Debian Woody/Sid Hybrid & Windows - Low cost/Low end USB Network

Debian Woody/Sid Hybrid & Windows - Low cost/Low end USB Network

Is there a Linux/Windows compatable USB equivilent for W9x's Direct
Cable Connection?

Greetings, my advance apologies if this article is long or doesn't
belong here. If that is the case, please let me know so that I don't
make this mistake in the future.

I will attempt to be complete but brief. I have two systems, that runs
Debian, one (ugh) that runs Windows 98 SE. (I know, I know) I am only
able to use USB to connect them.

I recall that older versions of Windows (9x) had DCC that allowed a
makeshift "network" over a simple serial or parallel cable, and I newer
versions of Windows allow this in their "New Connection Wizard". I was
wondering if this is possible over standard USB A-Male to A-Male cables.
Is there is any other equipment, on which I can do this (preferably
which doesn't have to be bought over the internet)? (Apart from hooking
up two USB-to-Ethernet adapters with a 10/100 crossover cable...)

My research on the 'net seems to state that running a standard USB
A-Male to A-Male cable between the two pcs will short circuit them, is
this true? Any confirmation or further info on this topic would be
useful.

I wish to use the Linux machine as either a client or host via the USB
protocol, either to run TCP/IP on top of the cable, or to use the cable
as a ethernet-like device. Unfortunately, I can't get drivers larger
than 1.4 mb onto the Windows machine, because it's modem is broken.

Any information that you may have (even locations where I can "RTFM")
would be greatly appericiated, because I am new to this area of Linux
computing.

Thank you in advance.

Michael Chang