# Solved: Internet Connection Sharing Help (Vista to XP)



## Jenesis87 (Sep 9, 2007)

Having solved my previous problem and created a network linking my Vista PC and my XP laptop, I now have a new one. How to create Internet Connection Sharing?

*Setup*

- My PC runs Vista Ultimate. It is connected via an Ethernet cable to the home router, and thus to the Internet. It has two Ethernet ports (one is used for the router, and the other is connected to the laptop) and a wireless adapter, which is disabled.

- My laptop runs XP Home SP2. It is not connected to the router as there are not enough ports on the router to connect both the laptop and PC to it. It has only one Ethernet port (which is connected to the PC). It has a wireless adapter, which is also disabled.

- The two machines are linked via a second Ethernet cable. They share files, can ping each other and have static IP addresses.

*Help*

I guess my question is: Is it even possible to share my PC's internet connection with the laptop? I have tried enabling ICS in the Network Connections panel but I get:


> An error has occurred while Internet Connection Sharing was being enabled.


 There is no further explanation or error number.

Ideally I'd like to leave the wireless adapters in both machines disabled, but if I have to I will use them for ICS.

How do I share my internet connection in this setup and with this error?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Your home router is a modem/router combo with only one ethernet port? A better solution is to get a small ethernet switch.

My guess is that your router has LAN address 192.168.0.x. If you know this to be true, login to the router and change it to, say, 192.168.1.x (and, if necessary change the Dhcp server addresses to agree with the 192.168.1.x). You should then be able to enable ICS. The reason for this guess and solution proposal is that ICS uses 192.168.0.1 on the secondary NIC.

If you don't know the router LAN address, or it is not as guessed, ...

Start, Run, CMD, OK to open a command prompt:

Type the following command:

*IPCONFIG /ALL*

Right click in the command window and choose *Select All*, then hit *Enter*.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.


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## Jenesis87 (Sep 9, 2007)

Sorry, I should have been more clear about the router. The router is a four-port Ethernet one, and I can't plug the laptop into it because it already has four machines plugged into it, including this one. I'm not allowed to unplug an existing machine, get a switch or change the router in any way (it's a family one).

The router LAN is 192.168.0.1 and although I can log into the router, I'm not allowed to change any settings, because my dad needs the address to be 192.168.0.1 so he can access his work network through a very complicated connection program that he can't change either.

Can I not use ICS at all then?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

If you can't change the router in any way, I guess you're stuck with no Internet access.

What's to stop you from connecting a switch on your end of the Ethernet cable to split the connection for the two machines? You won't change anything about the router, or it's connections. You'll logically be doing the same as using ICS, only in a much smarter way. This will not affect anything about the router's operation or your dad's VPN connection.

If you can't do that, you'll have to live with swapping the laptop and desktop to the router for access.


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## Jenesis87 (Sep 9, 2007)

That is an excellent suggestion, thank you  are Ethernet switches expensive?

PS. I love your avatar...


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Ethernet switches are dirt cheap, $10-15 will get you a basic 4 port switch, which is all you need. How about $7.99 + $5 shipping? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166006 Of course, you'll need an extra CAT5 patch cable to connect the two machines...

PS. I need the sniper cat to pick off the SPAMMERS here.


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## Jenesis87 (Sep 9, 2007)

No worries, I found an old switch in the office (and I'm in the UK anyway!). Thanks for the advice, will set it up later and post the results


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Should be a PnP experience, connect the wires and go. One thing to note. If the switch doesn't have auto-MDX ports or an uplink port, you may experience an issue connecting. The line from the router has to go to such a port or go through a crossover cable.


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## Jenesis87 (Sep 9, 2007)

Update: It worked fine using the old switch (a Q-Tec 5 port), both machines now have Internet access. I've also set the router to reserve IPs for all the computers attached to it to prevent any conflicts.

Thanks to all for the advice


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You're welcome.


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## turbomark (Oct 3, 2007)

Hello ,guys iv got a little prob too ,,it just like jenesis ,,,could some please take a look,as i can't get this to work and im pulling out hair as I typ this....im new to vista but been around computers for 10 years..and I work as a pc tech  dont tell my boss. here is a look at ip config...thanks in advance

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Turbo-vista>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Turbo-vista1234
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : MSHOME

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : MSHOME
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Instant Wireless USB Network Adapter ver.
2.6
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-41-0A-A8-14
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::6107:e55f:b748:d9da%11(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.7(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, October 03, 2007 1:37:41 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, November 09, 2143 9:06:59 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 234884161
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
192.168.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter turbo lan:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-10-DC-FB-D4-D5
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::89f3:b072:9ece:cacc%8(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::89f3:b072:9ece:cacc%8
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.0.1%10(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::89f3:b072:9ece:cacc%8
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4136:e38a:184a:7de:3f57:fdf8(Prefe
rred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::184a:7de:3f57:fdf8%9(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : MSHOME
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.2.7%12(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
192.168.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 10:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\Turbo-vista>


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