Benefits of transferring files from PC to PC with an Ethernet cable

When you get a new computer, you will need to transfer files between computers. If there is a small number of files to be transferred, USB flash drives can be a good choice to help you with data transfer. If there is a large number of files to be moved, you may use an Ethernet cable to transfer data. Compared with USB flash drives, an Ethernet cable has following advantages:

  • More suitable for transferring plenty of files. There’s no capacity limit if you transfer data with an Ethernet cable.
  • Faster transfer speed. The physical connection between two computers via an Ethernet cable makes data transfer quicker.
  • Avoid repetitive work of plugging and removing USB flash drives. Moreover, you won’t be worried about the connection problem and spend extra time repairing pen drive not detected on the computer.

Then, how to transfer data from PC to PC using an Ethernet cable in Windows 10/8/7? Please read on.

Procedure on how to transfer files from PC to PC via an Ethernet cable

Before you start, you should prepare a LAN cable (CAT5 will work fine). Learn how to share files between two computers using LAN cable in detail below:

1. Connect both computers to a LAN cable.

2. Turn on the sharing options on both computers. Search for Control Panel and open it. Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change Advanced sharing settings. Change the following options for both computers and click “Save changes”.

  • “Turn on network discovery”
  • “Turn on file and printer sharing”
  • “Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders”
  • “Turn off password protected sharing”

3. Share a folder on the source computer.

3.1. Select the folder you want to share and right click on it. Choose “Share with” and then select “Specific people”.

3.2. In the File Sharing window, select “Everyone” from the drop-down menu, click on the “Add” button next to it and then click on the “Share” button.

3.3. When you see “Your folder is shared”, click “Done”.

4. Access the shared folder on the destination computer.

4.1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer and click Network on the left-hand panel.

4.2. Find the source computer and double click it. Enter the source computer’s password if prompted.

4.3. You will see the folder you just shared. Copy the shared folder to anywhere else based on your needs.

As you see, you can only share one folder once. It will be time-consuming if you have dozens of files from different folders to transfer. Is there an easier way to transfer files between computers on same network?

Advanced way to transfer files between computers on same network

As long as the two computers are on the same wireless or wired network, you can transfer files from PC to PC even without an Ethernet cable. AOMEI Backupper Standard, the best free PC to PC file sync software, can help you complete the task easily. Following are its main features:

▶ Fastest way to transfer files between computers on same network:

1. Launch AOMEI Backupper on the source computer. Click “Sync” and select “Basic Sync“.

2. Name the task so that you can distinguish it from other sync tasks. Click “Add Folder” to select the folder(s) which you want to transfer.

3. Click the bar under “Add Folder” and in the pop-up window, choose “Share/NAS“.

4. In the Select Share/NAS Device window, click “Add Share or NAS Devices”. Then, type the IP address of the source computer and click “OK”. Type username and password if it prompts.

5. After the IP address has been added, all network-shared folders on the computer will be listed. Choose one folder to store the folder(s) you plan to transfer and click “OK”.

6. Click on “Start Sync” button to perform the operation.

7. After the sync process is finished, access the shared folder(s) on the destination computer as mentioned above.