i have a really long ethernet cable(for accessing net) and a very short crossover patch cord(for file sharing between pcs). the thing is the patch cord is too small for convenience and i was wondering if i could join the two cords using a RJ45 coupler. ive joined two ethernet cables using rj45 and it worked perfectly(for browsing only). but when i join a crossover and the ethernet, my sys displays "No cable connected". can this be done?

I'm trying to understand the question,it's a bit ambiguous, but if i'm correct it sounds like your wanting to connect your crossover to your straight through the coupler...it wont work-no way..sorry.

If you take a look at a patch cable and a crossover cable, you'll notice that the colored wires are setup completely different. Because of this, you will not be able to use the them together; they serve different purposes.

My suggestion: get longer patch cables.

When you connect a crossover cable to a regular ethernet cable, it simply becomes a crossover cable.

Depending on what two devices you are connecting will determine whether or not it will function.