5 ways to connect a desktop computer to a laptop

In this wikiHow, you will learn how to share files and the Internet from a desktop computer to a laptop using an Ethernet cable. Keep in mind that Mac computers no longer have Ethernet ports, so you will need a USB-C to Ethernet adapter for a Mac in case you want to share files or the Internet through this medium.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Share files from one Windows system to another Windows

Step 1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the two computers

Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the square port on the back of the computer case, and then plug the other end into the square port on the side of the laptop.

Step 2. Open the Start menu

on the desktop computer.

To open it, click on the Windows logo located in the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 3. Write the words control panel

Doing so will start your computer searching for the Control Panel program.

Step 4. Click on the Control Panel

This is at the top of the Start menu. Clicking it will open the Control Panel.

Step 5. Click Network and Internet

This option is on the left side of the Control Panel window.

If the Control Panel window has the option of "Small icons" or "Large icons" in the upper right corner, skip this step

Step 6. Click Network and Sharing Center

Doing so will open a list of all current connections, including your Ethernet connection to the laptop.

Step 7. Click Ethernet

This is a link located under the current connection in the Network and Sharing Center window.

Step 8. Click Properties

This button is in the lower left corner of the window.

Step 9. Click Internet Protocol Version 4

This line of text is in the middle of the window. Click on it to select it.

Step 10. Click Properties

This button is in the lower right part of the window.

Step 11. Change the IP address according to your connection

Check the box "Use the following IP address" located at the top of the window and then fill in the following fields:

IP adress: write 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: write 225.225.225.0
Default Gateway: write 192.168.1.2

Step 12. Change the IP address on the laptop

To do this, do the following:

Go to the Network and Sharing Center in the same way that you did on the desktop computer.
Open the Ethernet properties, select Internet Protocol version 4 and then click Properties
Check the "Use the following IP address" box located at the top of the window.
Enter 192.168.1.2 in the "IP address" field.
Enter 225.225.225.0 in the "Subnet mask" field.
Enter 192.168.1.1 in the "Default gateway" field.
Click twice on To accept.

Step 13. Open the Start menu

on the desktop computer.

Click on the Windows logo located in the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 14. Open File Explorer

Click on the folder-shaped icon at the bottom left of the Start menu.

Step 15. Select a shared folder

Click on a folder that you want to share from desktop to Mac.

You can also create a new folder to share

Step 16. Share the folder

To do so, follow the steps below:

Click on Share in the upper left of the window.
Click on Specific users …
Click the drop down arrow.
Click on Everybody.
Click on Share.
Click on Ready when prompted.

Step 17. Put the files to share in the folder

To do this, do the following:

Find the files you want to share.
Select the files.
Press Ctrl + C to copy the files.
Open the shared folder.
Press Ctrl + V to paste the files.

Step 18. Go to the laptop

Go back to the Windows laptop where you want to access the shared folder.

Step 19. Open the shared folder

Open the menu Beginning, click File Browser

, then the name of the desktop computer at the bottom left of the File Explorer window, and finally double-click the folder.

You could also scroll down the left column of folders to access the name of the desktop computer

Step 20. Move the shared files to the laptop

Select the files, press Ctrl + C, open a folder where you want to store them, and finally press Ctrl + V.

You can also add files from the laptop to the shared folder in case you want to access them on the desktop computer

Method 2 of 5: Share files between Windows and Mac

Step 1. Buy a USB-C to Ethernet adapter for a Mac computer

Mac computers no longer have Ethernet ports, but you can purchase a USB Ethernet plug-in that connects to one of the Mac's USB ports.

Step 2. Connect the adapter to the Mac

Plug the USB end of the adapter into one of the USB ports on your Mac.

Step 3. Connect the two computers using an Ethernet cable

Plug each end of the Ethernet cable into the square Ethernet port on each cable computer.

Step 4. Open the menu

Click on the Windows logo located in the lower left corner of the screen on the Windows computer.

Step 5. Open File Explorer

Click on the folder-shaped icon at the bottom left of the start menu window.

Step 6. Select a shared folder

Click on a folder that you want to share from desktop to Mac.

You can also create a new folder to share

Step 7. Share the folder

To do so, follow the steps below:

Click on Share in the upper left of the window.
Click on Specific users …
Click the drop-down arrow.
Click on Everybody.
Click on Share.
Click on Ready when prompted.

Step 8. Go to the Mac and click Go

This option should be at the top of the screen.

If you don't see this option in the menu bar, open Finder or click on the desktop to make it appear

Step 9. Click Connect to Server

This button is at the bottom of the drop-down menu To go.

Step 10. Enter the IP address of the Windows computer

Type the IP address for the Windows computer in the text field at the top of the window.

To find the IP address of the Windows computer, open the menu Beginning, click Setting

Windowssettings

, Then in Network and Internet, on State, View network properties, scroll down to the "Name: Wi-Fi" section and look at the address to the right of the "IPv4 Address" heading.

Step 11. Click Connect

Doing so will open another window.

Step 12. Enter the information for the Windows computer

To do so, follow the steps below:

Check the "Registered User" box.
In the "Username" text field, enter the username of the desktop computer.
In the "Password" text field, enter the password for your desktop computer account.
Click on Connect

Step 13. Put the files in the shared folder

Go back to the Windows computer and then follow the steps below:

Find the files you want to share.
Select the files.
Press Ctrl + C to copy the files.
Open the shared folder.
Press Ctrl + V to paste the files.

Step 14. Recover the files on the Mac

Go to the laptop and do the following:

Open Finder in case it's not already open.
Click on the name of the Windows computer located to the left of the Finder.
Open the shared folder.
Select the shared files.
Click on Edit at the top of the screen and then on Copy.
Select a folder where you want to store shared files (eg, Desk).
Click on Edit at the top of the screen and then on Paste elements.

Step 15. Share files from Mac to Windows computer

To do so, you simply put the files from the Mac into the shared folder, then open the shared folder on the Windows computer, and finally copy the files from there.

Method 3 of 5: Share files from one Mac to another

Step 1. Buy two USB-C to Ethernet adapters

Mac computers no longer have Ethernet ports, but you can purchase a USB Ethernet plug-in that connects to one of the Mac's USB ports.

Step 2. Connect the adapters to the Macs

To do this, plug the USB ends of the adapters into the respective ports on your Macs.

Step 3. Connect the computers using the Ethernet cable

Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the Mac laptop adapter, and then plug the other end into the Mac laptop adapter.

Step 4. Click Go on your desktop computer

This button is at the top of the screen. Clicking on it will bring up a drop-down menu.

If you can't find this button, open the Finder or click on the desktop to make it appear

Step 5. Click Connect to Server

This button is in the drop-down menu To go.

Step 6. Click Browse

This option is at the bottom of the "Connect to Server" window.

Step 7. Double click on the name of the laptop

Doing so will open the connection window.

If you can't see the name of the laptop, go to that computer and open the Apple menu

Macapple1

, click System preferences…, on Net and write down the name of that computer.

Step 8. Enter your password and then click Connect

Make sure to enter the password for the computer you want to connect to.

Step 9. Open the Finder

Click the blue face icon on the Mac dock.

Step 10. Select the files to move to the laptop

Find the files you want to move, select them, click Edit and then click Copy in the drop-down menu.

Step 11. Click on the name of the laptop

This is in the lower left of the Finder window.

Step 12. Move the copied files

Double-click one of the laptop folders in the Finder window, then click Edit, and finally in Paste elements in the drop-down menu. This will move the files from your desktop computer to your laptop.

With this same method, you can also move files from laptop to desktop computer

Method 4 of 5: Share the Internet on a Windows Computer

Step 1. Connect your desktop computer to a laptop using an Ethernet cable

Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the desktop's square Ethernet port (usually located on the back of the case), then plug the other into the laptop's Ethernet port.