Can I link 10/100BaseT (RJ45) based systems together without a hub?
You can link 2 machines, but no more than that, without extra devices/gizmos, by using a crossover cable. Some newer fancy autonegotiaton cards may not work on a crossover cable though. And no, you can’t hack together a hub just by crossing a few wires and stuff. It’s pretty much impossible to do the collision signal right without duplicating a hub.