Wireless Network

[Master of the Game]

Hey all, I'm going to have to transfer everything from my old computer to my new one. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to transfer my files across my wireless network that I use to get on the internet, or do I have to burn 30 or 40 CDs

 

[EricNoah]

If both computers can see each other on your wireless network, then it should be possible.

You will probably have to "share" a folder on your destination computer. And then find that folder through the My Network Places icon on your old computer.

 

[Intrope]

Yes, but in my experience big wireless transfers tend to be somewhat slow. If you've really got 30-40 CDs worth (~20GB) it may take a while. If you have the means to connect the two with wired ethernet, or could borrow a USB hard drive, it'd be much faster.

But it will work if you're patient; I've had to do this with a Tablet PC that had a broke Ethernet adapter before. Tooks hours, though.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Yes, but in my experience big wireless transfers tend to be somewhat slow.

It definitely pays to have a single null-Ethernet cable handy. (Works like a null-modem cable, in that it doesn't require any other hardware: hub, switch, router, or other.)

In Windows, the machines will auto-configure themselves to be on the 169.251 network (I think that's the one). You can access the files on the other machine by using its machine name (right-click on My Computer and choose Properties and find the machine name on the second tab) or its IP address (to find the IP address, open a command window and execute "ipconfig" -- without the double quotes).

 

[Ferghis]

Yes, but in my experience big wireless transfers tend to be somewhat slow. If you've really got 30-40 CDs worth (~20GB) it may take a while. If you have the means to connect the two with wired ethernet, or could borrow a USB hard drive, it'd be much faster.

Before I figured out how to do this, I used Skype to send my zipped main folders to the other computer. In your case, I'd just leave it going overnight...

 

[Plane Sailing]

If both PCs are winXP and both have 1394/firewire connectors, then I can say from experience that a firewire cable is the absolute quickest way of transferring stuff between two computers that I've found (4x the speed of my ethernet hub, 8x the speed of my wireless network, no configuration needed).

Cheers

 

[Master of the Game]

So I could jyst by a firewire cable and hook my computers directly together? I tried that with a USB cable once and it didn't work, but that was a long time ago and I haven't tried anything like that again.

Otherwise, if it would be faster, I think I can use an Ethernet cable to hook up to my wireless hub, it has room for four more cables.

I was hoping the transfer could be done wirelessly, but if it's easy to do with cables I can make that happen. I was just curious, because I have three wireless computers all using the same network for internet, but none of them pick up the others, they just shoe the hub.

 

[Ferghis]

Have you tried sharing folders? The xp home wireless network wizard makes it pretty simple, it took me about 2 minutes on each computer to set it up (although the first time I tried I just couldn't figure it out at all, and was only successful when I went back at it much later; I still have no idea what I was dong wrong the first time). And then just designate which folders are saved and voila'! Just make the folders that you want to share shared and, at the other computers, drag the shared folders' contents into the harddrive.

 

[werk]

So I could jyst by a firewire cable and hook my computers directly together? I tried that with a USB cable once and it didn't work, but that was a long time ago and I haven't tried anything like that again.

Otherwise, if it would be faster, I think I can use an Ethernet cable to hook up to my wireless hub, it has room for four more cables.

I was hoping the transfer could be done wirelessly, but if it's easy to do with cables I can make that happen. I was just curious, because I have three wireless computers all using the same network for internet, but none of them pick up the others, they just shoe the hub.

If they are both on the same local network, just 'share' a folder on the destination machine, then find that machine on the old one, open the folder, drag, drop. It'll be kinda slow, but a lot faster than wasting CDs. Also, if you go the CD route, get rewritables, so you don't literally waste the CDs as data shuttles.

There are a million ways to do what you are talking about, I, personally, being a little tech savvy, but not overly so, use a USB hard drive (A big CD). You can get smallish drives for next to nothing and a chassis and cable for like $20. Plug it in, drag, drop, wait. Once it's done, plug it in to the new chine, drag, drop wait. EZ ChEZ

 

[Plane Sailing]

So I could jyst by a firewire cable and hook my computers directly together? I tried that with a USB cable once and it didn't work, but that was a long time ago and I haven't tried anything like that again.

It wouldn't work with USB, but WinXP supports IP over firewire, so the two computers can just talk to each other across the firewire cable.

(technote: for some inconceivable reason Microsoft have removed ip over firewire from Vista. Why? Why? Why?)