Wireless ad-hoc network with internet connection sharing

[Veerle]

Hi,

I have a computer A with internet connection (ADSL connection through
USB modem) and computer B with no internet connection. Both computers
have Win XP. First I have changed the settings of my internet
connection so that it is shared. Then I connected computer A to the
internet using the (shared) internet connection. Then I have set up a
wireless ad hoc network on computer A as described in
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx
Next I connected computer A to the wireless network (is not mentioned
in the article but I don't get it to work if I don't). Next I looked
at the available wirless networks on computer B and found the network
I created. So I connected to it. But computer B for some reason cannot
access the internet. So the internet connection sharing thing doesn't
seem to work. What I can I have possibly done wrong? What steps can I
take to find the source (and solution) of my problem?

Veerle

 

[Galen]

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message.

In

Hi,

I have a computer A with internet connection (ADSL connection through
USB modem) and computer B with no internet connection. Both computers
have Win XP. First I have changed the settings of my internet
connection so that it is shared. Then I connected computer A to the
internet using the (shared) internet connection. Then I have set up a
wireless ad hoc network on computer A as described in
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx
Next I connected computer A to the wireless network (is not mentioned
in the article but I don't get it to work if I don't). Next I looked
at the available wirless networks on computer B and found the network
I created. So I connected to it. But computer B for some reason cannot
access the internet. So the internet connection sharing thing doesn't
seem to work. What I can I have possibly done wrong? What steps can I
take to find the source (and solution) of my problem?

Veerle

On your computer A make sure that the wireless is assigned the IP address of
192.168.0.1 and let us know if that makes a difference. It has been ages
since I've played with it though.

--
Galen (Not Current MS-MVP)

My Geek Site: http://kgiii.info
Web Hosting: http://whathostingshould.be

"In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason
backwards. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a
very easy one, but people do not practise it much. In the every-day affairs
of life it is more useful to reason forwards, and so
the other comes to be neglected. There are fifty who can reason
synthetically for one who can reason analytically." - Sherlock
Holmes

 

[nass]

Hi,

I have a computer A with internet connection (ADSL connection through
USB modem) and computer B with no internet connection. Both computers
have Win XP. First I have changed the settings of my internet
connection so that it is shared. Then I connected computer A to the
internet using the (shared) internet connection. Then I have set up a
wireless ad hoc network on computer A as described in
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx
Next I connected computer A to the wireless network (is not mentioned
in the article but I don't get it to work if I don't). Next I looked
at the available wirless networks on computer B and found the network
I created. So I connected to it. But computer B for some reason cannot
access the internet. So the internet connection sharing thing doesn't
seem to work. What I can I have possibly done wrong? What steps can I
take to find the source (and solution) of my problem?

Veerle

Read this info here:
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...2a2497c20996&lang=en&cr=US&sloc=en-us&m=1&p=1

Can you Ping Computer A from Computer B?
What the ipconfig /all output shows?
Does machine A Connected Wired to the Router/Modem or wireless?
Does Machine A has Two NICs one of them Wireless and you turned Broadcasting
ON . also do you use an Encryption method and you entered the SSID/Key on the
second Machine (B).
If the above Yes then you have your Firewall blocking the Network so try to
assign the Network to be allowed.
HTH,
nass

 

[Mike Cawood, HND BIT]

Hi,

I have a computer A with internet connection (ADSL connection through
USB modem) and computer B with no internet connection. Both computers
have Win XP. First I have changed the settings of my internet
connection so that it is shared. Then I connected computer A to the
internet using the (shared) internet connection. Then I have set up a
wireless ad hoc network on computer A as described in
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx
Next I connected computer A to the wireless network (is not mentioned
in the article but I don't get it to work if I don't). Next I looked
at the available wirless networks on computer B and found the network
I created. So I connected to it. But computer B for some reason cannot
access the internet. So the internet connection sharing thing doesn't
seem to work. What I can I have possibly done wrong? What steps can I
take to find the source (and solution) of my problem?

Veerle

Chuck out the modem & buy a wireless ADSL router.
You need to connect computer B to a router either with a cable or
wirelessly.
That's the only way you will get computer B on the Internet.
You will need LAN connections on both PCs, all modern PCs have a LAN
connection, but you can always get a network card if there's no LAN
connection.
Regards Mike.

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
May be this page explains better,
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/bowman_02april08.mspx
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

 

[Veerle]

Ok, some extra info:

Computer A makes a wired connection to the internet through a ADSL usb
modem. This internet connection works fine on computer A, I can do
internet stuff there. It is in the properties of this internet
connection that I turned on the internet connection sharing flags.

An ipconfig /all on computer A gives the following output in Dutch
(Windows XP is Dutch version). Basicly it says that there's no LAN
connection. Next comes the wireless connection through the ad-hoc
network. The Speedtouch connection is my internet connection using the
ADSL usb modem.

Windows IP-configuratie
....

Ethernet-adapter LAN-verbinding:

Status van medium . . . . . . . . : medium ontkoppeld
Beschrijving . . . . . . . . . . .:
VIA Compatable Fast Ethernet Adapter
Fysiek adres. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-16-17-E5-A8-FE

Ethernet-adapter Draadloze netwerkverbinding:

Verbindingsspec. DNS-achtervoegsel:
Beschrijving . . . . . . . . . . .:
RT73 USB Wireless LAN Card
Fysiek adres. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-12-BF-C4-E7-D1
DHCP ingeshakeld. . . . . . . . . : ja
Autom. configuratie ingeschakeld. : ja
Autoconfiguratie IP-adres . . . . : 169.254.132.197
Subnetmasker. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Standaardgateway. . . . . . . . . :

PPP-adapter Alcatel Speedtouch Connection:

Verbindingsspec. DNS-achtervoegsel:
Beschrijving . . . . . . . . . . .:
WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Fysiek adres. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
DHCP ingeschakeld:. . . . . . . . : nee
IP-adres. . . . . . . . . . . . . : 81.11.214.72
Subnetmasker. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Standaardgateway. . . . . . . . . : 81.11.214.72
DNS-servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.74.208.65
193.74.208.135

An ipconfig /all on computer B gives:

Windows IP Configuration
....

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Personal Area
Network from
TOSHIBA
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-41-B0-4B-40

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx
Gigabit Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-15-C5-C1-1A-A2

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless
3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-18-DE-94-DF-AF
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.74.92
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 169.254.74.92

What concerns the wireless ad-hoc network, I used WEP with an
automatic generated key. I had to provide this key on both computers
when connecting to the wireless network. When looking at the available
wireless networks on both computers it says that I am connected to the
wireless network on both computers. It didn't say so until both
computers were connected to the wireless network.

When I ping computer A from computer B by "ping 169.254.132.197" I get
normal replies. So there must be some sort of connection between both
of them. It's just that the internet connection sharing doesn't seem
to be working.

When I ping computer B from computer A by "ping 169.254.74.92" I get
timeouts. I expected this would work as well, but appearently it
doesn't.

To Galen: it's clear that computer A doesn't have an ip address that
is 192.168.0.1. Is this absolutely necessary and if so, how do I
change this?

To Nass: I answered most of your questions above. Only I don't know
what NICs are and how to check of Broadcasting is on, so I cannot
answer that question. I did try to turn of zonealarm (my firewall) and
the Windows Firewall on both the internet connection and the ad-hoc
connection of computer A and i turned of the Windows FireWall on the
ad-hoc connection of computer B, and it still didn't work, so I don't
think that the firewall is the problem.

To Mike: I know it would be easier to buy a router, but according to
the Windows documentation, this should work. So I would like to get it
to work.

 

[Veerle]

I found the problem. The ad-hoc network is fine. But in the internet
connection sharing properties I selected that the connection had te be
shared, but appearently Windows XP selected the LAN network for this
sharing instead of the wireless network. It was readonly so I couldn't
change it there, but I ran the network wizard to correct this problem.

Than it worked when I disabled all firewalls (ZoneAlarm and the
Windows Firewall) for the internet connection. I turned the switch for
the Windows Firewall back on and made an exception for the wireless
network. Now it works.

Thanks a lot for everyone who helped thinking along!