:
: I've followed that KB article to the letter.
: I still cannot figure out how to use my laptop (for
: example) to get online via the Internet Connection on my
: Desktop. I would have thought it would become a choice
: under Tools/Options/Connection in IE, but not.
:
: Do I set up another IC of some sort?
Here is the idea.
The desktop, in your setup, connects some way to the Internet, either
through a NIC to a xDSL/cable modem or through dialup. Some will point out
that I didn't mention a NAT router and that is because if you had a NAT
router, you wouldn't need to use ICS. (O:= The desktop is going to be your
NAT router.
Let's assume the first scenario, that you have a NIC, in the desktop,
connected to the xDSL/cable modem. The IP address of that NIC is going to
be a public address assigned by your provider (ISP).
How do you know what that IP address is? Really, it doesn't matter but you
can find out with: ipconfig /all
Your NIC will have an associated name and it will be displayed with any
other interfaces you have and their setups. If you can surf the net with
the desktop, then, so far, so good.
To allow other computers to surf the net, via your desktop, you will have to
have a way to connect to them. This will involve another NIC. So, now you
should have two(2) NICs in the desktop. One, the primary connects to the
Internet. The second will be used as a router for the other computers on
your SOHO network.
The article suggests at this point renaming the 2nd NIC to The Internet
Connection. You can call it whatever you want but ICS seems appropriate.
You then have to verify that Client for Microsoft Networks and TCP/IP are
displayed. Next you will verify/set 'obtain an IP address automatically'
and 'obtain DNS server address automatically'. Then click the advanced
button and verify that IP settings, DNS and WINS fields are all empty. The
reason they need to be empty is because ICS will provide these
automatically. Save all your changes when exiting by clicking OK.
What the article leaves out is what to do with the other computers that are
not connected to the Internet. Obviously if you need to connect via ICS and
it has a NIC, you now need 1 of 3 things, depending on the NIC and if there
is any interconnectivity hardware available. I'll cover that in a second.
1. If using a 'hard-wired' NIC in the desktop for ICS, then you could use a
x-connect (cross-connect) cable to connect one(1) computer that also has a
'hard-wired' NIC in it. The x-connect cable uses pins 1, 2, 3 and switches
T+,R+,T-,R- (t=transmit, r=receive, +=positive, -=negative) on one end, or
easier to remember, but not required, is switch 1 with 3 and 2 with 6
((T+/T-)(R+/R-)). A shared/switched hub's ports are always x-connected.
That is why you use a straight-thru patch cable. This has the same effect
as using a x-connect cable directly to another NIC in a computer and why you
have to use a x-connect cable is a hub is not in the equation.
2. You can use a shared/switched hub to connect the two. If you don't have
a router, then do not connect the NIC in the desktop that is connected to
the xDSL/cable modem to it, only the ICS NIC in the desktop and any other
computers that need access to the Internet. While it may work to connect
everything, including the modem, to the hub, with a cable modem it may fail.
RoadRunner does not do typical DHCP. They search for a MAC (Media Access
Controller - not MACintosh) address and assign the first one they see with
the IP address. It this is your hub, then you will not get connected to the
net.
3. If the 2nd NIC in the desktop is a wireless NIC, you can setup a wireless
peer-peer connection to one other wireless NIC in another computer or any
other wireless capable device. If the wireless NIC in the desktop can be
setup as an AP (Access Point) then multiple computers can connect wirelessly
via the desktop to the Internet.
To connect your laptop, using one of the methods above (depending on your
hardware), you must have Client for Microsoft Networks and TCP/IP
installed/enabled. Set the TCP/IP properties to obtain the address
automatically and get its DNS info automatically. The ICS will assign an IP
address to the laptop automatically in the 192.168.x.x network range. The
ICS NIC in the desktop will be assigned 192.168.1.1 or 0.1, I forget which,
but you can verify what it is with: ipconfig /all.
The desktop must be up and running before the laptop is turned on so it can
provide addressing to the laptop. Once the laptop is up and running, you
could check the address with: ipconfig /all. Then you could try to ping the
desktop with: ping ipaddress where ipaddress = the IP address assigned to
the ICS NIC in the desktop.
If you do not have the appropriate IP address on the laptop, then there is
an issue. First check that the ICS NIC in the desktop has the appropriate
IP address, if not, then there is a config issue here or a hardware/driver
failure with the ICS NIC. If it is correct, then there is an issue between
the desktop and the laptop and it is hardware/driver or config related.
If you cannot get it connected then provide: ipconfig /all for both machines
and post back here.
HTH...
--
Roland
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