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Home Networking

I have two computers at home both 500 Mhz, with windows98 SE operating systems installed. I have two Linsys 10/100 Mb fast ether net pci cards, and was told I don't need a hub, that I can just connect the two cards together, however, Linsys says you need a hub always. Who is correct. ?

mkemp@uswest.net

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kayton

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micro66

I've only been able to operate without a hub (peer-to-peer Windows 95/98 network) using BNC coaxial cable. There are two different kinds of network connectors. You can get a network card with either or both. I've got cards with both installed on my home computers. To operate without a hub, you must install coaxial cable (rather than CAT 5 flat cable) to the BNC connector, with a T connection, and you must terminate each end of the line with a grounded terminator.

If you don't have the coax-type connectors on your cards (you usually have to ask for them nowadays), then you're working with the crossovers that kayton mentions. I've not worked with them. It has been my understanding that to use the flat cable, you had to use a hub.

kayton

Not true. You can use crossover cables without a hub with the phone-jack type connectors. I do it all the time. I assumed that you have the phone-jack type connector since the BNC (coax) connectors are seldom seen any more. If you do have coax, then you need to terminate as described by micro66.

mkemp1

ASKER

Thanks, that helps a lot. I do have an "Organe" cross over cable.. I try it as soon as my NIC cards come in.