Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 16:45:56 +0100 From: Bernd Walter <ticso@cicely12.cicely.de> To: Douglas Allen <kb9agt@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Networking Two Computers via USB Message-ID: <20041231154555.GX81585@cicely12.cicely.de> In-Reply-To: <20041231063607.42912.qmail@web60604.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20041231063607.42912.qmail@web60604.mail.yahoo.com>
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On Thu, Dec 30, 2004 at 10:36:07PM -0800, Douglas Allen wrote: > Hi hackers, > > I am interested in connecting my Linux machine to my windows XP machine. Neither Linux nor Windows is FreeBSD, why do you ask in a FreeBSD list? > I was going to try the USB ports first. Now I've opened a can of worms. > > Assuming one could buy a USB A-male to A-male cable, is there a danger in connecting > > each computer directly? Where can I get more information on the pin outs of the USB ports? > > I see that adaptors are sold for such purposes. Is that because there is some danger of > > frying those ports? I know there is a power connection on a USB port. I don't need to supply > > power to any PC port. What leads may I use just for data? Do they need to be like a null- > > modem cable? Probably that's why there are so many schemes to xfer data such as flash > > memory keys. I want to go direct without a hub or an adaptor. Is there a cable to make it > > all work ok? Any reply would be greatly welcome. 73s all. USB is single master. You can't connect two masters (hosts) directly together. A-A cables are illegal in sense of the USB specs, they don't work and can even damage the systems. Thosese cables are mostly sold because in a early USB specification there was only A connectors and a early hardware designs used A connectors instead of B. I personally would avoid such hardware. There are other options to connects computers together via USB. - Use two USB-Ethernet adapters and X-link them together and do Ethernet. - Use two USB-serial adapters and X-link them together and do ppp, slip, xmomdem or whatever. - Use a special host to host adapter - those simulate an serial adapter at each host side. AFAIK those adapters are all limited to USB-1.1 speed, so the Ethernet way can be faster if both sides can do high speed. -- B.Walter BWCT http://www.bwct.de bernd@bwct.de info@bwct.de
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