Win Xp supports IP over 1394, cheap way to get a fast network running. Problem with ethernet in general is it doesn't support isochronous data transfer. Still if you throw enough bandwidth at it and don't stress it you should be able to even run preview off a network drive, 1000MB is getting cheaper all the time.

Grazie:
I have saved a project only over 3com (win2k) to Intel (XP Pro)(thru a Linksys hub) and everything worked fine. I have saved the same project with copied media from the win2k to the XP machine no problem. The program was a slide show with a couple of avi's which looked just fine. I have not tried standard video. With XP you have to load the Net buis from the extra files on the install disc if you go through a hub as I do. Back to back I don't know. The 3com is set for 100megs. Of course assuming you have V4 loaded in both machines.

JJK

. .. oh . I'll need to read your advice , several times before it "sinks" in. .

Okay, look I've also got firewire - would that be a better way to share files? I've also got BroadBand. I would like to be able to upload files from the PC to the INternet. Would you advise me using/going via the laptop - instead of going directly from the PC? Would the laptop act like a primary security wall against . . well hackers and the like?

Grazie

There is a major performance problem when moving files over an Ethernet network between old Windows technology (95/98/ME) to new technology (NT/2000/XP). You can test this yourself. Find a group of files that totals 50 megabytes (the exact amount isn't important -- you just want a large enough group that you can use a stopwatch to time how long they take to copy). Go to the ME machine, open up Explorer, and copy the files from the 95/98/ME computer to the NT/2000/XP computer. Time how long it takes. Then, go to the other machine, and copy the same set of tiles in the same direction. It should take about 6x longer to copy when the operation is controlled by the XP machine.

I have spent over a year looking for a solution. The only solution I've found so far is to upgrade every machine on the network to XP.

In direct answer to the original post, I have no problem whatsoever capturing into my laptop (Windows ME) and having that capture stored directly on my XP desktop machine's big hard disk. No dropped frames. This is over a 100 mbs wired Ethernet through a switch (although it also worked just fine through a hub, although there was no other traffic on the network at the time). Real-time captures over the network could be problematic if the network is busy.

Thanks JM. What do you think of putting the laptop between the pc and the BroadBand? Internet working and whatever? What do you think of using the firewire as a - ermmm . . NEtwork?

Excuse me showing my if=gnorance . . but I'll be getting delivery of my MONSTA! in a few days and I want to get the most appropriate options up and running - yeah? What do think of me using the Maxtor, WinME used ext f/w drives, then plugging into the MONSTA?

Thanks,

Grazie

An easy way to link the two computers with Ethernet is to use a crossover cable if you don't have a switch or Hub (Preferably a switch if you will have other computers linked to it but a hub will work fine if you are just using two machines) an ethernet link will support 100Mbs while firewire will support 400 Mbs I have never tried using firewire to network two PC's but I know it is supposed to work ;-) If you really want your data to fly go with Gigabit network cards and a Cat5e crossover 1000Mbit you should have no problems then. ***** Well looks like you may be out of luck as I did a search for Gigabit PCMCIA network adapters and couldn't find any, to bad because Gigabit network cards can be bought for about 30 -35 dollars online for desktops.

Thanks SHogo. I will be "given" 5 metres of crossover cable. Maybe that's what I'll do? - Any thoughts on the BroadBand:INternet thing?

Grazie

Don't know what MONSTA! is. I assume it is your broadband.

The crossover cable has the one major advantage that you definitely will not be affected by any other network traffic. However, if you still want to use your computer on the Internet or connect to other computers, you have to connect/disconnect cables each time you want to switch from video editing to something else. Quite a pain. I would instead recommend the following.

Purchase an inexpensive router that includes a switch. If you want to be able to use your laptop to surf the web, and use it anywhere, get a router/switch/wireless combo. Here's a link to one such device: D-Link Airplus 2.4 GHz Wireless Router. I'm not endorsing this particular product or saying you should buy it at Costco, but I knew they had something like this, and therefore it was easy to find the link.

This device will provide very effective security from Internet hackers (you can still get trashed by email worms). The switch gives you full bandwidth between two devices. If everything is setup correctly, and there is no traffic on the network, you should get similar performance to what you would get with a crossover cable.

Just to raise your comfort level, I have a Compaq Presario 1800T that I purchased used on eBay a few years back. It has Windows ME, and is only a 700 MHz machine. I then purchased a 1394 card on eBay for about $15. I capture through that, over the network, directly to the hard drive on my Win XP Pro desktop. I have never dropped a single frame. While I do have eight computers on my network, when I do the capture, all the other computers are idle (I work at home, and during the day, the kids aren't here to use the computers).

Just wanted to add that I currently edit across a network - W2k system is used for "storage" and the Xp pro is used to work on. I have never used ME so I can not say how that is. Speed has not been any sort of issue - i am playing back the files from the W2K system to the XP Pro and out via firewire with no dropped frames. (On the timeline, editing - that is another story. But actual PTT or 'not on the timeline' out to firewire is fine) I am using a linksys router and hub.