Problems sharing ICS with Nintendo WIFI USB and with home LAN

[Guest]

My desktop has an ADSL broadband connection that uses a USB connected modem
supplied by my ISP. This network connection is enabled for ICS. It shows as
a dial-up connection in "network connections". The desktop has a Nintendo
WIFI USB dongle that uses ICS to connect Nintendo DS handheld players to the
internet. So far so good. I have a (wired) network hub connected to my LAN
ethernet port. The problem is that I would like this "home network" to make
use of the ICS connection as well. The Nintendo connection shows in "network
connections" as a second LAN. I have tried to network bridge the two LAN
connections but this causes the Nintendo WIFI USB to stop (the green light
goes out on the dongle) and the associated tool stops. Is there any way
around this? Special IP settings? Do I need to buy a Wireless Access Point
and connect this to the hub? I know I could replace my ISP supplied modem
with one that does routing and uses the ethernet connection instead of the
USB but apart from the cost I am nervous for two reasons: i) I would rather
not interfere with the ISP supplied setup ii) the equipment I want to connect
to the wired hub is Win98 so I would prefer to use ICS and get the benefit of
the XP firewalls and security on my desktop. Any help appreciated!

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

My desktop has an ADSL broadband connection that uses a USB connected modem
supplied by my ISP. This network connection is enabled for ICS. It shows as
a dial-up connection in "network connections". The desktop has a Nintendo
WIFI USB dongle that uses ICS to connect Nintendo DS handheld players to the
internet. So far so good. I have a (wired) network hub connected to my LAN
ethernet port. The problem is that I would like this "home network" to make
use of the ICS connection as well. The Nintendo connection shows in "network
connections" as a second LAN. I have tried to network bridge the two LAN
connections but this causes the Nintendo WIFI USB to stop (the green light
goes out on the dongle) and the associated tool stops. Is there any way
around this? Special IP settings? Do I need to buy a Wireless Access Point
and connect this to the hub? I know I could replace my ISP supplied modem
with one that does routing and uses the ethernet connection instead of the
USB but apart from the cost I am nervous for two reasons: i) I would rather
not interfere with the ISP supplied setup ii) the equipment I want to connect
to the wired hub is Win98 so I would prefer to use ICS and get the benefit of
the XP firewalls and security on my desktop. Any help appreciated!

As you've discovered, some networking devices don't work when you
include them in a network bridge. The steps in this Microsoft
Knowledge Base article can fix the problem in some cases:

Bridge May Not Work With a Non-Promiscuous Mode Network Adapter
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=302348

If that doesn't help, then your idea of connecting a wireless access
point to the hub will probably do what you want. However, it's easier
(and probably less expensive) to buy a wireless router than a wireless
access point. You can make a wireless router function as a wireless
access point by bypassing its routing capabilities.

With either type of device, disable its built-in DHCP server, so that
the ICS computer is the only DHCP server on the network.

If you get a wireless router, connect it to the network in place of
the hub, and connect all computers (including the ICS computer) to LAN
ports on the router. Don't connect anything to the router's WAN
(Internet) port.
--
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

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately forcing compatibility mode didn't help (although it sounded
like a good suggestion). When LAN2 is added to the network bridge the
Nintendo WIFI registration icon turns brown (and has to be ended when
shutting down the system). When LAN2 is removed from the bridge then the
registration icon turns blue again.