Networking → Setting up peer to peer network

Trying to set up two computer for a freind at his work. One is running xp the other is running ME. Both PC's have nic cards in them and the cable is connecting, print/file sharing is enabled, all drivers are installed, nics are installed fine. Ok now what? How do I get one PC to see the other. I want to be able to open files,save,delete all that stuff between each PC.

I could tell you but not any better than the HOWTO link at the top of the page. Check that out and ask specific questions if you have problems. You will get all the help you need.

First hopefully you have a hub an do not have them hooked directly together with a cable. If you do, you will need a crossover cable (wired slightly different)

Next you will want to go to your control panels and select network. Set up your identification for that machine and allow network sharing for files an for printers.

From the windows explorer level, right click on the drives you want to share and select sharing. This works with printers too.

Feel free to email me if you need more information.

The cable is a cat 5e I don't see why I need a hub.

If you do not use a hub, I assume you have the two computers hooked directly together between the nic cards. You can only do this with a crossover cable.

Isn't cat5e a crosstalk cable?

This may have just been assumed but just in case also in the TCP/IP properties of your NIC make sure the IP's of the cards are on the same subnet.

A typical cat5 patch cord is not a crossover cable. It is used to connect a PC to a switch or hub and the switch provides the crossover. If you want to connect two PCs without a hub, you need a crossover cable which connects the transmit wires of one PC to the receive wires of the other PC.