Can you connect two computers together For more power

Any time a system allows one computer access to another computer's resources, questions come up about safety and privacy. What stops the program's administrators from snooping around a particular user's computer? If the administrators can tap into CPU power, can they also access files and sensitive data?

The simple answer to this question is that it depends on the software the participating computer has to install to be part of the system. Everything a shared computing system can do with an individual computer depends upon that software application. Most of the time, the software doesn't allow anyone direct access to the contents on the host computer. Everything is automated, and only the CPU's processing power is accessible.

There are exceptions, though. A zombie computer system or botnet is an example of a malicious shared computing system. Headed by a hacker, a zombie computer system turns innocent computer owners into victims. First, the victim must install specific software on his or her computer before a hacker can access it. Usually, such a software application is disguised as a harmless program. Once installed, the hacker can access the victim's computer to perform malicious tasks like a direct denial of service (DDoS) attack or send out massive amounts of spam. A botnet can span hundreds or thousands of computers, all without the victims being aware of what's going on.

Shared computing systems also need a plan in place for the times when a particular computer goes offline or otherwise becomes unavailable for an extended time. Most systems have a procedure in place that puts a time limit on each task. If the participant's computer doesn't complete the task in a certain amount of time, the control server will cancel that computer's task and assign the task to a new computer.

One criticism of shared computing is that while it capitalizes on idle processors, it increases power consumption and heat output. As computers use more of their processing power, they require more electricity. Some shared computing system administrators urge participants to leave their computers on all the time so that the system has constant access to resources. Sometimes a shared computing system initiative comes into conflict with green initiatives, which emphasize energy conservation.

Perhaps the biggest criticism of shared computing systems is that they aren't comprehensive enough. While they pool processing power resources together, they don't take advantage of other resources like storage. For that reason, many organizations are looking at implementing grid computing systems, which take advantage of more resources and allow a larger variety of applications to leverage networks.

Are shared computing systems the future, or will grid computing systems take their place? As both models become more commonplace, we'll see which system wins out. To learn more about shared computing and other topics, hop on over to the next page and follow the links.

Grid Versus Shared

A shared computing system is a kind of limited grid computing system. Shared computing systems distribute chunks of data for a particular task across a network of computers, tapping into unused CPU power. In a grid computing system, network computers share multiple resources including processing power, memory and storage space. A shared computing system usually has a specific goal. Once that goal is met, there's no need for the system. Future grid computing systems will be organizationally oriented, which means they'll be used as a general asset for organizations and corporations and won't be dedicated to a single specific goal.

Hi r/sysadmin, first time poster and a bit of a noob with virtualization.

I have a bunch of old, weak office computers sitting around, doing nothing. Would it be possible, using ESXi or similar software, to combine their computing power and run 2 or 3 VMs?

Each one has a 2GHz Dual-Core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 80GB HDD. there are at least 3 of them sitting around, although I could probably prepare some more if I wanted to use them.

  • Connect both computers with one cable, such as an Ethernet crossover or special-purpose USB cable.
  • Or, connect the PCs through a central infrastructure, such as an Ethernet or USB hub. Two cables are required.
  • For newer computers and laptops, connect wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or infrared. Wi-Fi is preferred.

This article explains how to connect two computers to one home network. You can use this kind of network to share files, a printer or another peripheral device, and an internet connection.

Lifewire / Maddy Price

The conventional way to network two computers involves making a dedicated link by plugging one cable into the two systems. You may need an Ethernet crossover cable, a null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable, or special-purpose USB cables.

The Ethernet method is the preferred choice because it supports a reliable, high-speed connection with minimal configuration required. Also, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built later.

If one of your computers possesses an Ethernet adapter, but the other has a USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the computer's USB port.

This type of cabling, called Direct Cable Connection in Microsoft Windows, offers lower performance but the same basic functionality as Ethernet cables. You may prefer this option if you have Ethernet cables readily available, and network speed is not a concern. Serial and parallel cables are never used to network more than two computers.

Ordinary USB 2.0 or newer cables with Type-A connectors can connect two computers directly to each other. You may prefer this option over others if your computers lack functional Ethernet network adapters.

Dedicated connections with Ethernet, USB, serial, or parallel cables requires that:

  • Each computer has a functioning network interface with an external jack for the cable.
  • The network settings on each computer are appropriately configured.

One phone line or power cord cannot be used to directly connect two computers for networking.

Rather than cable two computers directly, the computers can be joined indirectly through a central network fixture. This method requires two network cables, one connecting each computer to the fixture. Several types of fixtures exist for home networking:

Implementing this method often entails an additional up-front cost to purchase more cables and network infrastructure. However, it's a general-purpose solution that accommodates any reasonable number of devices (for example, ten or more). You will likely prefer this approach if you intend to expand your network in the future.

Most cabled networks use Ethernet technology. Alternatively, USB hubs work well, while powerline and phoneline home networks offer a unique form of central infrastructure. The standard Ethernet solutions are generally reliable and offer high performance.

In recent years, wireless solutions have increased in popularity for home networking. As with cabled solutions, several wireless technologies exist to support basic two-computer networks.

Wi-Fi connections can reach a greater distance than wireless alternatives. Many newer computers, especially laptops, contain built-in Wi-Fi capability, making it the preferred choice in most situations. Wi-Fi can be used either with or without a network fixture. With two computers, Wi-Fi networking minus a fixture (also called ad hoc mode) is simple to set up.

Bluetooth technology supports reasonably high-speed wireless connections between two computers without the need for a network fixture. Bluetooth is commonly used when networking a computer with a consumer handheld device like a cellphone.

Most desktop and older computers do not possess Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth works best if both devices are in the same room in close proximity to each other. Consider Bluetooth if you have an interest in networking with handheld devices and your computers lack Wi-Fi capability.

Infrared networking existed on laptops years before either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technologies became popular. Infrared connections work between two computers, do not require a fixture, and are reasonably fast. Being simple to set up and use, consider infrared if your computers support it, and you don't want to invest the effort in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

If you find mention of an alternative wireless technology called HomeRF, you can safely ignore it. HomeRF technology became obsolete several years ago and is not a practical option for home networking.

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