Problems with 'non-standard' ICS on XP machines.

[4wd]

Hello all, first off I have ICS working as follows:

1) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK1), ICS Host, dialup internet shared over
WLAN, workgroup is MSHOME, DHCP enabled, 192.168.0.1 static.
2) Laptop XP-Home SP2 (ACER), ICS client, DHCP assigned
3) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK2), ICS client, DHCP assigned

The above works fine, set up using the network wizard.

However, I want to use workgroup WORKGROUP - it didn't work.

I found out that even though I had specified WORKGROUP on all machines,
on DESK1 it made the WLAN adapter DESK1.mshome.net, (My
Computer->Properties->Computer Name shows WORKGROUP), needless to say,
it didn't work.

DESK1 also has two GBit and an IEEE1394a adapter. I want to bridge one
of the GBit adapters and the IEEE1394a and give them a static address.
As soon as I do it, ICS stops working.

Are there reasons why these problems should happen?

Is there a way toget what I want rather than what Windows wants?

TIA,
Dave

 

[Robert L [MS-MVP]]

first of all, you should not enable bridge on the ICS host.

can you ping each on the LAN? this step by step troubleshooting may help,

troubleshooting is not accessible error
Troubleshooting "... is not accessible" error step by step. When try to access
a remote computer, you may receive the following error messages: ...
http://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htm


Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
Hello all, first off I have ICS working as follows:

1) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK1), ICS Host, dialup internet shared over
WLAN, workgroup is MSHOME, DHCP enabled, 192.168.0.1 static.
2) Laptop XP-Home SP2 (ACER), ICS client, DHCP assigned
3) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK2), ICS client, DHCP assigned

The above works fine, set up using the network wizard.

However, I want to use workgroup WORKGROUP - it didn't work.

I found out that even though I had specified WORKGROUP on all machines,
on DESK1 it made the WLAN adapter DESK1.mshome.net, (My
Computer->Properties->Computer Name shows WORKGROUP), needless to say,
it didn't work.

DESK1 also has two GBit and an IEEE1394a adapter. I want to bridge one
of the GBit adapters and the IEEE1394a and give them a static address.
As soon as I do it, ICS stops working.

Are there reasons why these problems should happen?

Is there a way toget what I want rather than what Windows wants?

TIA,
Dave

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hello all, first off I have ICS working as follows:

1) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK1), ICS Host, dialup internet shared over
WLAN, workgroup is MSHOME, DHCP enabled, 192.168.0.1 static.
2) Laptop XP-Home SP2 (ACER), ICS client, DHCP assigned
3) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK2), ICS client, DHCP assigned

The above works fine, set up using the network wizard.

However, I want to use workgroup WORKGROUP - it didn't work.

I found out that even though I had specified WORKGROUP on all machines,
on DESK1 it made the WLAN adapter DESK1.mshome.net, (My
Computer->Properties->Computer Name shows WORKGROUP), needless to say,
it didn't work.

DESK1 also has two GBit and an IEEE1394a adapter. I want to bridge one
of the GBit adapters and the IEEE1394a and give them a static address.
As soon as I do it, ICS stops working.

Are there reasons why these problems should happen?

Is there a way toget what I want rather than what Windows wants?

TIA,
Dave

Internet access doesn't use workgroup names or computer names --
they're only used for file and printer sharing. Something else is
causing the problem.

Please reply to this message in the news group (not by E-mail) with
more information to help other people understand the problem:

What network adapter has the 192.168.0.1 address and shares the
Internet connection with ACER and DESK2? Is it one of the GBit
adapters, the IEEE1394a adapter, or a different one?

What static address did you give the network bridge?

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to bridge those connections?
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[4wd]

Internet access doesn't use workgroup names or computer names --
they're only used for file and printer sharing. Something else is
causing the problem.

Just seems strange that when I changed the workgroup name to what it
wanted everything suddenly worked.

I'll elaborate a little, I originally gave all machines
workgroup=WORKGROUP, (the group most often used at our LAN meetings).
File sharing and pinging worked between ACER and DESK2 but neither
could talk to DESK1, (the ICS host), however both obtained IPs from
it's DCHP server.
As soon as the workgroup was changed to MSHOME, (the default), file
sharing/pinging worked between all machines and ICS started working.

Also doesn't explain why, when I had told it to use
workgroup=WORKGROUP, it gave the ICS host adapter the name
DESK1.mshome.net, surely it should have given it DESK1.workgroup.net?

Please reply to this message in the news group (not by E-mail) with
more information to help other people understand the problem:

What network adapter has the 192.168.0.1 address and shares the
Internet connection with ACER and DESK2? Is it one of the GBit
adapters, the IEEE1394a adapter, or a different one?

Sorry, thought that was clear enough here:

1) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK1), ICS Host, dialup internet shared over
WLAN, workgroup is MSHOME, DHCP enabled, 192.168.0.1 static.

A USB WLAN adapter, (Netgear WG111), has the IP of 192.168.0.1 and
handles ICS traffic.

What static address did you give the network bridge?
192.168.0.244

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to bridge those connections?

At LAN meetings it's the easiest way to connect to those without GBit
adapter but have IEEE1394, (a lot faster than Fast Ethernet).

Thanks,
Dave

 

[4wd]

G'day Robert, ICS, file sharing and pinging work between all machines
ONLY if I accept the wizard default of MSHOME as the workgroup and
don't bridge connections which have seemingly nothing to do with ICS
hosting.

a) I _want_ to use workgroup=WORKGROUP

There should be no reason why I can't use WORKGROUP, (input on all
machines of course), but if I use it, ICS stops, (and the WLAN ends up
with a name of DESK1.mshome.net contrary to what was input).

b) I _want_ to bridge a GBit adapter and IEEE1394 adapter.

Neither of those adapters are used for anything normally, (LAN meetings
only), and if I bridge them and give them an IP of 192.168.0.244 ICS
stops.

ICS hosting is done from DESK1 to a dialup ISP and to the other
machines via a USB WLAN adapter. The IEEE1394 and two GBit adapters
are not used for ICS in any way.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Just seems strange that when I changed the workgroup name to what it
wanted everything suddenly worked.

I'll elaborate a little, I originally gave all machines
workgroup=WORKGROUP, (the group most often used at our LAN meetings).
File sharing and pinging worked between ACER and DESK2 but neither
could talk to DESK1, (the ICS host), however both obtained IPs from
it's DCHP server.
As soon as the workgroup was changed to MSHOME, (the default), file
sharing/pinging worked between all machines and ICS started working.

Also doesn't explain why, when I had told it to use
workgroup=WORKGROUP, it gave the ICS host adapter the name
DESK1.mshome.net, surely it should have given it DESK1.workgroup.net?


Sorry, thought that was clear enough here:

1) Desktop XP-Pro SP2 (DESK1), ICS Host, dialup internet shared over
WLAN, workgroup is MSHOME, DHCP enabled, 192.168.0.1 static.

A USB WLAN adapter, (Netgear WG111), has the IP of 192.168.0.1 and
handles ICS traffic.


At LAN meetings it's the easiest way to connect to those without GBit
adapter but have IEEE1394, (a lot faster than Fast Ethernet).

Thanks,
Dave

You're welcome, Dave. Thanks for providing the details.

In my tests, Windows XP always uses the DNS suffix "mshome.net",
regardless of the workgroup name. I just set up workgroups named
"mshome", "workgroup", and "laptop", and all of the computers have the
DNS suffix "mshome.net". The DNS suffix is irrelevant in Internet
access and in workgroup file/printer sharing using NetBIOS over
TCP/IP.

You've assigned the network bridge an IP address in the same
192.168.0.x subnet that ICS uses, which can cause the ICS problems
that you describe. DESK1 might try to communicate with ACER and DESK2
using the network bridge (which will fail) instead of using the WG111.
I can provide full details of how that works if you want.

To fix the problem, you can either:

1. Change the network bridge to a different subnet, or:

2. Include the WG111 in the network bridge and use the network bridge
as the home network connection for ICS:

a. Disable ICS.

b. Remove the network bridge.

c. Create a new network bridge that includes the WG111.

d. Enable ICS, using the network bridge for the home network.

e. If ICS doesn't work over IEEE1394a or GBit, try the fix shown
in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article. I had to do it just
now when I tested a bridged IEEE1394/Ethernet network
with ICS:

Bridge May Not Work With a Non-Promiscuous Mode Network Adapter
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=302348
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[4wd]

Thanks Steve, that explains things nicely.

Is it possible to use a different subnet for ICS, (say 169.254.x.x -
naturally 192.168.x.x is the one used by default at the LAN meeting) ?

This would allow me to keep both 'separate' without having to change
things as the machine moves between the two locations.

Otherwise, is resorting to netsh scripts, (netsh dump and netsh -f), to
switch between them likely to encompass all changes necessary to allow
them work?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Thanks Steve, that explains things nicely.

Is it possible to use a different subnet for ICS, (say 169.254.x.x -
naturally 192.168.x.x is the one used by default at the LAN meeting) ?

This would allow me to keep both 'separate' without having to change
things as the machine moves between the two locations.

Otherwise, is resorting to netsh scripts, (netsh dump and netsh -f), to
switch between them likely to encompass all changes necessary to allow
them work?

Thanks,
Dave

You're welcome, Dave.

Windows XP doesn't provide a way to change the subnet for ICS. You
can enable ICS and then change the home network connection's IP
address manually. However, that will disable the DHCP server, and it
could cause other problems.

Assuming a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, there are 256 possible
subnets in 192.168.x.x. There will only be a conflict with ICS if the
LAN meeting uses 192.168.0.x.

I haven't tried the "netsh dump" and "netsh -f" commands. Here are
some specific commands that can probably do what you want:

1. To specify a fixed address:

netsh interface ip set address <connection> static <ip> <mask>
<gateway> <gateway metric>

For example:

netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection" static
192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.254 10

netsh interface ip set address "Wireless Network Connection" static
10.20.30.100 255.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 20

2. To specify a DHCP address:

netsh interface ip set address <connection> dhcp

For example:

netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection" dhcp
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com