Buzz
If you don’t have access to a network but need to transfer files or establish a direct connection between two computers, you can connect them using a crossover Ethernet cable. Once the two computers are connected via the cable, you will be prompted to adjust network settings on one of them to establish the link. After this, you’ll be able to transfer files or even play local network games. Continue reading to learn how to connect multiple computers via Ethernet on both Windows 7, Windows Vista, and macOS.
Steps
For Windows 7 and Windows Vista
Check the crossover cable.
Connect the two computers by plugging each end of the crossover cable into the network port on each computer.
On one of the computers, click the 'Start' menu. For a computer running Windows 7, the 'Start' menu typically appears as the Microsoft Windows logo.
Select 'Control Panel' and type the word 'network' into the search box within the Control Panel.
Choose 'Network and Sharing Center' from the options displayed in the window.
Select and open the icon labeled 'Unidentified network' from the network map at the top of the Network and Sharing Center window. Occasionally, the icon may appear as 'Multiple networks' if you have more than one network connection.
- On Windows 8, click the 'Change advanced sharing settings' link on the left side of the list.
Click the notification regarding changes to network discovery and file sharing settings, then select the option 'Turn on network discovery and file sharing'.
Enter the administrator password if prompted, then press 'Enter'. Now, both computers will be visible in the Network and Sharing Center window, and you will be able to share files and other resources.
On Macintosh (Mac) OS X
Plug each end of the standard Ethernet cable into the network ports of both computers. If one or both of your Mac computers lack network ports, you will need to use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter cable.
On the first computer, open the 'Apple' menu.
Select 'System Preferences' from the available options, then choose 'Sharing'.
Take note of the computer's name in the 'Sharing' dialog box.
On the other computer, open the 'Finder' application. 'Finder' is an app with an icon that looks like two faces, located in the toolbar of your Mac.
Select 'Go' and click 'Connect to Server' from the 'Finder' menu.
Click the "Browse" button, then double-click the name of the original computer displayed in the window.
Enter the administrator account password of the computer when prompted. A connection will be established between the two computers, allowing you to move and share resources.
What you need
- Crossover cable (Windows only)
- Standard network cable (Mac only)
