Connect two computers: with USB cable, ethernet, WiFi

Connecting two computers allows you to transfer files between them and share an internet connection. Read this article to find out how to connect two computers using the bridging USB cable, an ethernet cable, and via WiFi.

How to connect two computers with a USB cable?

Before you start

When it comes to choosing your cable, there are various USB-to-USB options on the market. We recommend selecting the bridged cable, also known as a USB networking cable. This cable has an electronic circuit at its center that facilitates connecting two PCs. For high-speed use, a USB 2.0 cable has a better transfer rate than a standard network connection.

The most common alternative is an A/A USB, with two standard USB connectors at each end. However, this cable does not include the bridge chip, making it useless for the connection. As a matter of caution, A/A USB cables may burn the USB ports and connected power supplies.

Connecting the computers

These cables normally come with an installation CD or DVD containing software. Install the program on both computers.
Insert the USB cable in both computers and launch the transfer software that you installed previously (Start > All Programs > All Apps > your program).
Now you can browse all your files from both computers on one of them. The file manager software will be divided into two parts: local and remote. The local one displays the files you are browsing on this computer and the remote – ones on another pc.
To transfer files, simply drag and drop them from remote to local and vice versa.
After you finish, you can remove the USB cable.

How to connect two computers with an ethernet cable?

The main difference between a USB and an ethernet cable is the speed: it is between 1.5 Mbps – 10 Gbps for the USB cable and between 100 Mbps – 10 Gbps for the ethernet cable. Also, the first one aims to allow peripherals connection (like keyboards), whereas the latter is used for networking.

Make sure both computers support Ethernet cable. If not, you will need an external ethernet adaptor.
Plug the to ends of the cable into the two systems.
Open the Control Panel by clicking on the Windows button and typing Control Panel.
Next, select Network and Internet.
Click Network sharing center.
From there, choose Change advanced sharing settings.
Scroll down to File and printer sharing and click Turn on file and printer sharing.
Confirm by selecting Save changes.
Select the folder of your choice and choose the share tab. Select the receive and click Done.

How to connect two computers via WiFi?

There are different ways to connect two computers via WiFi but the easiest way is to use an already existing network. Here, we're going to see how to connect two computers within an already existing network, under Windows 10.

Press Windows Key + I at the same time.
Select System.
Select Shared experiences from the left.
Scroll on the right and toggle the On button under the Nearby sharing section.
From the I can share or receive content from menu below, select Everyone nearby.
Next, click on the Change button above to set the folder/files you want to share.
Once this is done, scroll down to Share across devices. Switch the On button on and select Everyone nearby from the dropdown menu below.