Internet Connection Sharing with WinXP

Recently I got DSL service turned on at my house. It's much better than the DSL I had two years ago, and it seems a bit faster than the Roadrunner cable I had a year ago. Now, at any given time there are 2-3 computers in my house, so I want to share the DSL with everyone. I've tried using the 'Internet Connection Sharing' that comes with Windows, but it doesn't work AT ALL, it seems. Every time I set it up, I cannot browse the internet from the client computer. Or, sometimes, I cannot browse from the host, but I can browse the internet from the client computer. Or, even more oddly, I can browse the internet from the client, but I cant use any instant messaging programs (AIM, ICQ) from that computer, but I can with the host. I've tried setting gateways, dns servers, manual IP's, but it doesn't work.

IT IS SOME SERIOUSLY CONFUSING BULLSHIT AND I NEED HELP.

The network is connected a bit like this:

DSL Modem --> Suzie (Host Computer) --> 3Com Hub --> Smallpox (Client Computer)

I'd appreciate any help that I can get.

The only way I have seen it done was with an internet connection directly into a router. I know that getting it done was a lot of trouble with a hub.
I don't know much about networking anyway, mayber there is some way it can be done with a hub. It seems to be very picky about working, and when it did work, it wouldn't stay up too long.

,

Internet Connection Sharing is not for routers. It is for hubs/switches. For routers, you shouldn't need any Windows connection sharing. It should be a straight-up individual connection for all computers involved. Internet Connection Sharing in XP is, for example, when multiple computers on a network connect to the Internet through a single dial-up connection on one computer. This is actually what we have at our home. (Although I'm using a T1 right now through a router.)

Tobe doesn't have a router. Did you read his post?

Anyways, I have three computers that have to access the Internet. The linkage looks something like this:

Router ->Ethernet-> My main computer
          \
            ->Ethernet-> My other computer ->Phoneline networking-> My brother's computer

As you can probably figure out, I had to use Windows 2000's Internet connection sharing on my other computer. All I did was go into the Sharing tab of the properties for the Ethernet connection and enable sharing. His computer is set up to automatically obtain an IP address from my other computer, because it acts as a DHCP server on the Phone Line network. I had to disable my firewall and his to get it to keep working, though.

DSL Modem --> Suzie (Host Computer) --> 3Com Hub --> Smallpox (Client Computer)

On the host computer, go into the properties of the DSL connection and enable Internet Connection Sharing.

If you go into the TCP/IP settings of the host's network card, you should find that the IP is set to 192.168.0.1.

On each of the client pc's, set tcp/ip to 'Obtain an IP address automatically'

Make sure the dsl connection is running on the host machine.

Reboot the clients and check if they have picked up an IP address, you will notice the Gateway is set to your host's ip. Also try to ping the host machine.

If you can't get them to pick up an address, try manually setting the ip's and then try pinging them (Using the 192.168.0.x range)

Make sure you are not running any firewall software (Like the free version of ZoneAlarm) - trouble with this is that it leaves the Host open on the net.

DSL
|
Host (192.168.0.1)
|
Hub-----------------------
|                        |
Client                 Client 
(192.168.0.5)       (192.168.0.15)

Planky said:

If you go into the TCP/IP settings of the host's network card, you should find that the IP is set to 192.168.0.1.

Tis not. I forgot to mention that I have TWO nics in the host, one connected to the DSL modem and one connected to the hub. The Modem ip is 192.168.0.1, but neither the host or client is in the 192.168.0.x range at all when set to 'Obtain an IP address automatically'. I tried setting the client's gateway to the host computer's ip anyway but that didn't work :/

modem>router>upstaris hub>main system
|
dad's PC and X-Box

i am not really a networking guru. but you need a router to share the connection, after the router you can use anything you want. i recomend useing the wired for your desktop systems, wireless is for laptops. however if you totaly hate wires go for the wireless. i dont really recomend those 'house' outlet plugs or phone line adapters. too slow or possible dangerous, in the case of the wall outlet adapters.

a basic router is like $30. i recomend a D-Link or linksys. however aviod Linksys modle BEFW11S4, i have had horrible luck with and i have heard it is common. the WRT54G is a good one as is the basic modle with no wireless.

Heres the way i got it.....

computer with modem--->ethernet switch--->other computers

the computer with the modem on it needs to be configured in network properties to be the comp that connects directly to internet, all other computers set up as connecting to comp with internet. all should have same workgroup name.

Tobester said:

I forgot to mention that I have TWO nics in the host, one connected to the DSL modem and one connected to the hub.

Make sure you only enable the sharing on the NIC that is connected to the DSL modem. Don't turn it on for the NIC connected to the hub.

3 comps here and it works.

IF your DSL looks like a little device with blinking lights, it's own 12v/9v transformer, and connected to both one of the phone lines and your network card, do this :

Connect the dsl modem to the hub. They might've given you a short net cable to connect the modem to the PC. This is a crossed cable, so if you're planning on using it, it'll only work when connected in the right hub slot (ussually the first, should be marked as UPLINK).

Install RASPPPPOE

http://www.raspppoe.com/

XP's ICS doesn't really work well when it comes to secure transfers, permissions and instant messaging. Also known as the Internet.

Follow the RASPPPOE instructions carefully, it comes with some odd frontend for you to configure the DSL connection, but it works like a charm.

Set your server's ip as 192.168.0.1 in the Local Area Connection properties (internet protocol TCP/IP item) and make your other comps' ips 192.168.0.xxx

Also, in the client computers, set both Gateway and DNS Server as 192.168.0.1

I'm assuming they're all in the same workgroup.

Then share the broadband connection made by RASPPPOE's frontend, it'll have some stupid name like RSCS2475 or whatever, depends on the manufacturer of your dsl modem.

You might want to disable the firewall and install a real app yourself.

Sephiroth said:

...but you need a router to share the connection...

No you don't. ICS works fine with DSL modems, it just can be a bitch to set up :/

Okay, it took a lot of self-mutilation, but I got it to work.
What i did, is instead of manually setting the ip's to 192.168.0.x, which didn't work, I set the client ip to obtain automatically. I wrote down the ip assigned, then I set it manually, making sure to set the host ip as the gateway. It works like a fucking charm :D

Thanks for all your help guys, for I have learned a valuable lesson: Microsoft is homosexual.