Direct-Cable Connection Introduction




You have the need to connect 2 Windows systems to be able to exchange some data.
You are (not yet ?) willing to install network cards and to deal with Ethernet cables
( coax, Twisted pair, hubs,…..) ?
Lets investigate some other options by looking at the back of your system (desktop PC or
notebook):










You should have:















1 or 2 Serial ports ( also called COM-ports)
connector with 9 pins ( “9-pin male”)
Parallel port ( also called printer port )
connector with 25 holes ( “25-pin female” )
1 or 2 USB (Universal System Bus)
Desktop system have usually 2 ports,
Notebook computers usually only 1port.
Infrared port


These plugs/connectors can be used to connect 2 systems together.
Such connection is called : Direct Cable Connection ( DCC )

Like with any component on your system, you need hardware and software:
Hardware : all these connectors on the back of your PC had been originally designed to connect
add-on components to a system ( like parallel port: Printers, serial port : external modems,
USB: scanners, digital cameras,……) with 1 system as “controller”.
And the cables used to plug into these connectors are designed for this use.











via USB (Universal System Bus) : Networking via USB cable
USB Ethernet Adapters
via Infrared port : Infra-Red Communication


via Serial or Parallel cable : Direct Cable Connection







When now using these plugs to connect 2 systems (= 2 “Controllers”),
you need special cables (either purchased or self-made) taking care that
the 2 systems are communicate with each other.
Note: when using a parallel or serial connection, you can only
connect 2 systems, not more !
Depending on the cable, you will get different data-transfer speeds:
– Serial cable (1 bit connection) up to 10 KBytes /sec ( * )
– Basic Parallel cable (4 bit, LapLink compatible cable) up
to 60-80 KBytes /sec ( * )
DirectParallel® Universal Fast Cable ( with electronics in one end of the
cable , from
Parallel Technologies‘ ) up to 500+ Kbytes /sec ( * ) on
ECP ports ( up to 10 times that of the Basic 4-bit parallel cable ! ) .
( * ) Effective data transfer rates are depending upon PC type, CPU speed,
parallel port type, data compressibility and protocol overhead





Software :
Included with
Windows95/98/ME/NT4/2000


You may have decided to use DCC to avoid the installation of a network, but for a Windows
system, the software setup/configuration of a Direct-Cable-Connection is part of Networking
(although it may not be visible as part of networking)
Lets use Windows95, “Direct Cable Connections” as example for a “DCC Network“:

The installation and operation is similar to Ethernet and “Modem” networking and involves setting up:
– Network Client
– Network Protocol
– Network Server (“File and Print Sharing”)
– Network Adapter: your serial port COMx or printer-port LPTx.








www.helmig.com Parts of these pages on Direct-Cable Connectivity are a cooperation with
Parallel Technologies, the creator/ inventor/ developer
of the DirectParallel® technology licensed to Microsoft
for the Direct Cable Connection (DCC) feature in
Windows 95/98/2000/ME ( supplier of the fast
DirectParallel® cable and of USB connection cables).







Direct cable connection setup and Operation
is almost identical on Windows95, Windows98
and Windows ME





































Direct Cable Connection with Windows95 / 98 / ME
Using DCC and DUN at the same time
Modem Internet Connection Sharing via DCC
ADSL/Cable Modem Internet Connection Sharing via DCC
Direct Cable Connection via Infrared
Direct-Cable Connection between Win95/98/ME and NT4
Windows XP Direct Cable Connection from Windows95
Direct-Cable Connection between NT4-systems
Definition of Direct Cable Connection as Host
Definition of Direct Cable Connection as Client / Guest
Getting an DCC Call
Windows 2000 DCC and ICS ??? (updated : Feb 27,2003)
Win95/98/ME DCC Connection to Win2000
Win2000 DCC Connection to Win95/98/ME
Modem Internet Connection Sharing via DCC
ADSL/Cable Modem Internet Connection Sharing via DCC
Windows XP Setup for DCC via Serial Cable
Windows XP Definition of Direct Cable Connection
Windows XP Direct Cable Connection from Windows95



Modem Internet Connection Sharing via Direct-Cable-Connection (DCC)
( using Non-Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing.
Note: Although you can download most
Non-Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing programs as shareware
to evaluate them, you will need to register ( and pay for them ) once the evaluation period has expired ,
usually 30 days).

ADSL/Cable-Modem Internet Connection Sharing via Direct-Cable-Connection DCC
( using Non-Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing.
Note: Although you can download most
Non-Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing programs as shareware
to evaluate them, you will need to register ( and pay for them ) once the evaluation period has expired ,
usually 30 days).







Parallel Technologies, Inc offers
for its parallel DCC-cables very
nice package deals, which include
already the license for WinRoute Lite


Performance of Direct-Cable Connection(Updated Feb.1,98)
DirectParallel® Connection Monitor (DPM) : Diagnostic, Troubleshooting and Testing Utility
Trouble Shooting a DCC Connection ((created Feb.14,2000)
Cable Specification for Direct-Cable Connection(updated Feb.14,2000)



If you like some more information on DCC, here some links to sites with excellent information:
The creators/inventors/developers of DirectParallel® Technology Licensed
to Microsoft for DCC:
http://www.lpt.com : Parallel Technologies
( see under “Questions + FAQs“,the documentation is also available under “Downloads” as DOC or PDF files )
http://www.kime.net/directcc/index.html

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