[wapb]

Hi,
I have a Pentium III PC whose monitor is busted. Would like to link this PC to my laptop so I can access the files through my laptop. Anyone has any idea how to do it?

My laptop is a P4, with network card, but the PC is without a NIC. Thought I could install a NIC in the PC and hook the PC to my laptop via a cross over cable. But then how do I start up and shut down Windows in the PC? Can I shut down via the laptop?

Or is there any other simpler way of hooking up my PC (without monitor) to my laptop so I can access the files on my PC?

Help anyone??

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...if the only thing that's wrong is that the monitor died...why not just go pick up a cheap monitor? i bet you could find a cheap CRT on ebay or at a pawn shop....

you won't be able to set up any of the networking facililties on the desktop without a monitor anyway...

[dsenette]

...if the only thing that's wrong is that the monitor died...why not just go pick up a cheap monitor? i bet you could find a cheap CRT on ebay or at a pawn shop....

you won't be able to set up any of the networking facililties on the desktop without a monitor anyway...

[wapb]

Well yeah, the monitor died. And I'm too cheap to buy another just for the old PIII. I can borrow a monitor from somewhere to perform the set up, I suppose, but do you think the cross over cable idea would work if I can get the PC network all set up? That is, can a lap top network with a PC without a monitor?

[Hawaiantom]

Are you using the p3 as a server or what are your plans with it? You are going to want a monitor. a crt montior would only be like 25-50 max.

[dsenette]

you could...IN THEORY....set up a home network with the one machine (the one who's monitor died) and the laptop...the question here is whether you just want to be able to access teh pc...or if you actually want to do file and internet sharing with it...if you JUST want to be able to access the pc...you could just use the crossover....set up the pc and laptop to have the same ip range..then use VNC on both machines to use the pc....if you're wanting to actually share files and the internet..MY suggestion to do this would be to get a nic for the pc...and get either a router or a switch instead of the crossover cable (router would be better...especially if you have broadband internet) and still use vnc to connect to the pc...

[wapb]

In answer to Hawaiantom, my plans were actually to use the laptop as the master and the PC as the slave. No internet sharing, just file sharing. Basically, am hoping to use the old P3 as my extra hard disk.

dsenette, what's a VNC? If there's no internet sharing (basically I'd be connecting to the internet via my laptop, it being the master and all), do I still need to go by the router route? Thot the cross over cable way might be cheaper. Old P3 hasn't got a network card, so thot I'd get one and just connect the 2 via the cable. Will that work?

Yeah, what can I say? I'm cheap and yet dun wanna waste a perfectly good P3. Any ideas?

[dsenette]

.....you could in theory....get a crossover cable and a nic card....connect the two computer's and make sure that their ip addresses are in the same range...then use VNC (either ultravnc or realvnc or any of the other versions...all free) which is a program that gives you direct access to the other computer (though..you could also use windows remote desktop if both pc's are using xp)...you would be able to modify files and what not on the desktop as if you were on that computer locally...the downside here...is that you wouldnt really be able to transfer files back ond forth with vnc (with remote desktop..you can).. also...as with any remote connection...if you were to like...say play a game on the remote computer...it would probably move a little slow...and be a bit choppy