Vista Networking and Sync Question

Please help! I recently purchased a Dell E521 Dimension with Windows Vista
Home Premium. Prior to that I was using a older Dell Dimension with Windows
XP SP2. I also have a Dell X300 Latitude Laptop running Windows XP SP2.

I'm not real techie, but I had my older Dell and my laptop networked with a
CAT 5E Crossover cable. I could connect each one to the other and synchronize
my files both ways, quite beautifully.

I cannot figure out how to achieve the same results with my new Dell running
Vista. I have a Linksys router for wireless broadband, and something I read
looked like if I purchased another Ethernet cable and ran it from the router
to the Laptop, I would be able to sync my files again. Is it really that
simple?

I am currently unemployed and don't want to spend the money unnecessarily. I
also read somewhere that I may not even be able to network without upgrading
to Vista Ultimate. Is that true? For $260? Don't think so. If I can't network
inexpensively, I'm considering just loading my XP operating system on the new
Dell E521 and reverting back to my old way of doing it. Don't know for sure,
though, that even that would work.

I appreciate any help anyone can offer. I am a PhD student and frequently
work on my laptop away from my office. I really need to be able to sync my
files, and I'm very frustrated at this moment. My expectation was that
upgrading to a new computer and new operating system would make everything
"easier" not harder or more expensive.

Ideas??

Hi there. You can still use a crossover cable if you want. Here's a Help
topic that talks about how to do that in Vista.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...f6cdd1033.mspx

Thanks for posting, and best of luck to you.
Gloria

--
Gloria Boyer
Windows User Assistance team
Microsoft Corporation

Thank you so much for responding Gloria. It would be fantastic if I can do
that. One more question though. I pulled out the old cable I was using before
and it says on it "patch cable" It doesn't say "crossover". Is this the same
thing? Or did I mistake it for a crossover?

"Gloria Boyer [MSFT]" wrote:

> Hi there. You can still use a crossover cable if you want. Here's a Help
> topic that talks about how to do that in Vista.
>
> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...f6cdd1033.mspx
>
> Thanks for posting, and best of luck to you.
> Gloria
>
> --
> Gloria Boyer
> Windows User Assistance team
> Microsoft Corporation
>

A regular Ethernet cable and a crossover cable look the same at first
glance. Take a look at the picture in the Help topic I pointed you to and
compare it with your cable. You can tell by the colors of the wires in the
ends of the cable. You need an eagle eye to do it, but that's the best way
to tell.

Thanks!
Gloria

--
Gloria Boyer
Windows User Assistance team
Microsoft Corporation

OK. I have a new CAT5E Crossover Cable connected to my E521 Dell and my
Laptop. Both computers say they are connected, but the Desktop E521 is not
showing the Laptop as being on the connection. Why is this? I went through
the instructions on the link provided, but something still isn't right.

Is it because of XP on the Laptop? I've even tried to search for the IP
address.

I'm not real techie, I said that before. But I can't figure this out. Can
anyone tell me anything that I'm missing?

"Gloria Boyer [MSFT]" wrote:

> A regular Ethernet cable and a crossover cable look the same at first
> glance. Take a look at the picture in the Help topic I pointed you to and
> compare it with your cable. You can tell by the colors of the wires in the
> ends of the cable. You need an eagle eye to do it, but that's the best way
> to tell.
>
> Thanks!
> Gloria
>
> --
> Gloria Boyer
> Windows User Assistance team
> Microsoft Corporation
>