connect 2 PC's with normal UTP cable (not crossover)

[Storm]

is there any way to connect 2 PC's (the one with the internet connection with Win XP Pro, the laptop with XP home) to eachother with a normal UTP cable in stead of a crossover cable?

thnx in advance

[zaphodiv]

Well you could get cut the cable and join the colour-coded wires togther in the correct sequence by stripping them and twisting the copper conductors together...

[Storm]

lol

yeah, i kinda figured that, however we would like to connect them w/o messing up the cable (we want to keep the cable as is, since we only need to connect them every once in a while this way, and normally as a normal UTP cable)

[lister3010]

buy a crossover block - otherwise there is no way unless you have a hub/switch. some broadband routers have them in the back.

Lister3010

[lynx]

Even with a X-over block, you still need to buy another straight cable, so you may as well simply go out and buy a cross-over cable. A X-over cable will probably be about the same price as a X-over block in any case.

[Wolfmight]

a cheap 2 port switch with 2 ethernet wires should link em up.
both computers would need ethernet input though (PCI NICs are cheap anyways.)