Plz help me connect two computers together. FRUSTRATED!?

I have 2 computers. Both Windows XP. They are directly connected w/ an ethernet cord. Neither is connected to the internet, and no plans to do so.





How can I get them to connect and communicate.





I have used Network Connections, assigned both with the same workgroup name.





What am I missing? I think I need step by step directions. Each computer is acting like it is setting up on its own, and neither is seeing the other.





I have used the 'netsetup' file it creates, and still nothing. Tried to map the network drives. Sometimes it has tried to connect, and then it asks me for a user name and password. Which one is this? The 1st or second computer? I haven't been asked to set up a new one, nor have I been prompted to add new users to either computer. So how do they communicate?





ANYONE? CAN YOU HELP?
Plz help me connect two computers together. FRUSTRATED!?
If you are directly connecting two computers together, you need a special type of ethernet cable called a crossover cable.





If you're using a crossover cable already and it still isn't working, it might be because you didn't set a password for the user on either computer (http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials...
Plz help me connect two computers together. FRUSTRATED!?
First of all, the cable you need is an Ethernet CROSSOVER cable. This reverses the position of two of the wires, so the send signal at one end goes to the recieve signal at the other. Crossover cables can be purchased at any computer or office supply store. If you don't use a crossover cable, you will need a hub or router between the machines and two regular ethernet cables.
Reply:The above two answers will get the two computers comnmected. to get them communicating, you must bind some protocols to the Local Area Network Connections on each PC. If you are not comfortable assigning ip addresses to each machine you will need to bind netbui or nwlink ipx/spx to the adapter. Just look at properties on the local area network connection and add protocol.





Good luck