Network not communicating!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chad
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Chad

Hi everybody. I have tried to set up a home network with
my desktop (Win XP) and laptop (Win 2000). I'm doing this
through a simple ethernet card and crossover cable between
both. I've been through the network setup wizard with no
problem. I made a floppy to install it on my laptop and
it gives me an error saying only windows 98, ME, 2000,
etc. can run this. However, by that time, my laptop
obtained an internet connection through the desktop
computer which is hooked up to a cable modem. After a
little bit of configuring, I had everything working,
computers communicating.

Now, give the computers about 10 or 15 minutes, and they
can no longer access each other. When I unplug the cable
and plug it back in, or when I reboot, the computers
communicate once again. But without fail, they will quit
after about 15 minutes. Could this have anything to do
with me not being able to run the network configuration
disk on the lap top??? How come it wouldn't allow me to
run it anyway? Any other ideas?
 
Chad,

I know you are looking for configuration help with this, but configuring ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) on a peer-to-peer network is going to give you a headache (if it hasn't already). Your best bet to make it easy, buy a cable/dsl router (they can be had for under $60), set up a workgroup, and use standard pass-through patch cables.

You'll be up and running in no time, and if something happens to your desktop, your laptop will still have internet access.
 
I appreciate the reply to this. Let me ask this... if I
go ahead by a cable router, won't the internet provider
charge me extra then?
-----Original Message-----
Chad,

I know you are looking for configuration help with this,
Click to expand...
but configuring ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) on a
peer-to-peer network is going to give you a headache (if
it hasn't already). Your best bet to make it easy, buy a
cable/dsl router (they can be had for under $60), set up a
workgroup, and use standard pass-through patch cables.
You'll be up and running in no time, and if something
Click to expand...
happens to your desktop, your laptop will still have
internet access.
 
I appreciate the reply to this. Let me ask this... if I
go ahead by a cable router, won't the internet provider
charge me extra then?
Click to expand...

If you use NAT, no. Your computer will use private IP
addresses (192.168.*.* or similar), and the router will
be the thing that has the only address your ISP sees.
This also protects your computers in a small way because
you can't get to them from the internet directly. If you
depend on that capability, you'll have to jump through a
few hoops (port forwarding).
 
Now, I actually have the network working. Both computers
can communicate (somewhat) with each other. I can share
files and whatnot. However, the internet on the other
computer still doesn't work. I've been through
configuration of ICS and all that with no luck. Now when
I first did all this, mind you, the internet connection on
the other computer was more than automatic... in other
words, I got it by just hooking up the cat5 cable. Now I
can't, for the life of me, even get the internet on it. I
will get a cable router if that's what it takes, but at
this moment, and for the next few days, I don't have time
to go get it and I'm just seeing if I can work out the
problem in the mean time.
 
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