can i network through firewire?

[gobrob]

My friend lent me his sony vaio pcg-c1x to try out and i'm wondering if i can network through firewire?I have fw on both pc's and when i plug them together,both machines plug&play and detect,ask for new drivers for microsoft 1394 pc.windows cd doesn't seem to have it..
maybe i'm barking up the wrong tree to hook these together,not too knowlegeable about networking.
thanks,gobrob

[RAB]

You will probably have to use a direct cable connection. Go to Start|Programs|Accessories|Communications|Direct Cable Connection. If its not there, you will have to install it from the Windows CD since its not a standard install item if I remember correctly.

RAB

[gobrob]

well,that was a good try,but only allows connection for serial and parallel cable.This laptop only has firewire,usb,and modemcard.
btw,i'm running win98se on both systems
gobrob

[Taz]

I happen to have one of those notebooks all though it's called a C1XD in the UK. The only uses for the iLink, (Sony's name for Firewire), are connecting a DV Camcorder and transfering images using the installed software or attaching a Freecom CD-ROM or CD/RW using their iLink cable. If you want to network this machine either use a PCMCIA card as I do or use a USB network adaptor.

They are pretty cool notebooks and I have even got Win2k running on mine

[Guyver]

There is a direct connect kit for USB, but nore for firewire that I've been able to locate.

The direct connect is not a high-speed network, but it is a network - as it does allow a lot of the network functionality (file transfers, multi-player gaming, print-sharing, etc.)

Product ID - Belkin F5U104, Price Aprox. $56 total, 2 cables, bridge device, software. Acts like a small network.

Guyver

[gobrob]

thanks fellows,the notebook does have a network card installed,but no cable,i happened to have a firewire cable,so i thought i would try it...
i'll pick up a cable for it and give it a whirl,just thought the firewire might be faster anyway
gobrob
taz,with the win2k install,does everything work,like the camera?did you have to get any third party drivers?

[Buuri]

The only uses for the iLink, (Sony's name for Firewire), are connecting a DV Camcorder and transfering images

First of all, "i.Link" is Sony's name for IEEE 1394. "FireWire" is Apple's name for IEEE 1394.
While the connecting technology is becoming obsolete, those marketing names are used (especially in Sony's case) to describe what is it used for, rather than describing what the jack is called. After all, functinonality is what matters.

Second, you can do many wonderful things with i.Link in near future. Sony has already put out their LISSA Hi-Fi systems in Europe, that consist of CD players, MD players,.. that have only i.Link connector at back of them. That is, only the amp has D/A chip in it.
Near future this will come to Sony TVs, VCRs and DVD players equipped with i.Link. Then you can route the DVD playback from one player to every TV in the house for example. Sony has introduced fiber devices for this used for "long distance" connections between rooms.

Third, I'm not working for Sony.

:
B

[Taz]

Buuri,

I know that Firewire is just a marketing term for IEEE 1394 but most people seem to know it as that hence my comment. I was specifically talking about the use of the iLink port on the Sony PCG-C1XD notebook.

Gobrob,

Everything works under Win2k except the camera, Sony have not released a driver for that yet. All the other drivers are downloadable from Sony's site although the ones on the European site seem different from those on the US one.

[Mark F]

Apple have a strang way to make firewire work for networking. One unit becomes a harddrive for other unit. Must be rebooted to be a computer again. Guess it's one way to make the most expencive harddrive (entire notebook= expencive harddrive ).

Mark F.

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