USB networking

[joea64]

As I posted in the Multimedia forum just now, I've set up a separate workstation dedicated to digital video (DV) work, including recording and editing MPEG's and authoring and burning DVD's. At this point, the only way I can transfer files between the two computers is to burn a CD-R/RW on either machine and sneakernet it to the other system. It doesn't take all that long to burn discs, but it seems wasteful of discs so I'm looking at networking.

Of course, the obvious first answer would be to use the Ethernet ports, but the Ethernet port on my main system is tied up by the input from my cable modem and I don't, at this point, have a router. Parallel-port networking is also possible - in fact, I've done it, a couple of years ago - but it's too slow for the files I would have to move (some of them amounting to hundreds of MB). That leaves USB. I have lots of open USB ports on both boxes, front and back, and a quick Google shows that it's definitely possible. So I'm looking to find out what I need to have in order to set up a successful PC-to-PC USB connection. Both systems are running Win98SE, and I think both would be using USB 1.1.

(Hardware-wise, the key item I need is a USB A-to-A/male-to-male cable that's at least 20" long, or an extension for a shorter cable; the longest cable I've been able to find so far is 10" long.)

-Joe-

[Budfred]

You are still going to experience slow transfers with USB... I suggest getting a router. You get the advantage of faster transfers and a hardware firewall. You can find a decent router for as little as $8 and I think Micro Center has a nice one on sale right now for $20 after rebates. You then would need cables and a NIC on the other computer. The NIC can actually be found for Free after rebates sometimes and the cables run about $5 to $10 at Micro Center.... Your call obviously, but I think you would get tired of USB transfer rates real quickly....

[joea64]

I should have mentioned that the DV station (which has an ECS K7S5A Pro mobo) has onboard LAN, obviating the need for a "standalone" NIC; my main system has a Linksys NIC which predates my current mobo (Syntax SV266A, which also has onboard LAN though that's disabled so I can use the Linksys card). I didn't know routers were that cheap - the ones I've seen run from $40 on up. Then again, I may not have been looking in the right places.

-Joe-

[Budfred]

If you watch the sales (and I do), you can often find wired routers for very cheap prices and they seem to be decent equipment. Wireless routers will run you a little more and have some security issues, so I prefer the wired option anyway... If you have a Micro Center in your area, let me know and I will look up the latest prices...

[iisbob]

Why arent you using the onboard NIC? No need for any other hardware, simply enable it-set it up for your home network.

Just use the same subnet on it and your DV PC, making sure you use unique IP's for them; example-> 169.254.10.2 & on the other one 169.254.10.3 with both having the same subnet of 255.255.255.0 , and create a workgroup called Share (or anything you want to name it}; then make sure both PC's have unique node names.

Enable file & print sharing on the DV PC, and only on the onboard NIC that you are using, not your main inernet NIC.
Then simply use a crossover cable to connect your second system.

If you're using XP make sure you turn off the firewall on the NIC in your workgroup.