Windows comes pre-configured for Internet access via Ethernet. If your computer includes an Ethernet adapter as many do, connecting your computer to the Internet is as simple as connecting a cable.

Ethernet ports are usually just relegated to connecting computers to routers to facilitate an internet connection, but they're capable of much more than that.

There is a special type of Category 5, or Cat 5, cable that can be used to connect two computers without the use of a router or switch. These cables are known as crossover cables and they have ...