Want to transfer large files at 125MB/s, more than doubling the average USB and wireless connection speed, and with no risk of the transfer being interrupted?
There are multiple options for transferring files between PCs or Laptops, and your first instinct may be to turn to your USB memory stick or wireless network. But if you need to transfer files quickly and efficiently, and the two machines are in the same vicinity, by far the fastest method is the trusty old Ethernet cable.

– Transfer files up to the speed of 125MB/s
– At least 1GB of file transfer in 10 seconds

Ethernet cables (or LAN cables) are primarily used for wiring up local networks and connecting PCs to routers for wired internet access. This makes them ideal for file transfers.
A standard Cat5e cable is able to transfer data at a speed of 1,000 Megabits per second, which converts to 125 megabytes per second. That’s over 1GB in 10 seconds, so even the largest movie files or library of mp3s can be transferred within just a minute!
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This is at least twice that of the best USB 2.0 speeds (60 megabytes per second), and the average wireless connection speed (54 megabytes per second).
Here’s how to set up your Ethernet cable for super fast file sharing:

Step 1: Link the two PCs with the Ethernet Cable

 Ethernet cables can be picked up for just a couple of dollars, or you probably have it lying around your room. You will need a crossover Ethernet cable to connect two computers together.
To get started slot one end of the cable in to the first computer and then slot the other end in to the second computer. Each end of the cable and each port are identical.

Step 2: Turn Off Password On PC 1

If you just want to quickly transfer files between your own two PCs, there’s no need to mess around with passwords and security.

On the PC with the files you want to share (PC 1), open the Network and Sharing Center from the system tray, or from within Control Panel, and then go to Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

Scroll to the bottom of the options and check Turn off password protected sharing.

Step 3: Create IP Address

Go back to the main Network and Sharing Center window and there should be an option that says either Local Area Connection or Ethernet. Click this and then open Properties in the new window.
From here select Internet Protocol Version 4 and click Properties.

You now need to set your own IP Address so PC 2 can recognize it. This isn’t the IP Address of the computer, your internet connection, or anything else. You can literally making it up. In our example, we use 192.168.1.20 and this should work for you as well. The Subnet mask will fill automatically.

In Default gateway re-enter the IP Address, but change the final digit to 1, so it reads 192.168.1.21
Repeat this process for PC 2, but in the IP Address field enter the Default gateway from PC 1, and in Default gateway enter the IP Address from PC 1.
This is what you should end up with:

Step 4: Share Your Folder

On PC 1 browse to the single file or folder containing the files you want to transfer. Right click and select Share With and Specific People.

From the drop down menu, select Everyone and click Add. Then click the downward facing arrow next to Read and change it to Read/Write. Steps are highlighted below with figures.

Once done, click Share and repeat the process for all of the files or folders you wish to transfer to PC 2.

Step 5: Complete Transfer

If you switch to PC 2 and go in to your Network folder, you will now see an Icon for PC 1. In the screenshot below, PC 1 should be visible next to SHREZI-PC.

Inside will be all of the files and folders your shared in the previous step. You can now copy and paste these to a location on PC 2, for a lightening quick transfer.

Finished

That’s all you need to do to transfer files via Ethernet cable. When you’ve completed the process once, your two machines will continue to recognize each other, making future file sharing even more efficient.
With Ethernet cables you do not have to worry about the connection weakening or dropping altogether during transfers, which is often the case with wireless connections. This allows you to share lots of large files (such as Backups) with no interruption or lost data.
So, that’s that fastest way to transfer files from PC to PC.