Networking :: Direct Wire Connection Between Laptop And Desktop?

On Desktop computer have OODLES of storage and multi-media file but slow Wifi card.

Laptop (new) has mega fast Wifi - AC 5GHZ. Almost as fast as LAN.

Want to chromecast some movies to a TV in a friends house.

Can I direct Wire the laptop to the desktop so I can share the multimedia files and then use the laptops fast Wifi to beam it to the remote TV via chromecast.

I can't run Lan cables all over the place - but if a direct connection can allow me to use the WIFI adapter of the laptop then problem solved.

What sort of cable do I need -- I don't believe you can just stick a bit of Lan cable between the two computers (or can you).

Years ago there was a thing called LAPLINK -- relied on old serial COM ports --that would be too slow - and in any case no COM ports on these computers.

I don't care if it's "Heath Robinson" --it's not a permanent setup - but we want to watch a load of movies etc and his wifi isn't fast enough (the ISP internet service is superfine and his router is capable of high wifi speed), --We've been banished to his shed where the computer is - because the women want to do something else !!!!.

Note - normal sharing works but is a bit of an abysmal failure since I can only get about 500 Kbs -not Mbs !!!!!) from his wifi card on the desktop so normal sharing is TOO slow. The data won't get delivered to the laptops wifi fast enough to watch the movies without re-buffering every few secs - especially if it's 1080p with subtitles that usually need transcoding on the fly).