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"Networking Two Computers."

Just bought Broadband, and I want to make two computers into a network so they can both be connected. How do I do this? Do I need Ethernet cards in both? Do I need a wire? How much is a reasonable price to pay for these?

I think the computer just hates me. I tried to re-check the box, but when I pressed ok, it said:

An error occured while Internetr Connection Sharing was being enabled.
The service cannot accept control messages at this time.

It didn't work. It stopped my internet from working downstairs. So, I unchecked the box. And anyway, when I checked it, it didn't ask me whther it was ok or not to change the address to 192.168.0.1 or whatever.

Hrm. I always remembered that you shared the internet connection, not the internal network connection.

Try it. If it doesn't work you can always undo it.

But when I do the same on the connection representing the Realtek card, it says Internet Connection Sharing, with a checkbox saying

Allow other network users to connect through this computers Internet connection. Should I check this box?

Miserableman wrote:

> Right-click on the connection representing the USB Cable Modem and
> select properties. From memory, you should see a dialog box that
> doesn't look dissimilar to the one on Windows 98. There should be an
> Advanced tab, move to it. On this page on the dialog box, you should
> hopefully see a check-box option to share the internet connection.

Nope. There's only stuff about an Internet connection Firewall.

Sdrawkcab wrote:
> Yes, all present and correct. I see two connections, one for the
> internet, connected by a USB Cable Modem at 10mbps, and one for the
> Network, connected by a Realtek PCI card, at 100mbps.


Ettulente, we're nearly there. Bear with me on this, I don't have Windows XP to hand until about 9pm tonight.

Right-click on the connection representing the USB Cable Modem and select properties. From memory, you should see a dialog box that doesn't look dissimilar to the one on Windows 98. There should be an Advanced tab, move to it. On this page on the dialog box, you should hopefully see a check-box option to share the internet connection. Check it, and hit okay. Your computer may think for a bit, this is normal (it has to restart some internal services). If it pops up a lengthy message asking you whether it's okay to change the ip address of the internal network connection to 192.168.0.1, the answer is an emphatic YES.

Note you may see an option to enable Windows XP's firewall. Don't enable it at this time, although in the future it might be a good idea. The first thing you do when you can't get two computers talking to each other is blame the firewall, so make sure the connection sharing is working before you enable it!

If Windows XP changed the ip address of the network card to 192.168.0.1, then run upstairs and test whether internet sharing is working (assuming you've already implemented the changes on the Win98 machine I detailed a few posts ago). If it isn't working, or if Windows XP didn't ask to change the ip address, do this:


From the Network Connections window, right-click->properties on the connection representing your Realtek card. You should see a list of protocols and bits and pieces, select TCP/IP and hit properties. In the next dialog box (don't worry if you're sweating by now, heh) you should be able to change the ip address manually. The ip address you want is 192.168.0.1, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 (default gateway/DNS server leave blank.


If that STILL isn't working, do Start->run->ipconfig on each machine as before, and write down the results.

*waits impatiently*

For the downstairs computer, The second one.

Miserableman wrote:
> *You have one network card in your PC downstairs doing nilch. A USB
> cable connects the PC to the NTL box, which provides the internet.


> In either scenario, if you right-click on My Network Places and select
> properties you should see the Network Connections dialog, which
> contains TWO connections (one for the internal network, one for the
> internet).


> Is this all present and correct so far? If it isn't, there's no point
> in me typing a load of guff out..

Yes, all present and correct. I see two connections, one for the internet, connected by a USB Cable Modem at 10mbps, and one for the Network, connected by a Realtek PCI card, at 100mbps.

Sdrawkcab wrote:
> * What kind of broadband connection do you use?
> 1MB from ntl

You lucky barsteward...


Okay, am I right in assuming your hardware setup on the PC downstairs is one of the following:

*You have two network cards in your PC downstairs. A cable coming out of one connects to the back of the NTL box, while the other is doing nothing.

*You have one network card in your PC downstairs doing nilch. A USB cable connects the PC to the NTL box, which provides the internet.


In either scenario, if you right-click on My Network Places and select properties you should see the Network Connections dialog, which contains TWO connections (one for the internal network, one for the internet).

Is this all present and correct so far? If it isn't, there's no point in me typing a load of guff out..

Miserableman wrote:
>
> * What version of Windows is installed on the machine downstairs?
> Windows XP

> * What kind of broadband connection do you use?
> 1MB from ntl

> *Are you certain the network card you've installed in your PC
> downstairs to interface with the PC upstairs is installed correctly?
> If you go to device manager on your computer downstairs (right-click
> on My Computer->properties->hardware configuration->device
> manager (or similar)), do you see any devices marked with a yellow
> exclamation makr? If so, what?
> Nope, nothing.
>
> Do this to your computer upstairs:
>
> *Right-click on Network Neighbourhood, and hit properties
>
> * You probably have a list of protocols and stuff, three of which are
> TCP/IP. Two of these you don't need but won't really hurt your system
> if they stay. Select each one in turn and hit the Properties button,
> to find the one that has the ip address 192.168.0.2. When you have
> found it, select the Gateway tab in the dialog box. Enter the address
> 192.168.0.1 as a new gateway and Add it. Select the DNS configuration
> tab once you're done, and enter 192.168.0.1 as a DNS server in the
> same way you added the gateway.
> * Once you've done this, your machine upstairs is ready and raring to
> go on your home network. Your machine downstairs still needs a bit of
> cajoling though.