ICS; Wireless Host with Dialup Internet

[Tort]

I have a wireless host computer connected to the internet by high-
speed dialup (Sprint). I want the other comptuers (1 wireless, other
wired) to share the internet connection. All use XP.

From the wireless host, I implemented ICS. It reconfigured the IP

address to 192.168.0.1 and gateway 255.255.255.0. From the wired
client, I set up the internet service as using another computer's
internet, and the TCP/IP settings were set to automatic. The computer
informed me that it had discovered a new residential gateway called
"Internet Connection." But I can't browse the internet. Also, looking
at the status of the "Internet Connection" from the host, the packets
are small and are not changing. Further, the TCP/IP settings picked by
DNS are 192.168.1.1. And, no, you can't ping the 192.168.0.1. host
from the client. So I'm not sure how the auto settings are supposed to
work.

I manually configured the DNS on the client to be 192.168.0.2. Now the
comptuers could ping each other, and the gateway changed to "Sprint on
Acer Notebook" (the host). The packets were much higher (looked
legit), but I still can't connect to the internet from the client.

What am I doing wrong? Does the wireless need to network cards to be
bridged (one on 192.168.1 .x and the other on 192.168.0.1)?

Is there a way to use a wireless host connected to highspeed dialup
for ICS with a wired/wireless network?

 

[Lem]

I have a wireless host computer connected to the internet by high-
speed dialup (Sprint). I want the other comptuers (1 wireless, other
wired) to share the internet connection. All use XP.

address to 192.168.0.1 and gateway 255.255.255.0. From the wired
client, I set up the internet service as using another computer's
internet, and the TCP/IP settings were set to automatic. The computer
informed me that it had discovered a new residential gateway called
"Internet Connection." But I can't browse the internet. Also, looking
at the status of the "Internet Connection" from the host, the packets
are small and are not changing. Further, the TCP/IP settings picked by
DNS are 192.168.1.1. And, no, you can't ping the 192.168.0.1. host
from the client. So I'm not sure how the auto settings are supposed to
work.

I manually configured the DNS on the client to be 192.168.0.2. Now the
comptuers could ping each other, and the gateway changed to "Sprint on
Acer Notebook" (the host). The packets were much higher (looked
legit), but I still can't connect to the internet from the client.

What am I doing wrong? Does the wireless need to network cards to be
bridged (one on 192.168.1 .x and the other on 192.168.0.1)?

Is there a way to use a wireless host connected to highspeed dialup
for ICS with a wired/wireless network?

You can do what you want, but it's a little more complicated than the
usual ICS setup. ICS will be set up on the dial-up connection. And,
yes, you will want to bridge the wired NIC and the wireless NIC in the
"wireless host computer." See
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

Also note the following KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309640/en-us
Create the bridge first, then activate ICS on the dial-up connection.

 

[Tort]

First, thanks so much for a prompt response.

I'm not following you on bridging. Since the wireless host has a
disconnected LAN port, a connected wireless LAN port and a connected
USB port to the Sprint dialup modem, what would I bridge?

I turned off the firewall on the wireless host and I now have
connection with the following settings:

Wireless Host:
*Sprint broadband dialup modem connected
*Wired LAN - not connected (and it can't be)
*Wireless LAN - fixed IP
---IP 192.168.0.1
---Subnet: 255.255.255.0
---Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (necessary?)
---DNS: none selected

Wired Client
*Wired LAN
---IP 192.168.0.4
---Subnet: 255.255.255.0
---Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (necessary?)
---DNS: 192.168.0.1 (no alternate...necessary?)

So this works. But again, no firewall. Why does it work without a
bridge? How would I bridge the wireless host? Using the above settings
(which work, not sure all are necessary, e.g., default gateway), what
would I need to change in the firewall to allow it to be on and not
block the client from connecting to the host?

Thanks so much.

Tort

 

[Lem]

First, thanks so much for a prompt response.

I'm not following you on bridging. Since the wireless host has a
disconnected LAN port, a connected wireless LAN port and a connected
USB port to the Sprint dialup modem, what would I bridge?

I turned off the firewall on the wireless host and I now have
connection with the following settings:

Wireless Host:
*Sprint broadband dialup modem connected
*Wired LAN - not connected (and it can't be)
*Wireless LAN - fixed IP
---IP 192.168.0.1
---Subnet: 255.255.255.0
---Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (necessary?)
---DNS: none selected

Wired Client
*Wired LAN
---IP 192.168.0.4
---Subnet: 255.255.255.0
---Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1 (necessary?)
---DNS: 192.168.0.1 (no alternate...necessary?)

So this works. But again, no firewall. Why does it work without a
bridge? How would I bridge the wireless host? Using the above settings
(which work, not sure all are necessary, e.g., default gateway), what
would I need to change in the firewall to allow it to be on and not
block the client from connecting to the host?

Thanks so much.

Tort

You can do what you want, but it's a little more complicated than the
usual ICS setup. ICS will be set up on the dial-up connection. And,
yes, you will want to bridge the wired NIC and the wireless NIC in the
"wireless host computer." Seehttp://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

Also note the following KB article:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309640/en-us
Create the bridge first, then activate ICS on the dial-up connection.

I'm confused. Do you have 2 computers or 3?

It sounds to me as if you have 3:

Computer A: Your "wireless host." This computer has a USB wireless
broadband adapter; it has a "wired LAN" that "can't be connected" (why
not?); and it has a "wireless LAN."

Computer B: Your "wired client." What is this wired to if not computer A?

Computer C: A "wireless client" that I assume you want to connect to
the "wireless LAN" on computer A.

If I've totally misunderstood your setup, please correct me and we'll go
from there.

 

[Tort]

I'm only addressing two computers. Also not mentioned is a wired/
wireless router.

You correctly describe the wireless host. It cannot be connected by
wire to the router due to the lack of a wired connection to it's
present location. The present location cannot change because it's the
only consistent location in a house (way out in the sticks) where the
Sprint signal is strong enough via a Sprint antenna. So basically, the
Sprint phone has to be in one part of the house where there isn't an
internet cable. That's fine, since a notebook computer can be setup
there and wirelessly connect to the network.

So that notebook, with the Sprint phone, has a broadband connection.
Works great. Problem was that the rest of the network (including a
media center and Xbox) need an internet connection as well, but we
can't move all the equipment over to where the Sprint phone is.

The wired client is connected to the router (along with an Xbox, a
media center PC and another wireless desktop...all of which I left out
to keep it simple). For our purposes, let's ignore the other wired
computer.

In short, you have this:


Router-----(2 feet)--------------Wired Client (server)
:
:
50 feet)
:
:
Wireless Host (notebook)---------(1 foot)----------Sprint Phone (can't
be moved)

 

[Lem]

I'm only addressing two computers. Also not mentioned is a wired/
wireless router.

You correctly describe the wireless host. It cannot be connected by
wire to the router due to the lack of a wired connection to it's
present location. The present location cannot change because it's the
only consistent location in a house (way out in the sticks) where the
Sprint signal is strong enough via a Sprint antenna. So basically, the
Sprint phone has to be in one part of the house where there isn't an
internet cable. That's fine, since a notebook computer can be setup
there and wirelessly connect to the network.

So that notebook, with the Sprint phone, has a broadband connection.
Works great. Problem was that the rest of the network (including a
media center and Xbox) need an internet connection as well, but we
can't move all the equipment over to where the Sprint phone is.

The wired client is connected to the router (along with an Xbox, a
media center PC and another wireless desktop...all of which I left out
to keep it simple). For our purposes, let's ignore the other wired
computer.

In short, you have this:


Router-----(2 feet)--------------Wired Client (server)
:
:
50 feet)
:
:
Wireless Host (notebook)---------(1 foot)----------Sprint Phone (can't
be moved)

OK.

If I understand your post from 1/31, you are successful in accessing the
Internet from both the wired client and the wireless host (and, I
assume, from all of the other computers connected via wire or wireless
to the router -- now that I understand your setup). The only issue now
is the lack of firewall.

Right?

As near as I understand things, here is what is going on.

When you implemented ICS on "wireless host," that automatically set the
wireless NIC in that computer to have an IP address of 192.168.0.1.
That is your "Default Gateway" (yes, necessary) and your DNS server
(actually, ICS translates a DNS request to reach Sprint's DNS server; if
you want, you can set the alternate DNS server to whatever the value is
as shown when you look at the ipconfig /all info for your Sprint
connection, but this is not necessary).

In order for the computers to communicate, they have to be on the same
subnet. This means that they all have to have IP addresses of the form
192.168.0.x. Normally, ICS would automatically assign such addresses.
The problem you initially had is that there ALSO is a DHCP server in
your wireless router, that had assigned your "wired client" an IP
address of 192.168.1.x. In this configuration, you should turn off the
DHCP server in the router from its web configuration pages. You
accomplished much the same thing by assigning a static IP address of
192.168.0.4 to your wired client.

However, because your router initially assigned "wired client" an IP of
192.168.1.x, that means the router's own IP address is 192.168.1.1. Now
that you have changed "wired client's" IP to 192.168.0.4, you probably
can't reach the router's configuration pages to change anything.
Temporarily change "wired client" back to 192.168.1.x, then change the
router's LAN IP address to another 192.168.0.x address. Then change
"wired client" back. Alternatively, now that you have turned off the
router's DHCP server, you can leave "wired client" set at "obtain an IP
address automatically" and it should get one from the DHCP Allocator
component of ICS running on your wireless client."

Assuming things are now working, go back to the "wireless client" and on
the Sprint adapter, activate windows firewall. Does it block Internet
access now?