Connecting two ethernet cables into one computer?

Question

Here is what I want to do:

I have a new computer. I'd like to use my old computer as a render farm for Autodesk Maya 2008. I only have one ethernet port on the new computer. I can hook up the two computers using an ethernet crossover cable. I tried it out and it works. However, there's not another ethernet port, so I can't have internet while the two computers are hooked together. It's also a pain to hook and unhook the cable because of the computers' location.

Is there a way to hook the old computer via crossover cable and my internet ethernet cable into my new machine? I know they have LAN switches, but I don't know if this would work or if it is what I would need? If a LAN switch would work, is there anything special I'd have to do to get it to recognize both networks (i.e. the router network, and the local network)?

10 points for the best answer :)

Answer 1

Is there some reason the connection to the other computer needs to be on a different network? Can't they both simply be on the same LAN (with a network switch if you only have 1 ethernet connection to LAN)?



I know how to assign IP addresses in two different networks on one nic by adding an alias in Linux, but not sure how to do that in Windows.



Otherwise a simple option is an Ethernet to USB adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aethernet+to+usb&keywords=ethernet+to+usb&ie=UTF8&qid=1397628069

Answer 2

you could either buy a PCI-E (make sure you have a free slot on your motherboard first) Network card, and use that as the second, or plug both computers into a router, if your internet router has more than 1 network slot, you can connect them to it and the computer should see eachother over the network, not sure if it will work the same way as you are using the 2 computers right now though.

Answer 3

I don't think you can do that.