Since you are not using a hub, you will need a crossover cable. A crossover
cable switches your transmit and receive wires on one end of the cable. By
doing this, the transmit wire will be going to the receive pin on the network
and the receive wire will go to the transmit pin on the network card.
Without a crossover cable, the transmit and receive wires connect the same
pins in both network cards, like if the cable never existed.
You can either buy one from your local computer shop or you can make your
own if you have a connector and a modular CAT 5 crimper.
The crimper and connectors can be found at a hardware store like Menards,
Lowes, or Home Depot in the electrical department.
If you decide to make your own crossover cable, please read the following
first to understand the process. After that you can use it as a step by step
guide.
To make your own crossover cable:
1. You will need to cut the connector off the cable at only one end.
2. Carefully remove the outer covering about 1/4 of an inch to expose
the 4 pairs of twisted wires.
3. Untwist the 4 pairs of wires only as much as needed. Removing more
twists than is needed degrades the quaility of the cable.
4. Refer to
http://www.bluemax.net/techtips/networking/Wiring_Tips/Wiring100TX/colorcodestandards.htm
as a reference to route the individual wires. This web site has easy to
follow color pictures to help route the wires for straight-through and
crossover cables and each section is respectfully labeled.
NOTES: The T586B is the most common standard.
The picture for the T586B is the view as you look at the
network card jack, so you will look at the wires as if you where inserting
the cable into the network card.
5. After the wires are routed, grasp the inbetween your thumb and index
finger and shake them without holding the cable anywhere else. This helps to
keep the wires in place when you insert them in the CAT 5 connector.
6. Trim the wires so that each wire is the same length as the shortest
wire and isert them into the connector according to the picture making sure
that you can see the wires pushing against the front of the connector.
7. The outer covering should go about half way into the connector. If
the covering is not in the connector, trim the wires little by little and
making sure each wire is the same length. If the wire cannont reach the front
of the connector, remove a little more of the outer covering until the wires
push against the front of the connector.
8. Before crimping the connector, make sure each wire is in its proper
place in the connector. This will save you the time and trouble in redoing
the entire pocess again.
9. Insert the connector into the modular crimper and will pushing the
cable, sqeeze the crimper as tight as you can to insure a good crimp.
10. Remove the cable from the crimper and plug it into the network card,
if everthing is right, your two computers should be able to communicate with
each other.
