I need to get to PCs on separate networks to talk to each other.

November 3, 2008 10:05 AM

I need to connect two computers that are located on separate networks. There are two things i'd like to be able to do: 1. Transfer files between the two computers. 2. Install Synergy, so that i can control both PCs with one keyboard and mouse. I can't install a second NIC in each PC, but i am willing to try maybe a USB NIC. Both PCs are running XP.
posted by PlayWithFire to computers & internet (11 comments total)

Over the internet? Hamachi. Easy but routed through other people's servers, so if you're super-paranoid you might want to try elsewhere.
posted by dozo at 10:38 AM on November 3, 2008

crossover cable with USB nic's and hosts files?
posted by thilmony at 10:41 AM on November 3, 2008

Seconded for Hamachi. Dead easy to setup and just works, if you're over the Internet.
posted by gkhewitt at 10:53 AM on November 3, 2008

Ok, what if Hamachi is not an option?
I don't want to open up either computer to access from the outside.
Can someone elaborate on thilmony's idea?
posted by PlayWithFire at 11:15 AM on November 3, 2008

Live mesh was just updated with better P2P could help with the transferring files.
posted by RobGF at 11:39 AM on November 3, 2008

Are they on two physically different networks, or can you physically connect them? There's a world of different between physical and logical networks.
posted by jmd82 at 12:08 PM on November 3, 2008

For my purpose, that are two separate physical networks that i have no administrative access to.
I need to have the ability to talk between the two computers without the traffic going over either network.
posted by PlayWithFire at 12:27 PM on November 3, 2008

Over the internet? Hamachi. Easy but routed through other people's servers, so if you're super-paranoid you might want to try elsewhere.

Sort of. Hamachi will connect to the Hamachi server to show that your computer is available, but once two computers are connected, it's straight P2P.
posted by niles at 1:42 PM on November 3, 2008

Yes, i am very paranoid about these two PCs.
Even though i know it's P2P, meaning the connection is direct, my data will flow though the internet. I can't have that.

I am looking at a USB Host-to-Host cable solution.
posted by PlayWithFire at 1:44 PM on November 3, 2008

What sort of distance are we talking about between the two?

If you need a good sustained transfer rate then Firewire supports built-in networking. But then that requires a firewire port on both ends.

Other solution would be two USB2 ethernet adaptors and the appropriate length of Cat5 wired to crossover.
posted by gkhewitt at 2:31 PM on November 3, 2008

The PCs are right next to each other, so distance is not an issue.
I am OK with getting two USB-2-ethernet adapters, but then what? How do i go about configuring the second NIC?
posted by PlayWithFire at 5:36 AM on November 4, 2008