Windows 7: Trouble sharing between 7 and XP?

Side A already matched one end, its t568B. and the point of a crossover cable is to change one end, because its not a straight through cable anymore.

The two can see and ping eachother when I define their IP's to 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2 for the XP machine, but not with any other setup.

Well you didnt need to define the Windows 7 machine as it's IP is given automatically.

As is, can you do a ipconfig /all and show me.

Like previously said

The steps that works should be:

1) Testing links: Assign manual IP to Xp machine eg. (IP 192.168.1.6, Sebnet 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway 192.168.1.1) - if you are not sure what to put in, go to your Windows 7's ipconfig and check the IPs. You just need to choose an IP, say if you Windows 7 ip is a.b.c.d, put in your xp machine a.b.c.d+1. The subnet mask and default gateway should be identical for the two machines. Leave all other settings unchanged.

Attached your Windows 7 to Xp with cross over cable (Cat 5), test ping each other's IPs.

If success, then in your Xp setting unselect manual IP and select auto detect. the Link should be saying acquiringnetwork adresses. After a few seconds it should say connected.

2) In your network connections on Windows 7, locate the two network links (one should have internet access, the other unidentified network. highlight these two links, right click and bridge connections.

Let Windows 7 build the bridging and once done you your xp should have internet access. Just give it some time to get organised. F5 a few times on your Internet Explore.

I do have to assign an IP on both machines, or it doesn't work. I believe you that you shouldnt have to....but THIS is where my problem is. Unless it's defined on both machines, theres no connection. When its defined, they can see/ping eachother and I can access files from eachother. No internet. Still 'unidentified' though.

If I bridge the two connections, the entire connection is lost, everything. It shows it's bridged, but I lose both my internet, and my connection to the XP machine. Once it finishes identifying, it goes to unidentifed, not cnnected.

I suggested previously what you do - enable ICS on the actual internet connection, when Windows will allocate the IP address 192.168.0.1 to the network adapter with which you're connecting to the Client PC. Having done that, check in ipconfig /all that (a) the adapter connecting to the Client PC does have that address and (b) that it shows IP Routing enabled...Yes.

Post the "ipconfig" details here. When you previously posted the details, it appeared that you hadn't enabled ICS, because it showed IP Routing enabled...No.

My Windows 7 is set to auto and only xp is manual IP, and it works.

Reason for assigning the Xp a manual IP is to test connectibity between the two machines. Doesn't matter if Xp cannot ping Windows 7, if Windows 7 can ping xp that's all good.

Btw, for the Xp did u disabled all other types of link, you should only have the LAN type as active.

Not sure why when u bridge the link, you loose all internet connectibity. All i can think of is you are bridging the wrong way, or there is something blocking your xp to access the net.

Have you tried connecting to the net just with Xp?

Bought a router, now it works.

now the problem is even though the ports are configured in the router settings, my games still cant find servers

is it at all possible to have the internet directly connected to my computer, and the router connected to my second NIC card, so none of the firewalls/ports affect my computer?

So it hasnt worked when u cable connect directly to your modem (with Windows 7) but it workes using wireless connection to your router? That's the way i tested with mine, wireless Windows 7 to router (LAN1) and cable in LAN2 (to XP).

So now you want to connect directly to your Windows 7 for LAN1 (internet access), and for LAN2 connect your router, then hook your XP directly to your router? This essentially means your router is acting as a hub between your Windows 7 and xp. theretically i don't think it will work, as the router is not a hub be design.