ethernet crossover cables

[ef37a]

Might need to link a W7/64 laptop to a really grotty XP desktop to pull grandson's stuff off the latter.

Anything I especially need to know there? I shall probably go XP to XP but not sure I will have 2 working monitors.

Dave.

[The Boogiemen]

USB thumb drive instead? Can't be that much data if it's a really old XP box...

[BJG145]

^^^

Heck of a lot easier. Even a 64GB drive is only £12.99. Or pull the drive out and use a USB/IDE adapter. (I really couldn't be doing with crossover ethernet cables and Windows XP these days.)

[Mike Stranks]

I'd agree about the thumb-drive.

Ethernet transfers can be painfully slow and recent bitter experience has taught me that the 'experts'' breezy 'no problem' about doing it can be somewhat wide of the mark.

[DGL.]

Pretty simple really, most Ethernet interfaces don't even need crossover cable for a pc-pc link. just set each pc to a static ip address (i.e. pc1 192.168.1.2 and pc2 192.168.1.3) and make sure file and print sharing is turned on and the that folder to be accessed is turned on.

Did this with 100gb+ of iTunes music on my aunties PC (WINXP to WIN8), actually quite a bit faster that a usb stick when used with a gigabit Ethernet adaptor.

As for 2 working monitors set the machine you are copying from first and then transfer the monitor to the machine you are copying to.

[ef37a]

Oh!
some surprises there. "Little data on an old XP"? The one I have just retired had a 1TB drive in it and my living room XP PC has 750G in it.

I would have assumed a crossover cable would have been as fast as my home copper network and that is at least as fast as sticks and I don't have to do it twice!

Ok, well I shall report back on Friday.

Dave.

[BJG145]

...at least as fast as sticks...

The time-consuming bit isn't the copy, it's the faffing around.

[ef37a]

...at least as fast as sticks...

The time-consuming bit isn't the copy, it's the faffing around.

Ah! So you're saying it WON'T be quite plug'n'play or even just the network wizard?

Dave.

[DGL.]

...at least as fast as sticks...

The time-consuming bit isn't the copy, it's the faffing around.

Ah! So you're saying it WON'T be quite plug'n'play or even just the network wizard?

Dave.

Well here goes,

Step 1: First you want to set up each machine, this will involve making sure file and print sharing is turned on and that the folder(s) is/are set to be shared (right click on the folder select sharing and make sure sharing is enabled). This can be done for the whole hard drive if it's easier.

Step2: Next set up the network interfaces. This is done but selecting the Ethernet adaptor and selecting properties and selecting the IP V4 protocol, setting it to manual settings then give one PC an ip address of 192.168.1.2 and the other with 192.168.1.3. The subnet mask should be 255.255.0.0 and the default gateway should be the ip address of the other machine.

Step3: Now on the machine you are copying to go to view network computers and devices (or view workgroup computers in winxp) and double click on the computer you are copying from, find the required folder(s) and copy them to the required folder on the destination machine.

When you are done just reset network settings back to automatic.

Another option if you would like to skip step 2 would be to use a switch (gigabit if both interface support it) and some form of DHCP server (this could be a standard ethernet router if it has a gigabit switch or connected to a gigabit switch if not (it will not need to be internet connected).

[The Boogiemen]

I find when helping people online making the easiest suggestion first is always best, then if they can't or won't use that get into the harder/lengthier suggestions.

I also assume anyone asking about a crossover cable doesn't already know how to do it, so it might be easiest for them to try another solution. Most people also don't have hundreds of gigs of data to migrate, making the thumb drive/external USB drive the simplest suggestion.

[ef37a]

I find when helping people online making the easiest suggestion first is always best, then if they can't or won't use that get into the harder/lengthier suggestions.

I also assume anyone asking about a crossover cable doesn't already know how to do it, so it might be easiest for them to try another solution. Most people also don't have hundreds of gigs of data to migrate, making the thumb drive/external USB drive the simplest suggestion.

Points taken! I did not wish to be ungracious. I really have no idea how much data I shall have to move. G'son is a Man U nut (as is his mum!) so he might have a zillion photos to copy, maybe piles of tunes.

Mind you I do have a couple of spare routers about with 4 RJ45 ports since I only change ISPs when I am really hissed of with the service and they do not get their old kit back!...Worth a try?

Dave.

[DGL.]

I find when helping people online making the easiest suggestion first is always best, then if they can't or won't use that get into the harder/lengthier suggestions.

I also assume anyone asking about a crossover cable doesn't already know how to do it, so it might be easiest for them to try another solution. Most people also don't have hundreds of gigs of data to migrate, making the thumb drive/external USB drive the simplest suggestion.

Points taken! I did not wish to be ungracious. I really have no idea how much data I shall have to move. G'son is a Man U nut (as is his mum!) so he might have a zillion photos to copy, maybe piles of tunes.

Mind you I do have a couple of spare routers about with 4 RJ45 ports since I only change ISPs when I am really hissed of with the service and they do not get their old kit back!...Worth a try?

Dave.

yup, will be at the slower 100mbts/sec generally but would remove the need to configure the Ethernet interfaces. This speed could be increased by using a gigabit switch (about £13 on the net) and using the router just as a DHCP server.

[Pink Fluid]

I wouldn't bother with all that networking stuff. If the XP disk has an IDE interface, just pull it out of the XP box, buy an ide to SATA or usb kit and copy the data that way.

[Richard Graham]

I wouldn't bother with all that networking stuff. If the XP disk has an IDE interface, just pull it out of the XP box, buy an ide to SATA or usb kit and copy the data that way.

This.

[ef37a]

I wouldn't bother with all that networking stuff. If the XP disk has an IDE interface, just pull it out of the XP box, buy an ide to SATA or usb kit and copy the data that way.

This.

Yeah well, see Rich I am trying to keep my spend down from now on. Bought MOBO,. Win 7/64/32, AMD 6300 CPU, case, Graph card, Lenovo bloody Thinkpad...I am bleeding to death from computers!
I already have somewhere or can make a X over cable.

Actually I already have an "Easy IDE" USB hard drive unit. Won't work. Tried it on W7, no go. XP, just asked for drivers but they are not to be found. Even found the original wee driver disc but Windows "cannot open these files"!

Of course! There are a zillion "Driver Finders" but I have not come across one yet that did not want money, which I would not mind SO much but 'tis a pig in a poke.

Dave.

[BJG145]

I still say any decent self-respecting human being oughta have a decent thumb drive...but clearly you like routers and wire strippers and DHCP configurations and obsolete operating systems...so fill ya boots.

[ef37a]

I still say any decent self-respecting human being oughta have a decent thumb drive...but clearly you like routers and wire strippers and DHCP configurations and obsolete operating systems...so fill ya boots.

Err? Don't have to strip wires for IDC connections!

Dave.

[ef37a]

Hmm? Bowing to the majority advice I decided to copy and format an 8G Store n Go stick.

I moved some 3.8G from it to the desktop of my new 3.5G 6core W7/64 PC and the transfer rate was reported as ~6.0mb/s. Thinking 100M copper should be a lot faster I was surprised then to find desktop to NAS was only marginally quicker at 6.17mb/s and even this dropped to around 4mb/s when moving Sam Silver .VIP files.

I hope I have just got some homework data to copy!

Dave.

[DGL.]

The thing is sometimes the USB stick is not the best option, when copying 120gb+ of iTunes music I could have use a 500gb external hard drive but that would have been much slower that gigabit Ethernet so I did it that way(+480Mbits/s max compared to 1000Mbits/s max).

And as for crossover cables, shouldn't be necessary. Most modern Ethernet interfces are auto MDI/MDI-X so perform the crossover in the interface itself. and of course it only needs to be one of the pc's to have this feature for it to work.

[ef37a]

The thing is sometimes the USB stick is not the best option, when copying 120gb+ of iTunes music I could have use a 500gb external hard drive but that would have been much slower that gigabit Ethernet so I did it that way(+480Mbits/s max compared to 1000Mbits/s max).

And as for crossover cables, shouldn't be necessary. Most modern Ethernet interfces are auto MDI/MDI-X so perform the crossover in the interface itself. and of course it only needs to be one of the pc's to have this feature for it to work.

Right. So, is it possible to tell me why the PC to NAS was so slow please? It is at best a 100M network.

Dave.

[DGL.]

The thing is sometimes the USB stick is not the best option, when copying 120gb+ of iTunes music I could have use a 500gb external hard drive but that would have been much slower that gigabit Ethernet so I did it that way(480Mbits/s max compared to 1000Mbits/s max).

And as for crossover cables, shouldn't be necessary. Most modern Ethernet interfces are auto MDI/MDI-X so perform the crossover in the interface itself. and of course it only needs to be one of the pc's to have this feature for it to work.

Right. So, is it possible to tell me why the PC to NAS was so slow please? It is at best a 100M network.

Dave.

No real reason, the nas is in all essence a computer and all the overheads that come with it, also getting Ethernet cables that are actually to spec can be quite difficult as for most uses it doesn't matter.

For example a 2gb file copied form my NAS to my PC, (Gigabit link, 5m Ethernet form PC to Switch (trendnet greennet 10gb switching capacity), and then ~2m form switch to nas) fluctuates around 7-12MB/S.

Unless you have top quality equipment, properly specced Ethernet leads, and a real server you aren't necessarily going to get that close to the published speeds (and with overheaeds included you will never get full speeds).
Also a lot of protocols are better at short bursts of high speed transmission rather that continued high speed transmission.

Also remember that the fact that the NAS was only a bit quicker is still very good as USB2 is technically 480 MBits/s (burst transmission) and the Ethernet connection is only 100MBits/s.

[BJG145]

I moved some 3.8G from it to the desktop of my new 3.5G 6core W7/64 PC and the transfer rate was reported as ~6.0mb/s. Thinking 100M copper should be a lot faster I was surprised then to find desktop to NAS was only marginally quicker at 6.17mb/s and even this dropped to around 4mb/s when moving Sam Silver .VIP files.

This all sounds very slow...I imagine everything's not properly configured for USB2 or 100MB ethernet.

[Richard Graham]

Why does the transfer speed of your solution matter if you are only transferring your data once? You can leave it on all night if you want! Just sayin'!

[ezza]

The thing is sometimes the USB stick is not the best option, when copying 120gb+ of iTunes music I could have use a 500gb external hard drive but that would have been much slower that gigabit Ethernet so I did it that way(+480Mbits/s max compared to 1000Mbits/s max).

And as for crossover cables, shouldn't be necessary. Most modern Ethernet interfces are auto MDI/MDI-X so perform the crossover in the interface itself. and of course it only needs to be one of the pc's to have this feature for it to work.

Right. So, is it possible to tell me why the PC to NAS was so slow please? It is at best a 100M network.

Dave.

The best you can expect is 8-9 MBytes per second. How fast do you think it should be?

[BJG145]

First, let’s get the numbers clear. There is standard 100 Mbps ethernet, which is what most people have at home. 100 Mbps is 100 megabits per second. That is translated into 12.5 megabytes per second (MBps or MB/s). It’s much easier to convert to MBs since that is something we are all familiar with rather than bits. This means that if you don’t have a gigabit router and gigabit network card on your computers or NAS, the maximum speed you’ll be able to transfer a file across your home network is 12.5 MBps.

Also, in the real world, it’s impossible to actually get that theoretical maximum. You’ll probably end up somewhere around 4 to 8 MBps.

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