# Linux -> Windows help

## aych

Wondering if anyone has any ideas for my situation.. Currently I have a gentoo box and a windows laptop.  They both connect to a wireless router wirelessly.  However, since this is quite slow for data movement, I would like to take advantage of the gigabyte ethernet on both machines.  I already have samba setup already and they see each other, how can I use a single cat5 cable to connect these 2 computers together for data transfer while maintaining the wireless network for internet connectivity and to my other computers / printers?

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## chithanh

One thing that should work is communicating via IPv6 link-local addresses. If IPv6 is enabled in your kernel, you should get them automagically.

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## aych

I do have IPv6 in my kernel, not sure if windows 7 supports it.  Do I have to configure my linux box to act like a dhcp server? or  will statis ips on the same subnet suffice? and how do I make that the preference versus the wireless network it is already sharing across.

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## chithanh

You simply connect via the other host's IPv6 address. Both Linux and Windows 7 have it enabled by default. For link-local you have to specify the interface too.

```
ping6 -I eth0 fe80::aaaa:bbbb:cccc:dddd/64
```

(replace with actual address as shown by ifconfig/Network and Sharing center)

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## aych

my windows 7 box is not showing an address automatically and I have dhcpv6s enabled on my gentoo box..

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## chithanh

At least

```
ipconfig
```

should show a link-local address on Windows.

Alternatively, set static IPv4 addresses for both Linux and Windows and communicate via them.

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## aych

I can ping both sides now, but cannot access any shares..

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## floppymaster

I would just set static IP addresses. Then just access the shares by IP to force use of the cross-over cable.

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## aych

is the cross over cable a must? that could be why its not working for me.. I thought all pcs nowadays were auto switching...

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## floppymaster

They might be; it has been a long while since I have attempted something like this.

If you can ping across the cable, it is pretty safe to assume it is working.

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