[Sussex] Connecting Slackware 10.1 to Slackware 10.1 [Was: Connecting SuSE 9.2 to Windows XP]

[steve at dobson.org]

Red

On Wed, Apr 13, 2005 at 11:01:14PM +0100, Captain Redbeard wrote:
> Having spent the last three hours trying to sift through 
> web-sites, search engines, paper books, HOW-TO's, etc., 
> etc., etc., trying to get my two Slackware 10.1 boxes 
> talking to each other (I wasted SuSE for now, maybe the 9.2 
> freebie from Linux Format is broken but the Slackware distro 
> from the current issue seems OK) I've finally found out that 
> I probably have a hardware problem.  I've been using a basic 
> phone cable, the kind that connects a handset to the phone 
> itself, well it **seemed** to fit, now I find out that I 
> should be using a crossover cable, I think.

Please note that phone use 6-pin RJ11 connectors, network cards
use 8-pin RJ45 connectors.  While a JR11 will fit in a RJ45
socket it does *NOT* map pin 1 to pin 1.

Okay, so you only need four of the lines for networking but
they are not the same four lines as used by an RJ45.  You can
plug a phone into an RJ45 outlet with a suitable adaptor.

>                                              Before I end up 
> spending parting with more of my hard-earned cash, hacking 
> is an expensive addiction, could anyone confirm if this is 
> true.

Yes this is true, see above.

>       My network cards seem to work OK when I enter 
> "ifconfig eth0" on both machines but as there both on-board 
> cards they don't have any leds so I don't know if they can 
> talk to each other.  Am I doomed to buying more hardware?

Yes, but if you're only trying to connect two computers then
a cross over cable will work fine.  They are only a few quid.
 
> The shopping list just grows and grows (8-port hub, third 
> monitor, 4-way extension cable, 3 small hard drives, box of 
> floppy disks, extra shelving, .... ).

If you want floppy disks then how many?  I have hundreds of
old floppys and they are just gathering dust here.

IF you're going to buy a network hub then don't get a hub
get a switch, they are better and the same price these days.

Steve
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