchanig of wires in it, should i check both ends of cable or just either end. to see if its cross over or not.

Originally Posted by sujithsukrutham

U can't use normal Straight ethernet cable. U must use Cross Cable.

Straight cable use to connect two different types of equipments such as
PC-Switch, PC-Modem etc

Cross cable use to connect two similar types of equipment
ie PC-PC, Switch-Switch, Router-Router etc

I've used my Rj-45 cable (connected from PC to router/modem) to transfer data between PC's and laptop, what kind of cable would that be ?

If u are using RJ 45 cable that is being used for connecting Modem and PC (Straight ethernet cable )u have to use either a Switch of Hub for file transfer between the computers.

If u want to connect simply two PCs (No modem,switch, Hub inbetween) then use a Cross ethernet cable

@Capri... U can very well transfer the data through your modem (Coz your modem has a built in Switch). If u are so afraid, then remove the Tele line and do the data transfer

Originally Posted by capri

I used the ethernet cable that's connecting PC to modem
O.K, so you said that this ethernet cable and cross over cable are different, it means i need to buy new cross cable for the purpose. I have another wire used in iptv settop box.

To all

The cable has cat 5e written on it and it only has four wires (two white, one orange, one blue).

I am not sharing the internet connection on PC and laptop, but my laptop is configured to access internet, i.e. i can't run internet at same time on both laptop and PC

And i have no idea what's a HUB, i am using wireless modem, but i don't want modem to get involved in file transferring, I am afraid it will effect the internet usage or something like that :001_tt2:

It was hard grasp all those at once, so was taking time to post reply

I studied the diagram of cables, there is interchanig of wires in it, should i check both ends of cable or just either end. to see if its cross over or not.

Its not that complicated buddy. My suggestions:

What you said suggests - you use internet on both your laptop and pc but not at the same time. you use the ethernet cable from the modem to connect to the pc/laptop to use internet.

Here is my suggestion:

Buy a HUB/Switch. A Hub/Switch is nothing but a way to access the same intenet connection on more than one PCs simultaneously. It wont affect your coonection speed or anything. I use HUB to use internet on 3 different machines including my laptop. Just the way they do it in Cyber cafes. Get yourself a Dlink/Netgear Hub.



First advantage if you use HUB - You can access internet simultaneously on PC and Laptop.

Second - You can use simple Straight Ethernet cables to connect the PCs to the Hub. This will also serve your file transfer needs. No, need for Cross Over cable.

third - you can add more than two Pc/laptops in a network just as shown in the pic and transfer files among any of them.

Trust me. This is the best option.


If you dont want to do this. Just get a simple Cross-Over Cable and connect the Laptop and PC using it.

Then follow these steps:

Go to My Computer -> Select My network places from the left side panel -> Then select Setup a hme or small office network -> Click Next -> Again click Next -> Select Other and click Next -> Select This computer belongs to a network that does not have an internet connection -> Type in the Computer Name and Description(Any name you wish) -> Click Next -> Enter the Workgroup name -> Next -> Select Turn on File and Printer Sharing -> Next -> Next.

Repeat the same process on the other machine with the same workgroup name. You are done.


Now, to start sharing files among the pc and laptop:

Turn on sharing on the Drives/Folders which you want to share on the other machine by right clicking -> and Selecting Properties.

Once Done - Go to See workgroup computers from the My network places left side panel. You will see an icon named with the name of the other computer. open it. It will show all the shared Files/folders/Drives of that computer.


The process sounds Big. But it wont take more than 2 minutes to implement once you have a HUB and 2 ethernet cables or a cross-over cable if you wish to do this without hub

Originally Posted by sujithsukrutham

If u are using RJ 45 cable that is being used for connecting Modem and PC (Straight ethernet cable )u have to use either a Switch of Hub for file transfer between the computers.

If u want to connect simply two PCs (No modem,switch, Hub inbetween) then use a Cross ethernet cable

@Capri... U can very well transfer the data through your modem (Coz your modem has a built in Switch). If u are so afraid, then remove the Tele line and do the data transfer

Nope, I was able to transfer files by just using RJ-45 cable from Pc to Laptop.
I mapped the drives on each computer as network drives on the other computer and then accessed them like normal HDD.
If this doesn't workout, u can even connect throught the inbult "remote desktop connection" and transfer files, albeit with a slight loss in speed.

Originally Posted by newprouser

Nope, I was able to transfer files by just using RJ-45 cable from Pc to Laptop.
I mapped the drives on each computer as network drives on the other computer and then accessed them like normal HDD.
If this doesn't workout, u can even connect throught the inbult "remote desktop connection" and transfer files, albeit with a slight loss in speed.

That RJ 45 cable must have been a cross over one. you used the rj 45 cable to connect the two pcs directly right?

Originally Posted by saurav_kataruka

That RJ 45 cable must have been a cross over one. you used the rj 45 cable to connect the two pcs directly right?

i connected PC's directly, yes.

Dunno about what kind of cable it is... according to sujithsukrutham its that straight cable....

how huge are the files?

Originally Posted by newprouser

i connected PC's directly, yes.

Dunno about what kind of cable it is... according to sujithsukrutham its that straight cable....

No. If it is a straight cable connection between two similar devices not possible. Your cable is a cross cable.

Cross Cable


Straight Cable

You can even make your RJ45 ethernet cables yourself. I do it myself. I will try to explain the process and the tools required later here.

As you said i made network connection using network setup wizard on PC having windows xp

But on laptop having vista, under set up a connection or network there was no option to choose for without internet connection, anyways i made the network connection on vista also. somehow.The my network places option is also missing in vista to check the location where the connection was made.

I have connected pc and laptop ethernet ports using cross cable,

After all settings on PC i enabled sharing on a folder in XP and it appeared on My network places having a computer icon with the name given during network setup wizard on PC

But i can't view this network anywhere in vista (laptop), I have enabled network discovery and file sharing in Network and Sharing centre on vista

^ again, it would help if you post the tutorial ,which u followed...

Actually i am not following that link any more,

Here is the link btw,

Code:

http://forums.techguy.org/networking/497565-how-connect-laptop-pc-via-2.html

And i get this error if if follow the above tutorial's last step:



I think the problem is configuring network on vista, its troubling me most. Were you successful in transferring files between vista and xp (xp to xp might be easier than this )

OK, used the modem and everything worked by itself, just made connection pc -> modem -> laptop using straight cable and was able to view the networks made on each machine.

Now how much speed should i expect during transfer, i am getting about 1.5 - 2 MBps, can the transfer speed be increased, my modem is wireless DNA-A211

And one strange thing, now modem is catching networks without any connecting cable inbetween pc and laptop , is it safe to use this network. I just need to power on all three - modem, pc and laptop and the networks are accessible without any wire connection.

How to secure this network, if its unsafe?

File transfer between two computers via network cable will should usually be at about 70mbps speed. depends on the speed of the hard disk. if both hard disks are of 7200 rpm, you should get speed in between 70mbps to 80mbps. if one of the hard disks is 5400 rpm then the speed will be low - about 50mbps.

I am not sure about this. I get a speed of about 50mbps when transfering files between my laptop and PC. and for PC to PC i get around 70mbps.

Note: mbps is mega bits per second
MBps is mega bytes per second

The rpm of my pc hard disk must be low causing low transfer speeds will check the rpm again.

But i did'nt made the wireless network, then how come i am able to transfer wirelessly. :001_tt2: Used the setup home network wizard on both pc and laptop to make network connections.

Vista (on laptop) did'nt had the wizard similar to xp, so used xp cd on vista(laptop) to make network connection.

irrespective of HDD speed i got 8.1 - 9 MBps while transfering large files, 6 MBps file transferring small files

Thanks, there was ip address assigned on my xp desktop, whereas on laptop it was set to obtain automatically, I read somewhere to set both pc and laptop to obtain automatically. unk: unk: unk:

After this i was able to do wired transfer between pc and laptop,

Procedure followed: turned off firewall on both and after doing the above setting, restarted both machines, turned on firewall, and i was done, the speed reached upto 8-10 mbps during transferring files, after week of struggling with this at last i was successful to get the solution

Thanks everybody here for answering so patiently to my questions unk:
Btw whats the use of assigning ip and dns addresses to internet connection, when it works fine with obtain automatically ??

And the wireless transfer that i was getting, is this related to wireless internet connection on my laptop. Are the files transferring wirelessly using internet connection settings.

This is very simple.Jus turn off u r interner.connect the Lan cable to u r computer from the modem, then connect another RJ cable to u r laptop if u have the provision or else u must b having a usb connection for sure.Connect as said and give different ip address for the both.Share a folder/drive in u r desktop.Now u must c this folder/drive in u r laptop.copy data from this to u r laptop.if this need to b explained more jus reply.