4 Ways to Connect Two Windows 11 Computers

You can easily connect two computers on Windows 11 with LAN cable

Windows 11 » How To

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by Milan Stanojevic 

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Key notes

  • If you want to connect two computers wirelessly, you can do it over existing network.
  • You can also create virtual wireless network or use Bluetooth for this purpose.

Sometimes it’s necessary to connect two computers running Windows 11 to share your files. This can be done using the wireless connection or via cable.

Both methods have their advantages, and today we’re going to show you how to use all of them, so without further ado, let’s get started.

How do I share files between computers in Windows 11?

  • You can do that with network file sharing and share files with other PCs in the same network.
  • Connect two PCs directly via Ethernet cable or USB.
  • Create ad-hoc network on one PC and connect the other to it.
  • Share files over a Bluetooth connection.

How do I connect two computers together on Windows 11?

1. Use the existing network

  1. Press the Windows key + R and enter control.
  2. Navigate to the Network and Sharing Center.
  3. Select Change advanced sharing options.
  4. Make sure that Network discovery is enabled as well as File and printer sharing.

Do this on both devices and you should be able to see other computers in the same network. This method works for both wireless and Ethernet connections.

2. Connect PCs directly with Ethernet cable

  1. Connect both devices with a crossover Ethernet cable.
  2. Make sure that Network discovery and File and printer sharing are enabled.
  3. Open the Control Panel and go to Network and Sharing Center.
  4. In the left pane, Change adapter settings.
  5. Next, double-click your network and then click on Properties.
  6. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
    IPV4 Properties
  7. Select Use the following IP address.
  8. Set IP address to: 192.168.1.10 (you can use any other number instead of 10). Set the Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and Default gateway to 192.168.1.1 and save changes.
  9. Do the same for the other PC, but be sure to assign it a different IP address, such as 192.168.1.11. The subnet and gateway address must remain the same.

In case you’re not familiar with crossover cables, they look like regular Ethernet cables, but their wiring pattern is different. This allows you to connect two PCs directly and exchange data.

Straight Ethernet cable has its own wiring pattern and it can’t be used to connect PC to a PC directly. This means that it only allows you to connect your PC to a network device such as router or switch.

3. Create an ad-hoc wireless network

  1. Press the Windows key + S and enter powershell. Choose Run as administrator.
  2. Next, run the following command: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=WindowsReport key=password123
     
  3. Next, to start the network, run: netsh wlan start hostednetwork
  4. On the other computer, look for the WindowsReport network and connect to it.
  5. To stop the network run on the primary PC: netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

In case you weren’t able to run commands from steps 2 or 3, it means that your PC doesn’t support this feature.

4. Use Bluetooth

  1. Make sure that both devices are in the Bluetooth range.
  2. On both devices, go to Settings and choose Bluetooth & devices. Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled.
     
  3. Next, click on Add device and choose Bluetooth.
  4. Ensure that the other device has pairing mode enabled.
  5. Select it from the list and that’s it.

To learn more, we have an in-depth guide on how to share files over Bluetooth on Windows.

Can you directly connect two computers to transfer files?

Yes, you can do that with a crossover Ethernet cable or a USB cable. If you want to use a USB cable, you might need to use additional software to transfer files.

As you can see, it’s pretty simple to connect two computers using Windows 11. We suggest using network sharing since it works in every network with minimal setup.

You can also transfer your files using FTP or you can use file sharing tools to achieve similar results.

Did we miss your favorite method of connecting two computers? If so, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments.

More about the topics: Windows 11 guides

Milan Stanojevic

Milan Stanojevic Shield

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He's a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he's one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.