Knowledge Base

How to Configure a Direct Cable Connection with Windows XP Home Edition (PART 6)

Article ID: 814986

Article Last Modified on 8/7/2003

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

SUMMARY

This article includes Part 6 of the "Configure a Direct Cable Connection with Windows XP Home Edition" guide. Part 6 describes how to configure TCP/IP.

Note To view the other topics of the "Configure a Direct Cable Connection with Windows XP Home Edition" guide, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that are listed in the "References" section of this article.

The "Configure a Direct Cable Connection with Windows XP Home Edition" guide includes the following topics:

Part 1. Introduction: Configure a Direct Cable Connection with Windows XP Home Edition

Part 2. Connecting the Cables

Part 3. Setting the Computer Names and Workgroups

Part 4. Sharing Resources

Part 5. Configuring the Direct Cable Connection

Part 6. Configuring TCP/IP

Part 7. Using NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS-Compatible Transport Protocol

Part 8. Connecting the Computers

MORE INFORMATION

Part 6. Configuring TCP/IP

Over the past years, TCP/IP has become the standard protocol used in large and small networks. Even your direct cable connection uses the TCP/IP protocol to connect the computers.

This works even if one of the two computers is already a member of a small network. In this case, the computer is connected to the Local Area Network (LAN) by its network card and directly to the other computer by its communication cable.

Additionally, you can access the Internet. You can configure everything at the same time in the best way for each connection, and use it all at the same time.

IP address
Every computer in a TCP/IP network has a unique IP address where it can be reached in the network. The IP address is made up of four numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods. All computers are numbered in a series.
Subnet mask
The subnet mask determines the network where the computer is located. This is especially important in larger networks. Large networks are frequently divided into several subnets. The direct cable connection also forms a network of its own.
Automatic addresses
You must configure a small LAN with private IP addresses yourself, for example, with 192.168.0.x and the subnet mask 255.255.255.0, where x is a different number between 1 and 254 each time. However, with a direct cable connection, Windows automatically assigns IP addresses to the two computers:
- 169.254.x.y with the subnet mask 255.255.255.255 for the host computer
- 169.254.x.y with the subnet mask 255.255.255.255 for the guest computer
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gives you your Internet IP address when you dial in.

Note The range of IP addresses from 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 is reserved for Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). APIPA enables your computer to have a valid TCP/IP configuration even if it does not have a fixed IP address or, in larger networks, if a DHCP server cannot be found.

The standard subnet mask for this address range is 255.255.0.0. During a direct cable connection it is replaced by subnet mask 255.255.255.255 because the respective remote party is the only computer that must be reached.

The IP address range used for APIPA is reserved by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The IP addresses in this range are not used in the Internet.

Client and Server Software

You must turn on Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing for direct cable connection. Windows automatically sets this up when the host or guest computer is configured. Therefore, you do not have to do anything else. Your Internet connection does not notice this. It works even without Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing.

Address Pool for Incoming Connections

You can configure an address pool on the host where the host and guest computer can assign specific IP addresses. To do so, follow these steps:

Click Start, point to Connect To, and then click Show all connections.
Right-click Incoming Connections, and then click Properties.
Click the Networking tab, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
Click Specify TCP/IP addresses, and then type the first and last address that should be used. A direct cable connection requires two addresses (one for the host, one for the guest), but can have more than that. In this example, the direct cable connection can select from five addresses:
- 192.168.55.1
- 192.168.55.2
- 192.168.55.3
- 192.168.55.4
- 192.168.55.5
Click OK two times.

If you connect to the host now, the guest and host computers use two specified addresses from the pool. You can check this:
1. Right-click the connection, and then click Status.
2. Click Details.
3. The corresponding entries for the host and guest appear under the server IP address and client IP address.
Click Close, and then disconnect the connection.

Fixed IP Address

The address pool also permits users to use a fixed address for the guest computer. To use a fixed address, follow these steps:

When you configure the pool, click to select the Allow calling computer to specify its own IP address check box.
Configure a fixed IP address on the guest computer, right-click the connection, and then click Properties.
Click the Networking tab, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
Click Use the following IP address, and then type an IP address that corresponds to the address pool.
Click OK.

When you connect to the host, the guest computer uses an address from the pool and the host computer uses the fixed IP address assigned to it. A fixed, assigned IP address is useful when a computer cannot handle automatic address assignment. This might occur when a computer is still running Windows 95, for example.

If you are not sure how to configure a Windows 95 computer, see the step-by-step guide for Windows 98 if you need help. That guide discusses how to specify a fixed IP address for the dial-up adapter, activate the Client for Microsoft Networks and file and print sharing, and what you have to do to access the Internet again. Configuration in Windows 95 is practically the same. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

814235 How to Set Up a Small Network with Windows 98 Second Edition (PART 1)

For all direct cable connections to Windows 98-based and Windows Millennium Edition-based computers, you can enable the guest computer to dial in to the Windows XP host without needing to enter a password. To do so, follow these steps:

Right-click Incoming Connections, and then click Properties.
Click User, and then click to select the Always allow directly connected devices such as palmtop computers to connect without providing a password check box. You must still set up the corresponding user account.

The guest appears as an Unauthenticated user.

Microsoft KB Archive/814986

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