Q&A for How to Connect Two Computers

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  • Question
    Is it possible to connect computers with different operating systems to a network?
    Community Answer
    Yes, absolutely. It may be a little more work to share files and resources, but this is a very common home network situation.
  • Question
    How do I share one PC's internet to another PC that doesn't have an internet connection?
    Community Answer
    Follow the instructions above. This clearly indicates how to use a twisted pair wire to communicate between the two machines.
  • Question
    How do I connect computers together that are on different levels of the house?
    Community Answer
    That depends on how your house was wired. If it is a modern house, the cables built into or near the electrical outlets should be your answer. Find the correct adapter and plug in the first computer. Then hook up the second with a reverse connector. Plug the second machine into that connector. Then boot up the first machine while the second machine is still on; one is always the master, the others are just pawns.
  • Question
    How can I connect to wireless internet while using a laptop?
    Community Answer
    Go into your settings on your laptop and open "Internet connections". You will be able to choose a wireless connection.
  • Question
    Can I connect two computers without a switch?
    Community Answer
    Yes. You could use bluetooth, which is easy to use.
  • Question
    How do I connect a second computer to a wireless network?
    Community Answer
    Just find your network, select it and input your password. If you don't have a wireless adapter on said computer, either hardwire the computer to your router or buy a wireless adapter.
  • Question
    How can I create a network between two computers without an Ethernet cable or wireless connection, if both computers are using Windows 7?
    Community Answer
    You can't. Computers needs some way to communicate with each other in order to create a network.
  • Question
    How do I connect to my work computer from home?
    Community Answer
    Assuming your network admin at work hasn't got it locked down, you could install teamviewer with unattended access on your work PC and connect to it from wherever you want. Make sure to check that this is OK for security reasons before you install anything, however.
  • Question
    How do I transfer large amounts of files (an entire music library) from one computer to another? Can I connect my old laptop to my new one and simply transfer the files?
    Community Answer
    Use a USB stick or portable hard drive, depending on the size of the files.
  • Question
    Can I connect a Windows 10 computer to a Windows 7 computer?
    Community Answer
    Yes. They can share files; however, you can't have a Windows 7 computer join a Windows 10 "Homegroup."
  • Question
    Do I need the internet to transfer my files?
    Community Answer
    You shouldn't need to use the internet when using an Ethernet cable to transfer your files, but if you're doing so over WiFi, then yes, you will need the internet.
  • Question
    Can I connect a laptop and a desktop?
    Community Answer
    Yes, the instructions above can be used for a laptop and a desktop.
  • Question
    Is it possible to connect an old PC (Dell) to my Mac network?
    Community Answer
    Windows will not talk to a Macintosh. They use two different file systems and completely different protocols for exchanging files. As far as wireless communications go, although both use 802.11 (a, b, g, n, ac) for dual band ones, the protocol (or language) they use to talk to the respective routers is different. You can't hook a PC to an Apple Air router or a Mac to a PC's router wirelessly.
  • Question
    Can I connect multiple computers together using a switch when it's not connected to a router?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but switch does not have DHCP capability, so to connect computers using switch without a router, you will have to assign a static IP to the computer connected to it.
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