Transfer Files Between Computers: From One Computer To Another

At home or at work, chances are we have at least two PCs close to each other. At some point, we will inevitably need to transfer files between computers. And who doesn’t want to get over this problem fast and continue work?
If you thought that using the local wireless network file transfer or taking the USB memory stick out of the pocket is the fastest solution, you might be wrong. The answer lies within your Ethernet cable. When was the last time you’ve turned to it?
It doesn’t really matter; you’re going to do it anyway from now on. Because once you discover the fastest way to transfer files from one computer to another, you won’t even consider doing it in any other way.
So let’s get started to learn about PC to PC data transfer, which will also help with the process to transfer large files:
 
Why the Ethernet cable? 
Just think of it… LAN or Ethernet cables have two main utilities: to ensure wired Internet access by connecting PCs with routers and to wire up local networks. That’s also what makes them perfect for transferring large files and doing it faster than anything else.
With a regular data transfer cable like Cat5e for instance, you can transfer up to 1GB of data within 10 seconds. It’s the equivalent of 125 megabytes every second or 1000 Megabits every second.
What’s the best your USB 2.0 can support? Somewhere around 60 megabytes every second.
How about your local wireless network? Even slower, at 54 megabytes every second.
Needless to say, the Ethernet cable can transfer data between computers twice faster than the USB. Oh and, did we mention how cheap buying Ethernet data transfer cables can be?
 
How can I set up the Ethernet transfer? 
This method helps teach you how to connect two computers together through one crossover Ethernet cable. You just slot one end in one PC and the other end in the other PC. With the PC to PC cable, that’s all the physical preparation it takes for.
The technical setup, however, requires a few extra steps, as it follows to learn how to transfer data from one computer to another.
 

1. Get security out of the way – if you want it fast, you cannot afford to mess with passwords. So the first computer, the one containing the files you are planning to transfer, should have the password turned off.

1. Go to “Control Panel”
2. Access “Network and Sharing center”
3. Click on “Change Advanced Sharing Settings”
4. Go at the bottom of the list with options and check the “Turn off password protected sharing” box

2. Create a dedicated IP for the first PC– if you want to transfer files between computer, you need the other PC to recognize the first PC. You will need to give it a dedicated IP address, one that has nothing to do with your Internet connection or the actual IP address of the computer. Feel free to make up something like 193.168.1.30 and it should be ok. Once you’ve covered this part, you should notice the “Subnet mask” automatically filling in.

1. Go to “Control Panel”
2. Access “Network and Sharing center”
3. Look for either “Ethernet” or “Local Area Connection” and click
4. In the newly opened window click on “Properties”
5. Click on “Internet Protocol Version 4”
6. Click on “Properties”

 
After setting your IP address, go to the “Default gateway” and retype that address, changing the final digit from “0” into “1” >>> 193.168.1.31
 

3. Create a dedicated IP for the second PC – since we are talking about communication between two PCs, both of them should have a dedicated address. So follow all the steps from above on the second computer, the one where you are planning to transfer the files.

When you get to the last step, make sure that for the “Default gateway” you type in the IP address of the first computer!
 

4. Select the folder you will be using for file transfers – again, just to limit everything and make the transfer run smoothly, you should have a dedicated file where you will put everything you want to transfer.

 
Pick or create a folder and then:

1. Right-click on that folder
2. Click on “Share with”
3. Select “Specific people”
4. Click on “Everyone” on the menu that will drop down
5. Click on “Add”
6. Click on that arrow pointed downward, close to the “Read” option, changing “Read” into “Read/Write”
7. Click “Share”

 
And you’re done. Just bear in mind that all these settings should be done on the folders or files you’re planning to transfer data from one computer to another. That’s why it is best to use a single folder where you can add things up and configure only that folder, instead of repeating all those steps with every new file when transferring files from one computer to another.
 

5. Do the actual transfer – that’s the part we’ve been looking for. With everything set up, you turn to the second computer, where you need to transfer the files, and go to the “Network” folder.

 
By now, you should see listed an Icon representing the first computer. Click on it and you should be able to access all those files that you shared on step 4. From now on, it’s all a matter of copy and paste. Simply copy the files from the first computer to the second computer, in a chosen location. Hopefully with the guide above, you learn how to transfer files between computers.
 
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Before you even think that this is too complicated to represent the fastest way to transfer files from PC to PC, we have to tell you that all these steps are just the setup process.
Once you’ve done all that, the next time you will have to transfer large files you just drop that file in the shared folder on computer one and access it from computer two within seconds. You have the fastest and most stable connection!
Ethernet data transfer cables are without rival, with no dropping or weakening of signals, no matter how large are the files you want to transfer.