Yes, you can link two PCs using an Ethernet cable.
Yes, you can link two PCs using an Ethernet cable.
Yes, if both machines are compatible with gigabit Ethernet, you should be able to move files at those speeds, provided the rest of your system is capable.
You can link directly to a computer via a peer-to-peer network. This involves navigating to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings (on the left side). Right-click your adapter, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TcP/IPV4), and set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0. Pick two IP addresses within the same subnet that won’t conflict with your WAN. For example, if your internet-capable machine is at 192.168.1.1, choose an address segment not matching 192.168.1.x.
I've handled this before and it's possible, but there are two considerations. First, you need to set a fixed IP address and matching subnet mask for each device because no DHCP server will be available. Second, you may need a crossover cable. Most standard copper Ethernet cables run straight through without changes in order. When linking similar devices—like connecting routers directly or PCs to each other—use a crossover cable. Remember the original Xbox "link cable" was essentially a crossover type. Many modern networking gear can sense improper wiring and reroute signals, so a regular straight-through cable might work if IPs and subnets are correctly assigned. If issues persist, try a crossover cable. To create one, simply swap the green and orange pairs; white/orange becomes white/green at the other end.
It's worked alright for me. In fact it's worked when I didn't want it to...if you can imagine that. I won't fight that assigning static IPs would be the better of the two routes. With static IPs he can address the systems by IP's and map drive letters to share folders for easier access. Also knowing what the client IP is all the time makes things easier. That and trying to go by hostnames Windows has a tendency to forget how to talk to others and just stops working. 1) This is debatable. Windows is suppose to give itself an address but it seems this doesn't always work for everyone. 2) You're referring to Auto-MDIX. This is a feature that has been around for about 2 decades now and is standard on most network interfaces (switches/computer motherboards/etc) for him to require a crossover cable today is very unlikely. Even hardware that is old by today's standards support Auto-MDIX.
Is this something that has lasted a long time? It's really frustrating—I'm starting to feel old.