How to get computers to talk to each other or Con’s Network File

If you don’t want to network you can get your computer to talk to each other pretty easy and cheap. You will need a USB to serial adapter, a null modem and maybe a 9-pin gender changer. The whole thing should cost you maybe $40. You can get the USB cheapest at www.Tigerdirect.com. or at www.sewelldevelopment.com. These places sell them for about $19.00 compared o Office max or Staples. The null modem, (maybe) the 9-pin are available at all radio shacks. Once you have these you determine what USB port they are transmitting or receiving through. You do this through, Control Panel, System, Hardware Manager and then find the device by going all the way to the bottom to the USB and click on that. Always make a note of the address or location so you don’t have to look for it the next time. That’s about it for the USB to serial.

The other way is through networking. The nest thing to do is have someone in your region setup the network, show you where everything you need to know is and make notes and don’t loose them. Write down and keep, in a file for future use, all IP addresses and to what computer they belong to. All the computers on the network will belong to the same “Work Group”; each computer will have its own name in the work group and also its own IP address. Write down all this info for use, there is never too much stuff in notes. Label each computer with its name in the work group. Use the same computer for the same thing every week. If you have to set up the network yourself you can do that by going to Network or control panel and then network and use the wizard set up. It works. Let the computer determine automatically the IP address for the main computer, the one that runs Orbits, and then you can manually give an IP address for the other that are each about 5 numbers different in the last part of the number (i.e. 169.254.000.00 is the main so the next one would end in .05. The subnet mask is always 255.255.255.0. You can find that by going either to the control panel or network and then going down the scroll bar to TCP/IP Internet Protocol. If you have to check the block for file and print sharing do it on the main and all others.

If you use the patch cable from AMB for the decoder instead of a 9-pin cable then the Host is actually the decoder and when you plug that in you will find the info for that in Orbits under the tab marked “DECODER”

The main computer is the IP address you need for Rmonitor.

Not real difficult. If you have any questions, please call 1-440-442-4521 or 1-216-256-5761 (cell) or email at times99@earthlink.net.

Thanks.

Con