I have a laptop that used to be connected to the internet, but after a recent Windows install and some time spent optimizing, I realized how much leaner and faster that machine is when I don't install any connectivity functions and disable the wireless adapter. The computer was built as a music production tool and I have enough invested in the machine and periferals that I want to leave it dedicated to that.

I don't like having firewall and anti-virus software running all the time, so I scan my external drives on another computer before connecting them to my laptop so I am reasonably sure it is safe and clean without extra stuff running all the time. If nothing can connect to it, it would be hard to get a virus, right?

So here's my question: plugging and unplugging external drives is time consuming and annoying when the other computers I/O is all in the back, so I'd like to connect the two computers directly. The internet capable machine connects to a wireless hub, has a firewall running, and anti-virus software that's updated daily without exception. Since it's wireless, the ethernet port is open... is it safe to connect my lappy to the on-line computer and network them, so I can share files more efficiently between the two machines? Since it won't be connected directly to the hub, I don't think it would be at risk, but I don't know too much about this. If I connected them, could an external attacker hit the laptop by way of the other computer, since there's really no defense software running on the laptop?

Thanks for any info,

C