Connecting two windows computers via ethernet

Last Updated: February 6, This article was written by Jack Lloyd. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles.

He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 1,, times. This wikiHow teaches you how to connect to computers to one another by using an Ethernet cable. Once you've connected the computers, you can share files between them by using both computers' file sharing settings. Connecting 2 computers with an ethernet cable is a great way to share files. Before you connect the computers, make sure they both have ethernet ports, which look like large rectangles located either on the side of your laptop or on the back of your computer tower.

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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Determine whether or not your computers have Ethernet ports. Ethernet ports resemble large, rectangular ports which usually have a three-box icon next to them. You'll usually find Ethernet ports on one side of your computer's housing laptop or on the back of the tower desktop. On iMac computers, the Ethernet port is found on the back of the monitor. Buy an Ethernet adapter if necessary.

If your computer doesn't have an Ethernet port, you'll need to buy a USB Ethernet adapter for your computer. You can find these online e. If you have a Mac, check your USB ports as well. You might have only USB-C ports e. Check to see if you have a crossover Ethernet cable. While most Ethernet ports support both conventional Ethernet cables and crossover Ethernet cables, you can avoid potential errors by using a crossover Ethernet cable.

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For example, In the Subnet mask field specify the subnet address for the network. Once you complete the steps, you will need to configure the second device with a similar configuration to allow the communication.

Second computer static IP address In the IP address field specify a unique IP address for the device that is in the same network as the first computer. After you complete the steps, you can share a folder or service that will be accessible from the other device.

You can refer to steps belows to complete the task or you can use these instructions to share folder with another computer. While the proper method is to use a network configuration to connect two computers directly, Windows 10 can also automatically assign an IP address using the If you do not want to go through the process of configuring the network, you can connect both devices and let them configure themself automatically, then you only need to share the data or service you are intending to access from another computer.

In the case that you are trying to transfer some files, you will need to share a folder to then access it from the other device. Click Turn on file and printer sharing for both private and public networks. Click Save changes. Share a folder.

Right-click a folder you want to share and click Properties. Click the Share tab. Select Everyone from the drop-down menu and click Add. Enable file sharing on the Mac computer.

Click Sharing Check the "File Sharing" box. Share a folder from your Mac. You may have to click Add to add the folder to the list of shared folders. Access the Mac's files from the Windows computer. You can do this from within the File Explorer: Open Start.

Click File Explorer. Click the Mac's name below the Network heading on the left side of the File Explorer. Open the shared folder. Access the Windows computer's files from the Mac. You can do this from within the Finder using the following steps: Open the Finder.

Click your Windows computer's name in the lower-left side of the window. Method 6. They allow you to transfer data between two computers. To do this, you will need special data transfer software.

Check to make sure the software you are using to transfer files is compatible with your operating system. Especially if you are using a Mac computer or an older operating system.

Install the data transfer software on both computers. If the data transfer cable you purchased came with a CD or DVD, you can use that to install the data transfer software on both computers.

If it did not come with a CD or DVD, or your computer s don't have an optical disk drive, consult the user's manual that came with the data transfer cable for instructions on how to download the software online.

Start the data transfer software on both computers. Click the icon for your data transfer software on both computers to launch it. It may be on your desktop, Windows Start menu, or Applications folder on Mac.

Select the option to transfer files. Each file transfer program may be a little different. Some may have the option to sync all files between both computers so that both computers have the same files. There may also be an option to transfer everything from one computer to another. Select the option that allows you to choose which files you want to transfer. This may be a drag-and-drop option or an option to allows you to click the files you want to transfer in File Explorer or the Finder.

Select the files you want to transfer. Either navigate to and click the files you want to transfer to select them, or use the drag-and-drop interface to click and drag the files you want to transfer into the data transfer software. Transfer the files you select. After selecting the files you want to transfer, click Ok , Send , Transfer or similar to send the files to the other computer.

Method 7. The Thunderbolt 3 port is a small, pill-shaped port that has a lightning bolt icon above it. On Macbooks, it is generally found on the side. On iMacs, it is generally found on the back. If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you may need to get an ethernet-to-USB adapter for your computer. Open the "Network Connections" window. Use the following steps to open the "Network Connections" window on the host computer: Click the Windows Start button. Type "Network Connections. Right-click the internet connection you are connected to and click Properties.

Doing so prompts a drop-down menu to appear. Click Properties at the bottom of that menu. Click the Sharing tab. This allows you to set your sharing options for your computer. Click the checkbox next to allow internet sharing. It's the checkbox next to "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection.

Select the method you are using to share your internet connection. Use the drop-down menu below "Home network connection:" to select how you will be sharing your internet. If you are using an ethernet cable, you will need to select "Ethernet.

Click Ok followed by Yes. This saves your internet sharing settings. Right-click "Ethernet" and click Properties. This displays the Properties menu for the Ethernet connection. Change the IP address to This is all you need to configure on the computer that is hosting an internet connection. Open "Network Connections" on the other computer. Now jump on the computer that is receiving an internet connection the client computer and use the following steps to open the "Network Connections".

Click the Windows Start menu. Assign the following IP information to the client computer and click Ok. You can leave the Subnet mask as it is, but the IP address must be unique from the host computer. This allows the client computer to access the internet through the host computer's internet access. Assign the following information to the second computer: IP address: Method 8.

The Thunderbolt port is a small pill-shaped port with a lightning bolt icon above it. If you cannot connect an ethernet cable to one of the computers, you may need an ethernet-to-USB adapter. Check the "Internet Sharing" option. This option is in the list on the left side. Click the "Share your connection from" drop-down box.

It's in the middle of the window. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Wi-Fi. This option is in the drop-down menu. If your computer is connected to the internet through a connection other than Wi-Fi, be sure to select the connection type you are using to access the internet instead. Check the "Ethernet" box.