Crossover cable computer to computer setup?

How do I connect two computers using a crossover cable so I can play games such as age of empires 2? Do I need to setup IP addresses and so on? If so how would I do that?





The package the cable came in says its a CAT5e Crossover Patch Cable, is that the right one?





Thanks for your help!Crossover cable computer to computer setup?
You have the right cable. Just connect the 2 computers together with that cable. Once you do that, you will need to assign an IP Address to both computers. Computer 1 could be 192.168.1.1, and Computer 2 could be 192.168.1.2.Crossover cable computer to computer setup?
You also need to set IP addresses in each of the two computers.


You can use


192.168.1.2


and


192.168.1.3





You need to do this because most home computers are set up to get addresses from your home router. But in the setup you are trying for, you don't connect to a router.





But if you are playing a Steam game then this won't work because you cannot get to the internet.
Actually, you don't even need to setup ip addresses. By default, your computer is set to get an ip address automatically from a DHCP server. When there is no dhcp server available, your computer will get an APIPA address, which stands for automatic private ip address. So you will both have a 169.254.x.x ip address and be able to communicate with each other. One of you just needs to start a LAN game, and the other will be able to join. Make sure you are both using the same version of the game, with the same patch installed.
The package came with the right cable, if it is long enough you just connect the cable to the network cards of both computers and then age of empires will set it up, thru multiplayer mode, just follow the instructions after game launch.