Can you directly connect 2 computers

While a mobile hotspot will only be able to connect a small number of devices together, it will allow you to connect at least two devices together wirelessly. Once connected, you can then use existing services to share files between platforms or use shared services. While a smartphone or tablet can create a quick, temporary mobile network, a better solution for a wider number of devices is to use a portable WiFi router.

More advanced routers, like the Huawei ECs , also include built-in 4G connectivity, offering a dedicated mobile internet connection for devices that connect to it. Others come packaged with a mobile app that can allow for quick configuration and device monitoring.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android.

He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing. Read Ben's Full Bio. Click Change adapter settings. Select the Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. Right-click the Wi-Fi connection. Click Bridge Connections. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.

By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Connect both computers to the same wireless network. In order to share and access files over Wi-Fi, both computers need to be connected to the same wireless network. You can share files between both Mac and Windows computers. Open the Advanced Sharing Settings menu.

Click Ethernet in the menu bar to the left. Click Change advanced sharing settings below "Related Settings" on the right. Click Private. This displays the network sharing options for Private networks. Turn on both network discovery and file and printer sharing. To do so, click the radio option next to "Turn on network discovery," and "Turn on file and printer sharing. File and printer sharing allows you to share files and printers over a network.

Click Guest or Public. This is the second sharing option below "Private" in the Advanced Sharing Settings menu. This displays the network sharing options for guest and public accounts on your computer. Turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing. Click All Networks.

This is the third sharing option below "Guest and Public. Turn on network sharing. To do so, click the radio option next to "Turn on sharing so anyone can read and write files in the public folders. Turn password-protected sharing on or off.

If password-protected sharing is turned on, other users will need to enter your computer username and password to access your shared folders. If it is turned off, anyone on the network can access your shared folder. To turn it on, click the radio option next to "Turn password protected sharing on. Share a folder over the network. In order for the other computer to be able to access your files, you need to share them.

Right-click a file or folder you want to share. Click Properties. Click the Sharing tab at the top. Click Share. Select Everyone in the drop-down menu and click Add. Access shared files from another computer. In order to access shared files on another computer, you will need to know the login username and password for the other computer.

You can access files on another Windows computer or a Mac. Click Network in the panel to the left. Click the computer you want to access. Enter the computer's username and password and click Ok.

Click the user whose files you want to access. Open the folder with the files you want to access. Method 2. Use an Ethernet cable to connect your two computers to one another.

Open "Network and Sharing Center" on both computers. You'll need to do this on both computers to ensure they are configured properly.

Click Ethernet on both computers. It's below "Internet" on the right side. This displays your Ethernet status. If you don't see "Ethernet" on the right side, click Change adapters settings on the left and right-click the connected "Ethernet" connection. Then click Properties. Click Properties on both computers. It's the first button at the bottom of the Status window. This displays the internet protocol properties.

Do this for both computers. Select the radio option next to "Use the following IP addresses. Input a unique IP address for both computers and click Ok.

You can leave the subnet mask as " You'll need to edit the privacy settings for your Ethernet connection. If you are using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise Edition, you can skip this step. However, if you are using Windows 10 Home Edition, you will need to download a batch file is used to enable Local Security Policy editor.

It's safe to download. Right-click the downloaded file in your Downloads folder and click Run as Administrator. Wait for the script to finish processing. Open the Local Security Policy editor. In order to be able to share files between the two computers, the ethernet connection must be set to "Private. Use the following steps to open the Local Security Policy editor.

Click the Windows search bar in the taskbar at the bottom. Type secpol. Click the "secpol. Click Network List Manager Policies. It's the fourth option in the Local Group Policy editor. It's the option that doesn't have any sub-folders. Do this on both computers.

Double-click Unidentified Networks. This displays the properties window for your unidentified networks. Select "Private" and click Apply followed by Ok. This sets your unidentified networks to Private.

Share a folder with the other computer. Enter an username and password and click Ok. Click the user whose file you want to access. Method 3. In order to be able to share files over Wi-Fi, both computers must be connected to the same wireless network. You can share files using both Mac and Windows computers. Click System Preferences…. You'll find this option in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the System Preferences window. Click Sharing.

It's in the System Preferences window. A new window will open. Click File Sharing and ensure the checkbox next to it is checked. If your PC is running Windows 10, another computer is running Windows 7 or higher, the HomeGroup feature is helpful for you to share music, pictures, videos, documents, and printers easily. Here are the methods. Then, you need to let another computer join the homegroup. Do the same thing as shown above, but to join the existing homegroup instead of creating a new one.

Go to Windows Explorer, click HomeGroup and shared folders will appear there. Here is all the information on how to connect 2 computers for file sharing.

How to Connect Two Computers Windows 10? Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reddit Summary : Sometimes computers connecting is necessary for you since you may need to share files from one computer to another. Read More.

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