Is ICS my only option ?

[Scott]

Dear network experts.
Hopefully someone can offer some solutions.

Current network - Wireless router using 172.16.0.x range for my network.
I have a XP MCE pc connecting to the internet using a wireless NIC PCI card.
Connected to the LAN port of this MCE pc is a Sony PS2 console and I have
enabled ICS on the MCE pc. Thus the MCE's LAN port becomes 192.168.0.1 and
the PS2 is set to DHCP. With this configuration I am able to play online
games on my PS2 utilising the MCE wireless connection to the router.

My desire is to connect a 2nd PS2 to the router and play the 2 PS2s against
each other.

My problem is - because the 1st PS2 is behind ICS on 192.168.0.x I can't
ping it from my 172.16 network and therefore I doubt the 2 PS2s will see each
other.

What changes do I need to make to get the 2 PS2s talking when 1 of them is
going through my XPMCE pc ?
Can I simply ditch ICS and just bridge MCE's wireless and LAN ports and then
set the MCE PS2 to a 172.16.0.x IP ?
How is bridging different to ICS'ing ?

Thankyou very much.
Regards
Scott

 

[Steve Winograd]

Dear network experts.
Hopefully someone can offer some solutions.

Current network - Wireless router using 172.16.0.x range for my network.
I have a XP MCE pc connecting to the internet using a wireless NIC PCI card.
Connected to the LAN port of this MCE pc is a Sony PS2 console and I have
enabled ICS on the MCE pc. Thus the MCE's LAN port becomes 192.168.0.1 and
the PS2 is set to DHCP. With this configuration I am able to play online
games on my PS2 utilising the MCE wireless connection to the router.

My desire is to connect a 2nd PS2 to the router and play the 2 PS2s against
each other.

My problem is - because the 1st PS2 is behind ICS on 192.168.0.x I can't
ping it from my 172.16 network and therefore I doubt the 2 PS2s will see each
other.

What changes do I need to make to get the 2 PS2s talking when 1 of them is
going through my XPMCE pc ?
Can I simply ditch ICS and just bridge MCE's wireless and LAN ports and then
set the MCE PS2 to a 172.16.0.x IP ?
How is bridging different to ICS'ing ?

Thankyou very much.
Regards
Scott

Bridging the wireless and LAN ports on the XP MCE pc should do what
you want. The network bridge combines two physical network adapters
into a single logical network adapter. I've written a web page with
details:

XP ICS - Network Bridge
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/networkbridge.htm

ICS is a software router, forwarding packets between two subnets and
doing network address translation. As you've found, that doesn't
allow full access between them.
--
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

 

[Scott]

Thanks very much for the tips Steve. I found your site earlier today
What about the exisiting TCP/IP settings of the LAN and Wifi ports. Do they
become irrelevant once a bridge them and then just go into the bridge
properties and set the IP and DNS ?
Can the bridge get those details issued via DHCP from my router ?
Below is current set up and the IP inside ( ) would be the bridged version ,
correct ?

Router 172.16.0.1---------lan-------- PC1 172.16.0.50
^ ---------lan------- PS2 172.16.0.* DHCP
^wifi signal
^
^PC2 MCE
WiFi port 172.16.0.100 DHCP
MCE LAN port 192.168.0.1 (172.16.0.100)------lan---PS2 192.168.0.???
(172.16.0.x)

Would DHCP issuing from the router work through the bridge or would I need
to set the address on the MCE PS2 ?

Cheers
Scott

 

[James Egan]

and I have
enabled ICS on the MCE pc. Thus the MCE's LAN port becomes 192.168.0.1 and
the PS2 is set to DHCP. With this configuration I am able to play online
games on my PS2 utilising the MCE wireless connection to the router.

The router is already doing the required address translation so ICS is
not required and will only serve to increase your ping times which
(being an Internet gamer) are crucial.

The bridging option Steve mentioned is the way to go for ditching ICS
and simplicity of configuration or you can achieve the same
functionality by routing but this is a little harder to configure.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457038.aspx

I don't know whether routing or bridging gives the better pings but it
might be worth looking into before you decide which way to go.


Jim.

 

[Scott]

As an aside regarding ping times, I tried my normal ICS set up, then I tried
the PS2 lan'ed straight to my router. I ran the PS2 network test CD and found
almost identical ping times.

I'll give the bridge a crack first.

Cheers

 

[Steve Winograd]

Thanks very much for the tips Steve. I found your site earlier today
What about the exisiting TCP/IP settings of the LAN and Wifi ports. Do they
become irrelevant once a bridge them and then just go into the bridge
properties and set the IP and DNS ?
Can the bridge get those details issued via DHCP from my router ?
Below is current set up and the IP inside ( ) would be the bridged version ,
correct ?

Router 172.16.0.1---------lan-------- PC1 172.16.0.50
^ ---------lan------- PS2 172.16.0.* DHCP
^wifi signal
^
^PC2 MCE
WiFi port 172.16.0.100 DHCP
MCE LAN port 192.168.0.1 (172.16.0.100)------lan---PS2 192.168.0.???
(172.16.0.x)

Would DHCP issuing from the router work through the bridge or would I need
to set the address on the MCE PS2 ?

Cheers
Scott

You're welcome, Scott. First, disable ICS. Then create a network
bridge, which will get its IP address and other TCP/IP properties from
your router. The bridged connections lose their individual TCP/IP
properties.

Computers that connect through the bridge should also get their IP
address and other TCP/IP properties from your router.

If the network bridge doesn't seem to work, try the suggestions here:

Bridge May Not Work With a Non-Promiscuous Mode Network Adapter
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q302348&ID=KB;EN-US;Q302348&
--
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

 

[Scott]

Well, it worked!
I bridged the 2 ports. I left the bridge DHCP but I set the PS2 IP manually.
I can actually ping from the LAN'ed PC, via the router through the MCE PC to
the PC2.
Wonders will never cease. I seemed to think I had issues with leaving the
PS2 in auto IP/DNS but I could be mistaken. I may just leave it set manually.

I must say thankyou for the assistance I've received.
Big cheers all round!

 

[Steve Winograd]

Well, it worked!
I bridged the 2 ports. I left the bridge DHCP but I set the PS2 IP manually.
I can actually ping from the LAN'ed PC, via the router through the MCE PC to
the PC2.
Wonders will never cease. I seemed to think I had issues with leaving the
PS2 in auto IP/DNS but I could be mistaken. I may just leave it set manually.

I must say thankyou for the assistance I've received.
Big cheers all round!

You're welcome! I'm glad that my suggestions helped you get it to
work.
--
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