Networking ??

[11290]

I am going to be connecting two computers together. Both have WinXP Pro. One will be the main computer with the point of sale software on it and the other will just be a counter machine that I want to be able to read the software from the main computer.

I have been told that all I have to have is a "crossover" cable between the two, that WinXP PRO wiill see the other through the wizard and the counter machine will be able to use the software of the main computer.

Is this true and will I have to activate file sharing on the drives of both computers or just the main computer.

Sorry I'm so thick on this but I get so many conflicting opinions from people I talk to.

OBTW: There is no internet connection involved here, just two computers running point of sale software.

[bonzai]

Probably why you are getting such conflicting opinions is because you are not specific enough on the situation and objective that you want to achieve. For instance, what do you mean exactly when you say you want one computer to read the software off the other. Are you trying to run operate one computer by running the software from a remote computer? Or are you just trying to read data off the other computer.

In the most basic sense, the only thing you need to establish a network connection between two computers is only a crossover cable connected between them.

[11290]

The guy I am building these for wants to have the rental program on the main computer in his office. When someone comes in to rent a space they will be at the sales counter and there will be a computer there with monitor and he wants to be able to access that program at the sales counter, enter all of the information for the rental and for the information to be saved to the computer that is in his office. The rental program would only exist on the main office computer not the sales counter computer.

It would be like having a computer in the living room of your home with MS Word on it and another computer in the bedroom of the same house and someone being able to access the Word program without having to go to the living room.

[bonzai]

The only way for that specific objective to happen is only if that rental software was specifically engineered and programmed for that purpose. Then and only then, will you be able to run the rental software on a server while a person can use the software on a remote client. In other words, the software would have to have been engineered with client-server networking operability in mind.

Taking your example with MS Word, that would not work as well since it was not engineered that way nor for that purpose. To run the program, you would simply have to install the software on that computer itself.
Same goes for the real estate program as I am guessing that the software was not engineered with server-client network features. Keep in mind however, of the licensing issues as I am sure the company of the real estate software probably only intended that your licensed software is only allowed to be installed on one computer.

[Confused]

Files can be shared, even updated if given permissions. Programs like Bonazi pointed out must run on PC they are iinstalled on unless specifically written for shared networking environment. Even then you will in all probability need a multi PC license.
Chas

[glc]

You can use VNC to actually operate the "server" from the networked workstation, and it's free. This is a remote desktop app similar to PC Anywhere. If you use this, all you need is a crossover cable. You *can* run the XP network wizard and actually fileshare between the 2 computers, but for what you want to do, you can just use VNC and assign both computers static IP addresses. Just make sure you turn off the XP firewall on the 2 nics.

http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

[bonzai]

Yes, using a remote control program is an alternative, but not ideal. There are several drawbacks to that. Programs like VNC and PC Anywhere are used for people to gain access and control to the computers which they currently are not physically able to get to. Now if this was used in the real estate office, the client is essentially "controlling" the boss's computer. Even with security features and controls limiting the amount of access and control the client may have, the boss may actually still want to use his computer at the same time while the client is on the other. Will the client's activities affect the display on the boss's computer? Even if not, the act of remote controlling is using up resources and processing power on the boss' computer in order to allow the client to perform his tasks, which in turn may impede or even prevent the boss from performing his own. and the final important question, can they both open the real estate software at the same time and run individual processes since it's only installed on one machine? Certain issues still lie on the problem of design of the real estate software itself.

[glc]

Exactly. If the boss doesn't need to use the computer at the same time, remote control works very well. If this is not the case, you need to look at a network version of the software in question.