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General discussion

Internet connection sharing help

Jun 9, 2005 10:38AM PDT

For my home network, I have bellsouth fast access dsl, a westell modem, a linksys wrt54g router, an xp home pc harwired to the router, and a windows me desktop connected wirelessly via a linksys wireless-g usb network adapter model # wusb54g.

Near the wireless desktop computer, I have a ps2. Instead of paying money for a gaming adapter, I want to know how I can have the ps2 hardwired to the windows me wireless desktop in order to play online games. I already have purchased the network adapter for the ps2, the ethernet cable, and on the windows me have an available ethernet port. How could I do this??

Discussion is locked

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like this...
Jun 9, 2005 1:19PM PDT

connect one end of your extra ethernet cable to the PS2 adapter. Connect the other end of the cable to the port on the Linksys router right next to the one current in use by the WindowsMe system. Turn the PS2 on and game away. The WindowsME system is irrelevant to the PS2.

dw

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I think you read my post incorrectly
Jun 10, 2005 4:33AM PDT

I specified that the PS2 was next to the wireless desktop computer running windows ME. This computer is at least 50 feet away from the router and three floors down. So obviously, I cannot do the easy solution of connecting the ps2 directly to the router via ethernet cable unless I wanted to rip some walls down. So back to my original question:

Is it possible to plug the ps2 into the ethernet port of the wireless desktop computer and share the internet connection of the wireless desktop computer?

T. Ward

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oh... my bad
Jun 10, 2005 5:48AM PDT

the setup you propose would work in theory. You would have to enable the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) feature in WindowsMe. However, be prepared to fight with it.

The notion of connection sharing, whether in hardware (your router) or in software (ICS), is that the sharing device receives a public IP from your ISP and then translates it to a series of non-routable internal addresses for all the multiple internal clients. In your situation, your router will receive your ISP's public address and redistribute new internal addresses to your downstairs wired computer and via wireless to your upstairs ME computer. The ME computer, running ICS will take that incoming address (which it doesn't really care if it is a public IP or a non-routable private IP) and convert it again to a different series of non-routable private addresses for its subsidiary clients (of which there is only one, the PS2).

In concept, this double layer of address translating should work. In practice, you need to be very careful in setting up the numbering schemes that the router and ME/ICS use, and hope that the various players (Windows and the router firmware) cooperate. Sometimes it doesn't work the way it should. Then you have to hope that the PS2 behaves as expected when issued a second-round address. Good luck.

dw

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How do I do all the numbering???
Jun 10, 2005 8:19AM PDT

I tried doing the internet connection sharing on the windows me desktop as you said, but the linksys adapter can connect to the router, but cannot connect to the internet. Then when I undo the internet connection sharing settings, and restart my pc, I can then reach the internet.

So I assume from the previous post that my numbering schemes are messed up so the connection isn't working. My router is set up to hand out 4 ip addresses, starting at 192.168.2.101, so the desktop near the ps2 has the address 192.168.2.102. What numbers should I imput and how do I do this inputing???

Sorry if I seem limited in my knowledge of networking, but I just was introduced to the wonderful world of networking 9 months ago.

Thank you for the help.

T. Ward

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ok, let's take a shot at it...
Jun 10, 2005 1:37PM PDT

It's been a few years since I personally used ICS and I don't have a WinME system any more, so I can't make screen shots of what you should see and do. But here is what I remember generally...

You indicate your router is giving out addresses starting at 192.168.2.101. That suggests to me that it has assigned itself an address of 192.168.2.1. You indicate the wired desktop got 192.168.2.102. That suggests something else got 192.168.2.101 - probably the wireless connection winging in from upstairs. Check it to be sure, but in some ways it doesn't matter that much. The router's DHCP server will issue addresses in the order that they are requested by systems as they boot. Therefore, it could happen tomorrow that the wired desktop is the first on and it will get 192.168.2.101 and then the wireless ME system, when it is started, will acquire 192.16.2.102. The router keeps track of who has what when, so don't worry.

Now we have to configure the ICS upstairs. Here is a link to a webpage about networking and setting up ICS on a WinME system:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/ics/icsmeinstall.htm

As you read through the tutorial, make the following mental changes for your situation. When the tutorial speaks of ''connecting to the cable modem,'' think to yourself ''connecting to your router'' (which in turn connects to your cable modem). On the page of the Windows Networking Wizard that asks if this computer connects to the internet, choose the button for ''A direct connection to my ISP using the following device'' and then pick your wireless adapter from the list. On the next page of the Networking Wizard for setting up connection sharing, click the yes button and specify the wired ethernet adapter as the device which connects to your home network. Note that this is where you will probably be thrown off by the terminology. You are probably thinking of all your downstairs stuff as your home network. Well, it is, but not from the viewpoint of the WindowsME system's instance of ICS. From its perspective, downstairs is the wide area internet while the local ''home network'' is the all the wired upstairs stuff that it will be in charge of (actually, only the PS2, but don't deflate the WinME's ego by mentioning that it doesn't have your whole world under its command... Wink ) Click on through to Finish the wizard. You don't have to make a client disk - there wouldn't be anything to do with it. You'll probably have to reboot the WinMe system.

Now here is what your numbering systems will look like: The router will acquire your ISP's public IP, set itself as a gateway using 192.168.2.1 for itself, and then issue 192.168.2.101 (or .102) to the WinME system's wireless adapter. WinME ICS will then treat that IP as if it were the public IP (though it really isn't a routable public IP), set itself as the gateway for all upstairs systems using 192.168.0.1 for itself, and start issuing addresses out through its ethernet port starting at 192.168.0.2. Finally, the PS2, which should now have IP address 192.168.0.2 will connect back to the WinME ICS which will translate that to what it thinks is the internet coming in through the wireless adapter on IP address 192.168.2.101, which will zing down to the router, which will translate it again to the real public IP address it got from your cable modem.

The key here is that Windows ICS defaults to using addresses in the 192.168.0.xxx range. I may remember incorrectly, but I don't think you can tweak the address range it uses, you're stuck with 192.168.0.xxx. That means you have to make sure that your downstream router is set to use a different range, such as the 192.168.2.xxx range you're already using on the router. Otherwise, the DHCP server in the router will argue incessantly with the DHCP server in WinMe ICS about who's in charge of what and who already has addresses that the other thinks belong to it.

So there you go, have at it...
dw

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Not working!!!
Jun 11, 2005 12:11AM PDT

I followed all of the steps as listed on the website that you gave me. Then after I rebooted my computer, I opened the wireless network monitor since I couldn't access the internet. On the monitor it said that I was successfully connected to the access point, but the adapter couldn't find any internet. I was wondering since the subnet mask of the ics sharing and the router are the same, if this was the problem. If not, how can I solve this inability to reach the internet???

T. Ward

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Most common issue?
Jun 11, 2005 12:24AM PDT

Some one installed a firewall and doesn't know how it works or how to control it.

Many times it is just easier to get the router and let it do all the work.

Bob

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I know how to use a firewall
Jun 11, 2005 1:00AM PDT

The firewall is not the problem

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How do you know?
Jun 11, 2005 1:12AM PDT

I visited a friend's house and they had ICS failing. They were good at the firewall but were shocked that we had to uninstall it, get ICS working and then install the firewall and set the rules.

This area wipes out many and why I note it.

If you maintain that you have control, then its likely you'll never cure it.

Bob

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I have ZoneAlarm Pro
Jun 11, 2005 2:25AM PDT

Is there any way I could configure this to make sure that ICS will work??

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Maybe.
Jun 11, 2005 2:34AM PDT

I shared how we fixed that last one. Maybe I was too subtle since you asked how you might fix yours?

-> There's always support for that firewall at zonelabs.com since I don't offer firewall support here.

Bob

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Weird
Jun 11, 2005 7:14AM PDT

I unistalled the firewall and redid ics and then reinstalled the firewall programing it for ics and it works. The weird thing about it is that my wireless monitor says that it isn't connected to the internet, but I can browse the web.

Now I have a question on how to set up the ps2, LAN, or I have an isp?

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Reply to "weird"
Jun 11, 2005 10:54AM PDT

We are at the limit of the thread depth so I stick this answer where it might be visible.

Your wireless client manager says it is not connected to the internet. You can browse. Welcome to ICS and a double layer of translation. This is why we told you in the beginning that it would be royal fight.

As for setting up the PS2, dunno. Don't have one myself...

dw

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Now you see why I do that...
Jun 11, 2005 8:04AM PDT

As to the rest of the systems, I'd have to get a recap of your connection, but with "the usual ICS" the host machine has it's connection via dsl/cable on one ethernet port and the LAN on another. You add a switched hub to that LAN connection and then other things go there. If going wireless a WAP goes on the switched hub.

After its working you can add ZAP and configure it as it asks questions to figure out what should and should not be allowed. At least this time you'll have a feel for what breaks it.

Somewhere is an article about ICS and using a Wifi Client adapter, but that's something I only write "good luck" and supply the URL. I never would support such an endeavor. Just FYI. Here's the link -> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/bowman_02april08.mspx

Bob