My Head Through the Screen - An Ode to Microsoft Networks (help needed)

[AlecBGreen]

My wife got a new laptop (thanks for the help DU'ers!) and now we want to connect her fancy newfangled computer to our old desktop to transfer files. I hooked them up with a network cable and Ive spent the better part of an hour trying to get these two electronic devils to talk to each other. No use.

1) I've shared both hard drives
2) The cable is in and its lets me know if its unplugged (so it obviously is making some sort of connection)
3) each computer has been assigned to the workgroup "MSHOME"
4) old computer is named "debscomputer" and new one is "elf"
5) the desktop cannot simultaneously be connected to the new laptop AND the internet as it only has one port.
6) The laptop is running Vista and the old gal is XP.

At first the desktop was assinged to "MSHOME" workgroup and the laptop was unassigned. Once I assigned the laptop, the desktop was no longer able to join the MSHOME workgroup. Something funny is going on ... What am I doing wrong? Could I solve this problem by linking them with a USB cable? All I want to do is transfer files, not smash atoms. Any tech savvy evilDU'ers out there?

:hi:
-Alec

p.s. :argh: Damn you dirty networks! Damn you straight to helllllll!

[BlueJazz]

1. Is your cable a "Crossover" cable?

http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.aspx

[BlueJazz]

2. ..and look here >>>>

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&defl=en&q=define:Crossover+Cable&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

[AlecBGreen]

3. ahaaa

I have a 568-B patch (straight through) cable and I should be using a crossover cable. Could it really be that simple? Man I feel dumb. (thanks Bill G.) Ill get a new cable and see if that takes care of it. Thanks BlueJazz!

-Alec

[Crabby Appleton]

4. If you are plugging them directly into each other then

crossover is what you need, you can use straight-through cables if plugging into a switch.

[AlecBGreen]

5. yup its a direct link

knowing nothing else of the situation, do you think they should be able to communicate easily if they are "hardwired" together with a crossover cable? Sorry, dont know much about networks...

-Alec