Internet sharing network problem

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  18 years ago

  by Heinrich

  Roger

  Kent, England, United Kingdom

  Joined 18 years ago

  Greetings!
  

  
  Friends of mine have two PCs, and a Telewest Broadband internet connection. Originally, one of the PCs was online using a network card (LAN type connection). They are now trying to create a "network" to allow both PCs to be online simultaneously but to no avail.
  

  
  PC World sold them a network kit which comprises two Network Interface Cards (NIC), a length of cable and driver software. The cost was £30. The trouble started when they opened the PC which was online and found there were no free PCI slots!
  

  
  Nevertheless, they installed one of the NICs on the other PC and went back to PC World to be given a USB-Ethernet adaptor!
  

  
  Back home, they connected the second (not online) PC to the first (original online) PC using this cable from the USB port of the first PC to the NIC in the second PC. Upon comparing IP addresses of both PCs, they discovered these were identical (which leads me to think that there is a connection there). Despite this, when they try to run Internet Explorer on the second PC, it merely gives them an error message "No connection to the internet is currently available". They have set the internet options for the second PC to be the same as those for the first, paying attention to the fact that the connection will be a LAN connection.
  

  
  So, in summary, they are attempting to form a network where their first PC is a server and the second is a slave, but they cannot surf from the second PC. I mentioned during the phone call that they would probably be better off using a Router/Switch to share the connection between the PCs (and it would allow either PC to be switched on, without the need for a "server").
  

  
  Also, someone at work mentioned to me that you can get cheap 2-port hub type things that can be used to allow internet connection sharing. Is this a viable option as well?
  

  
  I'm desperate for a solution, and all help and comments will be very gratefully received.
  

  
  Heinrich.

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  18 years ago

  by Smile005

  Marc Pritchard

  Sunny Wales, UK, United States

  Joined 19 years ago

  I have a similar system in my home. I have one computer that connects to the internet and it's also networked to my other computer. I know for fact that the computers will need different IP address' but the same subnet mask and also the same protocalls (+ the internet ones for the online computer) Then you should need to use a proxy server (try searching for proxy plus as thats good) and install it on the online computer. I believe that proxies work with Broadband. Firstly though, try getting the computers to recognise each other.
  

  
  As for a router, I doubt that 2 port hubs exist, and even more that you can get a hub with net connection cheaply (unless prices have fallen since i wrote this ). I agree that a router with net connection would be better, but im not sure how much they are or how easy they would be to set up (extra software, connecting, getting to work etc)
  

  
  Hope it helps!

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  18 years ago

  by Rollershade

  Colin Harman MACITP

  West Sussex, England, Australia

  Joined 19 years ago

  hi, ive had very little experiance with networking, but i thought its time i networked the 2 pcs in the loft and shared the internet, heres how mine was done, main server was connected to bt by the usb port. i then went and got  a belkin kit, aka this, doh coudnt find the damm package, ohh well i had 2 nic cards, cables, and a 5 port network switch. i got back, installed both cards, and u know the best part, XP!!!!!! YEP IT SAID IT HAD FOUND EVERYTHING and i said yep make internet sharing ok, and printer, and well im sharing connection, simple ay! xp yay, so install that
  

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  18 years ago

  by Jon_Williamson

  Jon Williamson

  Texas, United States

  Joined 18 years ago

  If they are both Windows computers then you can use Internet Connection Sharing to accomplish what you want. This is Microsoft's name for NAT (network address translation) and is available in Win98SE and higher. Basically you will go through the wizard on the computer that is connected to the Internet and it will set that computer's IP to 192.168.0.1. This computer will act as a DHCP server for other computers on the LAN, so you won't specify IP addresses for them. The only protocols you will need to install will be TCP/IP and Microsoft Client for Networking. Once you get the "server" setup with the wizard you will need to either reboot the other computers on the network or use WinIPConfig for Win9x and click on the renew button or "IPConfig /renew" for WinNT/2k/XP. This will get the new IP address from the DHCP server and set the default gateway and other settings for the client computers.
  

  
  Otherwise you will want to use a switch or router that offers DHCP and Internet sharing.
  

  
  You can find more information about setting up a basic network and sharing Internet connections at:
  http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/sharing.htm
  http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/ics

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