[MACEP] in home network w/ crossover cables??

[Arne Berglund]

On Sat, February 25, 2006 10:57 pm, JeanineDuBois wrote:
> Hi, folks!
>
> Way back when (probably not quite a decade ago), I
> remember using a
> crossover cable to network two computers and share (copy
> via network)
> files. I'm thinking that would be a handy way of doing
> back-ups at home
> these days, since burning CD's would get expensive, and my
> zip disks
> only hold so much space. I'm running Mac OS X and also Mac
> OS 8.6. Any
> thoughts on how and if to use a crossover cable to network
> them or to
> network 2 Macs running OS X? And anyone remember / know
> what the
> distinguishing marks are on the cable to designate
> crossover versus
> Ethernet? I've got 3 cables with the cat 5 size ends, and
> I'm pretty
> sure one of them is a crossover cable.
>
> Thanks for any insights you can offer,
> --Jeanine
>

How recent is the Mac with OS X? Most Macs from the past
few years have network cards that will auto-sense the
connection type and configure them selves appropriately.
I've used non-crossover cables to directly connect my
iBook to other Macs as well as to PCs. I've also used
cross-over cables (in a pinch) when a normal cable was
what I should have needed. If one of the Macs is less than
2 or three years old, I don't think it matters what cable
you use.

You will have to configure IP addresses on both computers,
though.

-- 
Arne Berglund
Lane ESD Internet Services
aberglun at lane.k12.or.us
(541) 461-8343