USB-USB Link Problem

13-Nov-05

Unable to connect old "Win 98SE DELL Optiplex DeskTop" to a friend's old
"Win XP
Home Edition (SP2-updated) Fujitsu LifeBook" (Notebook) via USB 1.1 jacks
and a
recently purchased "NetLink" type "HE110" USB-USB cable (similar to
'PC-Linq). Both comps have latest Win updates.

Tried all for 2 weeks now but no luck. Need step-by-step instructions for any
possible OS config rqts. All we want to do is transfer large nr. of files
between
our 2 comps and keep them updated between us. For various reasons (the system
limitations, convenience, economy, etc.), this seems the optimal solution in
our
case and we prefer to pursue this DCC option.

The Install instructions were in v. poor English and v. brief. Nothing about
setting
up Win98 & XP. Just to run their setup.exe. Think some Win setup also needed.
We've no experience w/ Windows 'share', 'networking', so on - which is why
just want use simple Direct Cable type connection. Way back when, I had no
problems w/the old DOS direct parallel/serial port/cable hookups. Now I'm
totally lost since Win Help at both comps is v. marginal on this issue.

When click the new (GeneLink...) DeskTop links at both comps, do get the dual-
pane interface - but the remote comp pane at each system doesn't show anything
in the complementary comp. If 'share', etc., needs to be set up, need exact
instructions to do it correctly since so far no luck w/ this either.

Does anyone know what exactly is required for this type hook-up?

Appreciate,

Ted...

tedoniman wrote:

> USB-USB Link Problem
>
> 13-Nov-05
>
> Unable to connect old "Win 98SE DELL Optiplex DeskTop" to a friend's
> old "Win XP
> Home Edition (SP2-updated) Fujitsu LifeBook" (Notebook) via USB 1.1
> jacks and a
> recently purchased "NetLink" type "HE110" USB-USB cable (similar to
> 'PC-Linq). Both comps have latest Win updates.
>
> Tried all for 2 weeks now but no luck. Need step-by-step instructions
> for any possible OS config rqts. All we want to do is transfer large
> nr. of files between
> our 2 comps and keep them updated between us. For various reasons (the
> system limitations, convenience, economy, etc.), this seems the
> optimal solution in our
> case and we prefer to pursue this DCC option.
>
> The Install instructions were in v. poor English and v. brief. Nothing
> about setting
> up Win98 & XP. Just to run their setup.exe. Think some Win setup also
> needed. We've no experience w/ Windows 'share', 'networking', so on -
> which is why just want use simple Direct Cable type connection. Way
> back when, I had no problems w/the old DOS direct parallel/serial
> port/cable hookups. Now I'm totally lost since Win Help at both comps
> is v. marginal on this issue.
>
> When click the new (GeneLink...) DeskTop links at both comps, do get
> the dual- pane interface - but the remote comp pane at each system
> doesn't show anything in the complementary comp. If 'share', etc.,
> needs to be set up, need exact instructions to do it correctly since
> so far no luck w/ this either.

I've never done a direct usb-to-usb hookup since I find regular
networking so much easier, but I do have these links that you may find
useful:

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dccmain.htm - Direct Cable Connection

http://www.lpt.com/Support/DCC-SetUp/dcc-setup.htm - DirectParallel and
Direct Cable Connection (DCC) Step-by-Step SETUP

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=305621 - HOW TO: Set Up a Direct Cable
Connection Between Two Computers in Windows XP

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

To: Malke
14 Nov., 2005

Appreciate the prompt reply, help, hint and candor. Will analyze the 3
links just
down-loaded. If I ever get it all figured out and running, will let you
know; but
please don't anyone hold their breath :-))...

Tnx mucho for now,

Ted...

-------------------------------------
"Malke" wrote:

> tedoniman wrote:
>
> > USB-USB Link Problem
> >
> > 13-Nov-05
> >
> > Unable to connect old "Win 98SE DELL Optiplex DeskTop" to a friend's
> > old "Win XP Home Edition (SP2) Fujitsu LifeBook" (Notebook) via USB 1.1
> > jacks and a ...

above cut, to expedite...

"tedoniman" <tedoniman@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CEA83A0C-6827-4F7E-86D1-E039D425F56C@microsoft.com...
> USB-USB Link Problem
>
> 13-Nov-05
>
> Unable to connect old "Win 98SE DELL Optiplex DeskTop" to a friend's old
> "Win XP
> Home Edition (SP2-updated) Fujitsu LifeBook" (Notebook) via USB 1.1 jacks
> and a
> recently purchased "NetLink" type "HE110" USB-USB cable (similar to
> 'PC-Linq). Both comps have latest Win updates.
>
> Tried all for 2 weeks now but no luck. Need step-by-step instructions for
> any
> possible OS config rqts. All we want to do is transfer large nr. of files
> between
> our 2 comps and keep them updated between us. For various reasons (the
> system
> limitations, convenience, economy, etc.), this seems the optimal solution
> in
> our
> case and we prefer to pursue this DCC option.
>
> The Install instructions were in v. poor English and v. brief. Nothing
> about
> setting
> up Win98 & XP. Just to run their setup.exe. Think some Win setup also
> needed.
> We've no experience w/ Windows 'share', 'networking', so on - which is why
> just want use simple Direct Cable type connection. Way back when, I had no
> problems w/the old DOS direct parallel/serial port/cable hookups. Now I'm
> totally lost since Win Help at both comps is v. marginal on this issue.
>
> When click the new (GeneLink...) DeskTop links at both comps, do get the
> dual-
> pane interface - but the remote comp pane at each system doesn't show
> anything
> in the complementary comp. If 'share', etc., needs to be set up, need
> exact
> instructions to do it correctly since so far no luck w/ this either.
>
> Does anyone know what exactly is required for this type hook-up?
>
> Appreciate,
>
> Ted...
Can't help you with USB cable link, aside from going into properties for
Network Neighborhood, properties for the displayed Network COnnection, and
turning on File and Printer Sharing. Do this on the 98 machine, as the
sharing issues are a little more complex on the XP machine. Set the
workgroup name to the same on both machines. Once sharing is enabled, W98
will want to reboot. Let it. On restart, go back into Explorer, right
click on the folders you want to share - you should now have options for
this. Once you've restarted, the XP machine should be able to see the 98
machine, unless they also need TCP/IP addresses. If that's the case you;ll
need to set them manually - see below.

If either machine has an Ethernet card.. or if they both have a free PCI
orPCMCIA slot - PCI 100 baseT cards can be had for about $10-$20 each.
You shut down, open the machine, pop in the card, close the machine and
reboot. If the machines are laptops, you don't need to shut down to install
the cards. Just put them in and have the driver disks available.

Insert the CD or diskette and let the Plug&Play find the drivers and install
what it needs. Reboot at the end for best results, especiially if one
system is 98.

*Be sure to enable, on the 98 Machine, File and Printer Sharing and
TCP/IP*. You;ll need to reboot after each of these. You may also need to
install IPX and SPX and NEtBIOS. Make sure that the workgroup name setting
is the same as for the XP machine.

Still on the 98 machine , In My Computer, right-click on the drive in
question and enable Sharing. Choose the place you want to share from; if
it's specific folders you'll need to just navigate there to permit sharing.

Set up most of the sharing on the 98 machine so that you can control it all
from the XP machine, which will likely be faster; if you do it the other
way round you need to pay much more attention to accounts and sharing
levels.

The very easiest way to share, once these are set up. is to get a router
with 4 ports and plug it in. By default, it will provide everything you
need to connect the machines. Note that there will be a 5th port, for
"Internet" - yes, plug that into a cable or DSL modem, but of you don't have
that ignore it. Definitely do NOT plug it into either of the two machines.

I sometimes see quite adequate routers for $10CDN.

The router will now provide the automatic TCP/IP addresses that Windows set
the cards up for. If you connect the two computers to the router's switch
ports with regular (NOT crossover cables), and then restart both machines,
If they also have the same workgroup and you enabled file sharing and then
shared the 98 hard disk properly... when they come back up, you will be able
to just go, in Explorer, to My NEtwork Places, Entire Network, Microsoft
Windows Network, <workgroup name> and see the machines. Double click on
the 98 machine and the drive and other shared objects should be listed.

You can then simply copy files using the logged-on XP account. This will
probably be fastest.

If you can't find an inexpensive router, use a network crossover cable.
This is a specially modified (and usually marked with different coloured
boots and cable) ethernet cable that removes the need for a switch or hub.
If you do this, you must also set both network cards TCP/IP settings to
fixed addresses, such as 192.168.1.101 and 192.168.1.102. Subnet masks
can be 255.255.255.0. Once done, and the 98 machine is going to want to
reboot *yet again*, you should be able to see the machines and transfer
files.

But, the easiest thing to do is get ethernet cards, a cheap router and use
standard cables, and set the cards to pick up settings automatically.
Then, you only have to think about setting up sharing on one machine - the
98 machine.

This kind of setup should take 45 minutes, max.

You'll find that using 100/base T networking will transfer the files *far*
faster than USB 1.1.

HTH
-pk