Re: how to connect two PC's with a cross-over ethernet cable?

[Christoph Wegscheider <wegi@despammed.com>]

Bram Mertens <bram-mertens@linux.be> wrote:
>> 2.) Buy a hub/switch (~ EUR 20+) connect everything to the switch and 
>> 2.1) either setup the Desktop as Router like above or
>> 2.2) open seperatly PPP connection from the Desktop and Notebook
>> 
>>                   +------+              +-------+
>> Modem ----------- |Switch| ------------ |Desktop|
>>                   +------+              +-------+
>>                      |
>>                    |
>>                    |
>>                    |
>>                   +------+
>>                   |Laptop|
>>                 +------+
>> 
>> 
>> Of course the second methode is more flexible if more Computers are
>> likely to be connected in the future.
> 
> Solution 2.2 is more flexible, but doesn't it require two IP-adressess
> from the ISP?  If so this option isn't suitable for me without getting a
> more expensive contract with my ISP.
Not if you connect only one computer at a time. Otherwise you are right.

Btw. you could also achieve the second topology (star) if you let the
desktop "emulate" a switch. This can be done with bridgeing: a virtual
network dev is defined with an IP address in the same subnet as modem
and laptop (the real network devs have no IP). All iincoming traffic
from eth0 is passed to eth1 and vice verse. (Simplified)


	Christoph