What's the minimum required to hook up two PCs for multiplayer games?

Ardent

Assuming both PCs have network cards, do I need a switch/hub of some sort? What's the cheapest way to create a small LAN?

tomk

Get hold of a CAT5 crossover cable - you'll only need a switch/hub if you've more than 2 PCs.

jozi

You can get a patch cable if it's only 2 pc's your connectingas far as i know.
Or you can get a hub and network cables for both pc's and have free ports (depending on you could hae 5 in total) for other pc to connect to.
I guess there's wireless to but i know nothing about it, sure someone else will

Jozi

EDIT: I see someone got to it before me.

Civilian_Target

Don't forget, you have to have a network card in each PC!

quozl

jozi wrote:

You can get a patch cable if it's only 2 pc's your connectingas far as i know.

Don't get a patch cable, get a cross-over like tomk suggests. A patch won't work unless one of the cards is auto-sensing.

Greg

Ardent

quozl wrote:

Don't get a patch cable, get a cross-over like tomk suggests. A patch won't work unless one of the cards is auto-sensing.

Greg

Will this do the job?
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=114902&cks=PRL

Ciaran500

No, thats a patch cable,

THis is a crossover cable: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=302023&cks=SER

seanos

If really wish to skimp ... serial/parallell cable between the 2 pc's works quite well [not the nicest to setup in win95/98, a lot easier in 2k upwards I believe...].

Ardent

SeanOS wrote:

If really wish to skimp ... serial/parallell cable between the 2 pc's works quite well [not the nicest to setup in win95/98, a lot easier in 2k upwards I believe...].

Wouldn't the data transfer along that type of cable be very slow, especially for modern games?

seanos

Well, as I said, I did it fair few years ago, when cable was expensive and network cards nay too cheap either ...
From serial cable, I got sustained transfers of 33KB/sec, I assume Parallel cable would bring it upto at least 50KB/sec ?
Ping times were minimal [the good 'ole days of Quake1, ping times of <10]

ShiverinEskimo

Stick with 2 ethernet cards and a crossover cable. If you can get a hub then better in case you want to expand later. But if your playing games then there is obviously two of you so split the cost. 2 network cards and a crossover will not break the bank. (assuming you have a little bit of cash - but you have net access so your not going hungry)

Civilian_Target

Don't order a crossover cable from Komplett, unless you're ordering other stuff too, it's so cheap its not worth the postage. Go to your local PC store, ask from a crossover cable of at least x metres, and don't pay more than a tenner.

M@lice

Pcs can be linked via the usb/firewire ports. This would be a fast more up to date version of a serial port link. (Ahh serial direct cable connection. Now that brings me back.)

You'll need a special cable to link via the usb ports and i'm not sure where you'd get it but any old firewire cable works i think.

But if you already have network cards just get a cross over cable. Much simpler.