It depends on a lot of things, the connection type, the protocol, the browse
master settings, the status of applications, and luck.
The connection type: if you are set to quick logon to windows, this is
better.  If you are set to logon and restore connections, this is a risk.
The protocol: some do more 'overhead' talking than others, too many missed
messages causes a loss of connection.
Browse master: you set this in the share properties, the default is
automatic.  The browse master can control what you see in network
neighborhood.  It does not refresh instantaneously.  If it is in the process
of polling the other pc when you unplug, you will get a disconnect error the
next time you try to use a network shared device, and since it may not poll
again instantly when you reconnect, its usually simpler to reboot than wait
for it to refresh.
Open application: this will cause all sorts of messages, some applications
are 'graceful' and report the disconnect, but will recover after the
reconnect. Others say 'network device no longer exists' and won't recover
until you reboot.
Even if both computers are idle, an extended disconnect will foul up the
network, so when we have to unplug, we try to work fast.  One of the common
foul ups is the networked printer gets greyed out in the printer folder.
When you right click on it, it has 'off-line' checked.  It sometimes takes
considerable patience with my lexmark driver before it would acknowledge
that the remote printer connection had been restored.  Again, easier just to
reboot.  By the way, there is an easy test to see if you have a connection,
hit, start, shutdown, and if you get a message 'one user is actively
connected, continue?' then unplugging would not be clear sailing.  The
trouble with this is if you don't get a message, the shutdown proceeds,
which is obviously, from your question, not what you want.
Tom Turak

-----Original Message-----
From: David Jonathan Justman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 11:27 AM


I have a very simple home network: 2 machines connected by 2
NICs and some crossover cable.  Can I connect and unconnect the
cables while the machines are running, and logged in?

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