What is the cheapest and easiest way (for a person with moderate
computer skills) to network two home computers together so the files
of one are accessible via the other and files can be printed from the
one without the printer attached via the one with the printer
attached. (no internet uplinking please)

The computers are in two seperate rooms (not line of sight) about 20
feet away from each other as the crow flies (but wires would have to
travel about 50 feet.)

One computer is running Windows XP, the other Windows 98.  The one
with Windows 98 was bought in 1999 and is only a Pentium 1 533 MHz.

Check out Phone-Line Networking.  More information about the
technology can be found at:


http://www22.verizon.com/about/community/learningcenter/articles/displayarticle1/0%2C4065%2C1078z1%2C00.html

Thanks,
JeremyLA

Throw a network adapter in each machine (20 bucks each) get some CAT5
network cable (perhaps $20 - $30), turn on file and print sharing on
both machines, and you're away.

I had once installed a Programme from the CD ROM of my desktop onto a
laptop,  by connecting the two using Direct Cable connection facility
within Win 98 and cable connection between the printer ports of the
two computers.  Length of the cable in your case is high but it should
not be a problem.  Only that it will have to be specifically made for
you.  What you can do is to try the solution using a standard cable by
keeping the two computers near by and then if it works, make a special
cable to cover the distance.

I am not sure whether this will work with XP, as I havent worked on
that platform.

Apart from the possible nullmodem directcable link (one cable attached
to the serial ports of both computers - they need to be close however
and run windows' direct-cable link software) as a viable solution,
legendlength-ga points out the obvious. I suggest you use a
Cross-cable, since this eliminates the need for a switch or hub.

Aside from that, there are more than one solutions by using USB
equipment. Provided both boxes have USB ports. USB equipment can be
anything of simple network adapters to special link cables. (have a go
at those special USB gamers-kits)

Use a DCC or Direct Cable Connection. It May take Some wires to reach
50 feet but this is a good solution

To set up a network, you will need:

Two PCI or USB network adapters that are 10Base-T or 100Base-TX
compatible

One Category 5 CROSSOVER Patch cable of the distance between the PCs
It is IMPERATIVE that the cable is a crossover cable- Normal cable
WILL NOT WORK.

Any good PC store will know what this is and be able to supply it.

Install the network adapters- the documetation that comes with them
will explain how or most PC stores have a service that will do this
for you (for a fee).

Connect the patch cable to the network adapters.

On the windows XP machine there will be something called a "Home
Networking Wizard." Run it and it will set up the PC for networking
and create a floppy disk that will set up the Win98 machine for
networking. It will ask you what services you require and set
everything up properly on the software side.

Further to my previous comment, Direct Cable connection is a bad idea
in this scenario.

It is designed for tempoary connectnions between two PCs that are next
to each other- a serial or paralell cable of 50 feet will be expensive
and hard to come by.

It is also very slow for the transfer of files.

You want a proper network.

Hi,

To network two computers there are a lot of ways:
- Using Network Card and cables
- Using Direct cable connection via Parallel , Serial and USB ports.
- Using Wireless network

Of the above methods the cheapest and efficient would be to use a
Network card in both the systems.

Please visit the following links to install a network card in your
computers:

(http://www.dummies.com/Technology/Networking/Network_Design/0-7645-0772-9_0016.html)

(http://www.wown1.com/j_helmig/cardpci.htm)

Once you have installed your Network card and connected them using the
network cable. visit the following link for a step by step guide for
setting up networking and share the windows XP and Windows 98 systems:

(http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpwin9x.htm)

If you are interested in direct cable connection and wireless
netwoking , please visit the following links:

DCC network:
(http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dccmain.htm)

Wireless Network:
(http://www.bricklin.com/homenetwork.htm)


Additional links on home networking in Windows XP:

(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/homenet/default.asp)
(http://www.homenethelp.com/web/howto/HomeNet-start.asp)


Hope the above link proves useful. happy networking :)

Regards,
JK

I am suprised that you have a pentium 1(533) running that fast' that
speed you are quoting is close to a p111.
The question is what type of files are you talking about and how much
you need to network,If you have simalar Software on both machines as
in MS OFFICE, Paint Shop PRo,Flash,Auto Cad, Dreamweaver,etc Images
etc,Powerpoint.
All give you the option of just saving your file' and not the whole
application,
EG: Powerpoint Save a copy as a powerpoint show to a floppy or cd , as
well as the Presentation on your main macnine, It will just save the
slides which you can open on your other machine
Flash gives you two choices as well, but better still, export the fill
as a GIF which you you can set limits on including color repeats and
size.
Excel you can just save the spreadsheet,  Photo's or images just crop
and save what you want(copy and Paste to Power[oint and save as a Gif
and you will end up with a ratther small file that you can save to a
floppy
Most printers are very light and if you only have the driver on one
machine you can transfer the driver to Disk and load to your second
machine, If you can online with both machines you can email yourself
the files and upload them on your other machine once you log off on
the first
That cuts out a lot of cable and As both 98 and Xp are different
applications and I have not used xp I can't promise anything,
But the rest of the software I mentioned is backward compatable to 3.1
If you are using all the facility's that xp is suppose to have, you
may not be able to use 98 in similar way