network between XP and 98

HI guys,

I have two laptops running on windows xp and windows 98, the laptop with windows 98 i have external ethernet card to connect to brodband internet. when i connect it to ADSL modem the status lite of the ethernet cards goes on but when i m trying to connect between my other pc which runs on win xp the status light goes off. the it shows that the card is unpluged in both pc. while both work on ADSL individually and the pc with XP also works with other computer like my university computers but the pc with external modem which runs win 98 doesn't work.

does any body have the solution for that.

any help is greatly appricated.

-BLUE

blue you don't mention HOW you are connecting to the other laptop. You don't mention a hub so I have to assume you are trying a direct network card to network card connection.

You need a crossover cable. Sounds like you have a patch cable which is a straight thru not xover cable.

Until you get a adsl router, you will not be able to connect two pcs to the internet or the local net at the same time. This is due to your ISP for the adsl usually only gives you one ip address. A router can take that one and use it to route your local ip of your pcs to the internet. Thru the routers dhcp you can get ip addresses for both pcs and be able to share between them.

I hope this has been helpful