Final answer:
To transfer data between two laptops directly without a hub or switch, a crossover Ethernet cable should be used.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option 'crossover'
Step-by-step explanation:
An Ethernet crossover cable is a crossover cable for Ethernet used to connect computing devices together directly. It is most often used to connect two devices of the same type, e.g. two computers (via their network interface controllers) or two switches to each other.
If you need to transfer data from one laptop to another without a hub or switch, you should use a crossover Ethernet cable. This type of cable is designed to connect two similar devices directly, such as laptop-to-laptop or PC-to-PC, by crossing over the transmit and receive wires within the cable which allows for direct communication between the devices.
In contrast, a straight-through cable is used for connecting different devices, such as a computer to a switch or hub, and a rollover cable is typically used to connect to a device's console port. A loopback cable is used for testing network cards by sending signals back into the same device.