Question : connect 2 computers

Hello,
I have two computrs so i want to create a network both od these. please kindly write me the following procedures.
1- Guid me about operating system(However,i installed windows 2000 professional in one and windows 98 on 2nd)if this criteria is better then pls.tell me.
2:- which critiria used for making a cable.(How to make a cable with right color criteria)
3: complete instalation guidence.
4: about ip addresses.
Note: i am using tcp/ip protocol.
i do not using any hub or switch.(connect directly one to another)
please guid me step by step.

thanks.

Haider.

Answer : connect 2 computers

My method is fairly the same as well......

If you use TCPIP (which everone will recommend to do) you could use static op and put the ip address as 192.168.0.x (x can be any unique number form 1 till 255) with subnet of 255.255.255.0. COnnect both the machines together via a cross cable or a hub/switch if you have one.

Now make sure you keep the workgroup name the same on both the machines and the login user name/password too should be the same.... Win98 -- I'd prefer if both the machines were WinNT,Win2k or WinXP...... but anyway.... since you don't have a domain, try to get WInNT or above OS and create the same usernames + passwords in both the machines.... this will take care of authentication!

Now you can create a shared directory on WIn98 and give it the relavent permissions (in the absense of a domain)! In Win2k you can create local users and put the relavent permissions in the share/ntfs file security.

now (i am not sure about win98) but in Win2k you can give the following mapping to map the drive

net use z: \\machinename\share /user:username (now here you can give the local user name here you have assigned the security rights to the folder ... and also in the next prompt it'll ask for the password)

Now, for home networking you could also try NetBEUI but no one will recommend you to go for NetBEUI.

You can see the coloring scheme here

http://www.aptcommunications.com/ncode.htm

http://yoda.uvi.edu/InfoTech/rj45.htm

Now,

you can test the connectivity by using the ping command

ping 192.168.0.2 (the other machines ip address) and this will give you some sort of connectivity analysis!

Regards

Saadat Saeed