Win98 ICS w/ port forwarding?

[Clint Olson]

Hi all,
I'm sharing the internet on our home network -- consisting of 3
machines, all Win98SE. Currently, I'm using Win98's built-in Internet
Connection Sharing. This works for most things like IM and web
browsing.

However, I have a couple of small games I like to play with my friends
that won't work behind ICS. I suspect that they would work fine if I
could do some sort of port forwarding. I don't think that Win98's
built-in ICS supports that.

So, my question is: Are there any freeware internet connection
sharing programs that support port forwarding?

If not, can people tell me which is the best Linux
'firewall-on-a-floppy' distribution? I know there are several out
there. I have an old 386 that I could use with it if need be.

TIA for your help!

Clint Olson
co-n-co at mochamail dot com

 

[YoKenny]

Hi all,
I'm sharing the internet on our home network -- consisting of 3
machines, all Win98SE. Currently, I'm using Win98's built-in Internet
Connection Sharing. This works for most things like IM and web
browsing.

However, I have a couple of small games I like to play with my friends
that won't work behind ICS. I suspect that they would work fine if I
could do some sort of port forwarding. I don't think that Win98's
built-in ICS supports that.

So, my question is: Are there any freeware internet connection
sharing programs that support port forwarding?

If not, can people tell me which is the best Linux
'firewall-on-a-floppy' distribution? I know there are several out
there. I have an old 386 that I could use with it if need be.

Get a router. They are real cheap right now and much easier to set up for
what you want. Plus they have a built in firewall. The AnalogX proxy
might work but it is a favorite with spammers as they can use it to relay
spam through if not locked down. It is wide open by default.

 

[Kris]

So, my question is: Are there any freeware internet connection
sharing programs that support port forwarding?

You can use winsslwrap
http://pftp.suxx.sk/winsslwrap/HOW-TO/
to just forward TCP ports. Despite SSL being in the name, the SSL
options are just two tickboxes that can both be unticked. Obviously will
only work with TCP-based games.

If not, can people tell me which is the best Linux
'firewall-on-a-floppy' distribution? I know there are several out
there. I have an old 386 that I could use with it if need be.

I very much like www.FreeSCO.org.

 

[Mick]

Hello Clint,
You wrote on 4 Sep 2003 12:19:11 -0700:

However, I have a couple of small games I like to play with my friends
that won't work behind ICS. I suspect that they would work fine if I
could do some sort of port forwarding. I don't think that Win98's
built-in ICS supports that.

Yes it does. Contary to popular belief, ICS is based on a once commercial
NAT firewall. MS bought it, then changed it. I use Windows ME ICS (almost
identical to 98SE) and it not only forwards ports, it provides stealth
blocking. A couple of drawbacks though, logging is pretty much non-existant
and unless you get ICS Configuration utility, it all has to be done by hand.
You can get the ICS Configuration utility, read up on ICS and get
pre-defined maps at http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/ics/icsconfiguration.htm

 

[Rahman]

AnalogX does it
www.analogx.com

 

[Kris]

AnalogX does it
www.analogx.com

Please remember to configure the proxy and/or firewall rules correctly
when using proxies or anything else like this - AnalogX is one of the
most widely abused proxies for spamming/DoSing.