Can files be transferred using USB ports?

[Arny Krueger]

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 16:02:47 -0500, "Arny Krueger" <[email protected]>

One problem with USB Nics is that they are sometimes not recognized by
the OS and have to be unplugged and repluged.

I just bought a dozen
Compaq 10/100's at Computer Geeks for $11 each, they work great

Right now both of their Compaq nics are under $9

I'm partial to Realtek 8139/8140 chipset NIC cards. Of course both the
Davicom and Intel chips work as well.

but
thankfully, most new motherboard have a networking built in.

The on-board NICs aren't necessarily the bee's knees. I've had problems with
them in high EMI environments, where the circumvention was to sacrifice a
slot for a separate NIC card. Ironically, the same chip was used in both
places, it was all about board layout.

I've also seen more than a few nics get nailed by lightening and power
surges while the motherboard they were plugged into survived. Nasty way to
lose a whole motherboard.

 

[Lucas Tam]

"Enter Field #1" to which my Dad kept trying to reply "Corn". (I don't
even remember what it was really asking for but you get the point and
the comedy of errors). It would have been extremely funny had it not
turned my Dad, who is by far the most intelligent human I've ever met,
off of computers for good. The guy who wrote the program should have
known better than to use such a generic descriptor as "field 1" (and I
assume the farmer is supposed to look up in the manual what goes in
field 1, which best as I remember was something like "your name").

Haha, I'm a total non-farmer and I thought the same thing as your dad!


Bad UI design has a lot to do with the fact many people can't grasp simple
programs.

 

[jeff findley]

Bad UI design has a lot to do with the fact many people can't grasp simple
programs.

No doubt. Early DOS based programs were generally horrid. Eventually
they started to gain a GUI, but it was a "free for all" until Windows
started to come out and set some standards.

Not that today's programs are necessarily easy to use, but the ability
to "cut and paste" and "drag and drop" in virtually every Windows
application does make some things a bit easier.

Jeff

 

[Robert Redelmeier]

Not that today's programs are necessarily easy to use, but the ability
to "cut and paste" and "drag and drop" in virtually every Windows
application does make some things a bit easier.

I have this in text-mode Linux (or *BSD) via `gpm` or `selection`.
Along with tab-completion and command history, these make the
command line very easy to use.

The X Window System also has some neat remote-display network features.

-- Robert

 

[Stanislaw Chmielarz]

From: "Eric Gisin" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Can files be transferred using USB ports?
Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 16:32:32 -0800
Installing a PCI card is not difficult, any idiot can do it. Installing
drivers is more difficult, and NIC drivers are trivial compared to most USB
stuff. The guy is using Win98, which can really screw up.

I think that there is a simple solution for. To buy an external
enclosure USB 2.0 and FireWire interface equipped in. Put into a large
capacity IDE HDD and connect elsewhere where You want.

 

[Arny Krueger]

Installing a PCI card is not difficult, any idiot can do it.
Installing drivers is more difficult, and NIC drivers are trivial
compared to most USB stuff. The guy is using Win98, which can really
screw up.

Win98SE and WIN98ME have built-in generic drivers for USB 1.1 and IEEE 1394.
I haven't ever installed a Firewire card that required a driver disk.
However, reference to the original WIN98SE or WIN98ME OS install disc may be
required. The required driver files can often be found on the hard drive in
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS .

OTOH, USB 2.0 cards generally require a driver disc, whether you are running
WIN98SE, WIN98ME, or WINXP pre-SP1.

After application of SP1, WINXP often has the proper driver stuff for a USB
2.0 interface *built in*.

So, Firewire is generally less problematical than USB 2.0, when it comes to
installing drivers. IME there isn't a big price difference in the PCI cards
or drive enclosures, so Firewire has a lot going for it.

WINXP generally does a better job of loading *built-in* drivers without
reference to the OS install disc.

 

[J. Clarke]

Win98SE and WIN98ME have built-in generic drivers for USB 1.1 and IEEE
1394. I haven't ever installed a Firewire card that required a driver
disk. However, reference to the original WIN98SE or WIN98ME OS install
disc may be required. The required driver files can often be found on the
hard drive in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS .

OTOH, USB 2.0 cards generally require a driver disc, whether you are
running WIN98SE, WIN98ME, or WINXP pre-SP1.

After application of SP1, WINXP often has the proper driver stuff for a
USB 2.0 interface *built in*.

So, Firewire is generally less problematical than USB 2.0, when it comes
to installing drivers. IME there isn't a big price difference in the PCI
cards or drive enclosures, so Firewire has a lot going for it.

WINXP generally does a better job of loading *built-in* drivers without
reference to the OS install disc.

So let's see, now, you can plug a USB cable between two computers and
transfer files using Windows 98SE, "WIN98ME" (whatever that is), and
Windows XP SP1 with no additional software or drivers of any kind required?
Do tell.