Crossover Cable

Crossover cables are a special type of Ethernet cable that switch the (1,2) and (3,6) pin pairs as you move from one end of the cable to the other (picture). The practical offshoot of this is that this allows users to connect computers to one another without using a router or network switch.

For example, if you wanted to transfer a large movie file from your desktop to your laptop, the easiest way (short of burning it to a DVD) is to connect them with a crossover cable and set up a temporary network between the two that supports file sharing. Since ethernet cables support extremely fast transfer speeds, you should be able to tranfer all your data very quickly.

Please note that crossover cables do not work for connecting computers to traditional networks, such as the Pomona network. In that case you need a generic Ethernet cable, preferably Category 5 or 6.