Help Networking Catastrophy

[aphexmonster]

Okay, lets start this post off with I'm a newb. Its pretty obvious at this point because of how much trouble I had just logging into my account. Perhaps its the frustration from trying to do what I will be asking about here, but perhaps that also just adds to the persona of the nub state. All things considered, I'm still frusturated, still pissed, still have my same problem. So if anyone can help me, I'll greatly appreciate it because you're pulling the thorn from my paw. Secondly - thanks to Dalton for unlcoking my account ... I locked it myself from too many log in falures ...

I'm trying to network two laptops I have together. Mainly I want to get a few big files from one to the other and I dont have my removable hard drive anywhere accessable. But it would be nice just to have two computers so I can look at twice the porn... har har.

One computer is a Dell latitude, brand new, perfect condition, I'm not worried about the components on this one at all, the Wireless card seeks like a dream. Wardriving is a sinch with this obsidian paper weight.

The other computer is an HP Pavillion Ze4300 with lots of problems. I'm not quite sure whats working or whats not or whats wrong and whats not. When I find the time I'll put a new operating system on there to make sure its clean, but i think the ethernet card might not work - tottaly not sure. For that computer the wireless card is external, Lynksis 2.4 ghz - which I thought was the shit, but for some reason can't compare to the Latitudes internal card.

I also have an X box cross over cable - and I'm not sure if that works either.

My delima is that I cannot remove either laptop from the room. Mainly because im in stealth mode all the time and try to keep as quiet as possible - there are alot of dogs here and I'm living at someone elses parents house.

I get an internet connection from the Lattitude just fine which I've been using the last couple of weeks, but I wanted to know how to network the computers together to share files and share internet. I've been at it since last night and really am just not sure what to do. I've looked up guides on the internet, but alas google and metasearch send me in the wrong direction - maybe its what I'm typing. I remember 3 years ago Google always took me exactly where I needed to go, now-a-days I am lucky if the thing I'm looking for is on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd page - and it just leaves me frusturated.... I've also become a very frusturated give-up-y person in the last two years... I honestly donno! But if anybody could help me network these puters it would be greatley appreciated. I don't really have anything to give, unless anyone wants my Bangbros Network password. Anyways, thanks in advance.

[Uraniun235]

What operating systems are you running?

[aphexmonster]

Crap i should of said that first - Windows XP on both, one versiono is genuine, the other version may or may not be im too scared to check ...
i want to put a new XP on the HP and a version of linux - probably knoppix - but i might go with gentoo because that one was pretty rad. but mandrakke or red hat might be safer choices

[Dalton]

Secondly - thanks to Dalton for unlcoking my account ... I locked it myself from too many log in falures ...

I am afraid that your gratitude is misplaced - the system automatically unlocks accounts after a short period of time.

[Soontir C'boath]

If you're running XP and on the same network (router/connection), you should be able to go to the folders' properties and there should be a section for sharing. Once you enable it, it should pop up under the "My Network Places" folder or "My Computer>Shared Documents".

Shouldn't be more complicated than that.

[aphexmonster]

For some reason when i click on enable internet connection sharing - the internet just dies .... i'm really in a pickle