Internet sharing network problem

Greetings!

I have posted a similar thread here before, but this particular problem is driving me nuts:

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.

Dodge.

 

Okay... what OS are you using? Unless you are unning a server you need to enable internet connection sharing.

Here is a helpful website with almost step by step instructions on how to share your internet.

How to share your broadband connection

 

Hi Tap-Out,

Thanks for responding.

My friends are using Win98 2nd Ed on both PCs.

They are attempting to run a server (the first PC as mentioned in my original posting) but with a USB-Ethernet adapter to make connection from PC #1's USB port to PC #2's Network Interface Card which was installed the other day.

Thanks for the URL - I'll send it to them so they can have a look as well.

Dodge.

 

Won't work in that case. The PCs need similar but different IP addresses.

Assuming a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, addresses that are identical in the first 3 octets can see each other as long as the 4th octet values are different, not zero, and not 255.

For instance,
192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2 will play nicely together. Also 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.223. And lots of others.

The specific device (network card, router, whatever) that connects to the internet will be assigned an address by the ISP.

Internal (LAN) PCs cannot simply use another address similar to the ISP assigned one. So either one PC must act as host and have 2 network cards with one on the internet and getting the automatic address and the other being assigned a good local address in the same series as the other PC or else your friend will need a router/switch where the router connects to the internet and assigns local addresses to the other PCs (so only 1 network card in each PC).

The internal (LAN) addresses must use one of the three private (never internet assigned) address series though. The easiest/simplest is 192.168.x.x. Otherwise you might be accidentally be using an address already assigned to someone and that will cause problems and failures.

 

This thread has been continued by the owner of the system which I refer to.

Please go to this thread: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11755

Further help is required. My friend's nickname is vestal.

Dodge.

 

And a troubleshooting idea or two posted there.

Wish I'd known when I answered that one that more information was here. I know you put in a link but I was lazy or something and ignored it. Shame on me.

Anyway, we should be able to get him/her running in fairly short order. I was really dreading trying to troubleshoot network issues if TCP/IP wasn't running though. NetBeui and IPX are simple to set up but no features for finding the source of problems if they aren't working right. Whew.

 

Thanks for your assistance, Newt, especially in the other thread!

She phoned me and told me it was all working a couple of days ago. At some point, during an exercise with the device drivers (!), a driver had become "removed" by accident and she had simply reformatted the drive and reloaded Windows 98. Then, using knowledge gained from earlier trial-and-error, she managed to sort it all out.

Amazing how much you learn about Windows and all things related when you are banging your head against the brick wall!

Thanks again.

Dodge.

 

Dodge - I completely agree and have the bruises to match up with the areas I know best.