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how does one connect a peer to peer using a cross over cable and share files i need the configuration part

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A few practical follow-ups building on ’s pointer and ’s setup notes — plus one correction and some troubleshooting that often helps in the field.

First, cable and NIC behaviour: older Ethernet cards needed a crossover cable, but most modern NICs (and virtually all Gigabit ports) handle the cable type automatically (auto‑MDI/MDI‑X). If the two PCs don’t show a link light, try a different cable or plug both into a small switch — that rules out a bad cable or legacy-NIC quirk. Update NIC drivers if link issues persist.

Correction for ’s static-IP suggestion: when you assign static addresses they must be in the same subnet (same network prefix and mask) to talk directly. Use ipconfig (Windows) or ip a (Linux/macOS) to confirm each host’s address and mask, then verify reachability with ping.

Windows-specific tips not covered above: set the network profile to Private so network discovery and file/printer sharing take effect; create a dedicated shared folder rather than sharing entire system volumes; set both share permissions and NTFS permissions deliberately (least privilege). For credential handling, either create matching local user accounts on both machines or connect using explicit credentials so access isn’t blocked by authentication policies.

Quick troubleshooting checklist:

  • Confirm link/activity LEDs and swap cable or use a switch.
  • Verify addresses/masks and ping between hosts.
  • Temporarily disable third‑party firewalls or add file‑sharing exceptions (don’t leave firewall off).
  • If mixing OSes, ensure SMB/Samba settings and protocol versions are compatible.
    If those steps fail, list the symptoms (no link, ping fails, authentication error) and it’s straightforward to narrow the cause.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

personally I don't know how its done ,but I did find a site that will tell you how to set it up .

Member Avatar for JorgeM

So the link that caperjack provided refers to an article that is a bit dated. However, the process is relatively the same.

In Windows 2000 and later systems, the three required components that need to be bound to your network interface card are there by default (Client for Microsoft Networks, TCP/IP Protocol, and File and Printer Sharing Services).

When you connect the two computers together via a cross-over cable, you do not have to configure the computers with static IP addresses, since these computers will automatically configure themselves with APIPA (169.254.x.x) addresses..

However, to better control the IP addressing, you could assign each one of them with a static IP address. You can use any IP, preferrably in a private IP range. Just use the following configuration...

ComputerA
192.168.1.1 (IP)
255.255.255.0 (Subnet Mask)

ComputerB
192.168.2.1
255.255.255.0

No default gateway or DNS settings are required since you have neither on this peer network.

You will also need to ensure that any local firewall app running on each of these computers is either turned off, or has the necessary exemptions in place to allow file sharing services to pass the local firewalls.

Go ahead and share out the resources on each computer. Right click a folder, and follow the process sharing the folder.

you can then access each computer by UNC path.

\computerA\shareName

or

\192.168.1.1\shareName

Member Avatar for mduduzi.ndlovu.75

thank for the reply you guys have been most helpful

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