Home networking re-boot problem

[Len]

I have networked my Win XP Dell desk machine to my W98
laptop. The desk machine is connected to the Internet
via a cable modem using an internal Ethernet adapter.
The laptop is connected from its internal Ethernet
adapter to an external Ethernet adapter connected to the
desktop machine with a USB connector.
When I reboot the laptop, it will not connect to the home
network and my desk machine shows that the local area
connection is broken.
However, if I unplug the USB connector from the Dell
desktop and plug it back in again, the connection is made
immediately.
I would appreciate some help.

[Jim Macklin]

USB has some problems maintaining connections, when you hot
plug USB it "discovers" the connection again.
You would do better to connect your cable modem to a router
and use Ethernet RJ45/Cat 5 connections.


"Len" > wrote in message
...
| I have networked my Win XP Dell desk machine to my W98
| laptop. The desk machine is connected to the Internet
| via a cable modem using an internal Ethernet adapter.
| The laptop is connected from its internal Ethernet
| adapter to an external Ethernet adapter connected to the
| desktop machine with a USB connector.
| When I reboot the laptop, it will not connect to the home
| network and my desk machine shows that the local area
| connection is broken.
| However, if I unplug the USB connector from the Dell
| desktop and plug it back in again, the connection is made
| immediately.
| I would appreciate some help.