Win98SE Internet Connection Sharing

[Erkki]

I have a problem with the ICS. It used to work fine (after a lot of messing around so long ago, that I don't remember what I did to get it working), but after I got a new mobo and reinstalled Windows (on the host), I couldn't get it to run again.

Yesterday I tried again, and let ICS create the "Client Configuration Disk". I ran it, on a "client" (using Win95 OSR2), and even though it's only supposed to configure the browser (as far as I know), it totally messed up my TCP/IP. When I do a ping on the client (even to 127.0.0.1) I get this message: "transmit failed, error code 10091". And when I run WINIPCFG: "Fatal Error! Cannot read IP configuration!"
Everything in the Network settings should be configured correctly.

Is there something I can do other than reinstalling Windows? Cause I don't want to do that especially as it's possible that this will happen again. It has happened once before (also while messing with ICS) and then I reinstalled Windows.

Erkki

[Schmitty]

When I co-op at a high school a few years ago and did a lot of networking and troubleshooting stuff I'd get that error sometimes. It's because TCP/IP isn't set up right, most likely it's the driver. If you can ping your local host, your definately not going to get ICS working. I would delete your network adapter and reinstall the drivers. Try to use the newest ones online or the same drivers you were using when it did work.

I haven't done any ICS through software in Win 95, but hopefully that helps.

Leave a reply on your results.

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Schmitty
EG 278

[Erkki]

I tried removing the network adapter and everything else from the Network section in control panel. Didn't help. I also reinstalled IE5.5
I have not changed any drivers at all. It's a NE2000 compatible adapter and I have always used the same drivers (that come with Windows).
Maybe there are some (IP related) files that could be copied from the Windows CD manually to fix this?

[Nabu_the_Wise]

Sadly, Im not familliar with that error message youre getting. My two cents was just that the disk that ics creates for you "Client Configuration" seems to do nothing useful, I would just skip that step. (It only works on windows operating systems, but yet my mac could connect to the internet fine without being "configured". I also skipped that step with my pc later, again no real differance and no reason to ever use it.)

[Un4given]

ICS is like drugs...JUST SAY NO!

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Knight for the OC Crusaders

P3 700@945 (135x7.0 1.75V)
Asus CUV4X
128MB PC150 (2-2-2)
Radeon 64MB VIVO 200/200
SBLive! Value
13.5GB Maxtor ATA100 (5400RPM)
Memorex 36X CD-ROM
TDK 8x4x32 CD-RW
SCSI ZIP 100MB
Linksys 10/100 NIC

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin, 1759

[Schmitty]

Originally posted by Un4given:
ICS is like drugs...JUST SAY NO!

ROFL, yes just say NO!

Just get a router they are way better and not to expensive, but they are defintely worth the extra $$$.


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Schmitty
EG 278

[Schmitty]

Originally posted by Erkki:

I have not changed any drivers at all. It's a NE2000 compatible adapter and I have always used the same drivers (that come with Windows).
Maybe there are some (IP related) files that could be copied from the Windows CD manually to fix this?

You tried ping localhost in DOS right?
If that doesn't come back with a ping, I will tell you this, it isn't IE 5.5 or ICS.

Your problem is the drivers are installed right some files missing. NIC went bad. Not really sure what is wrong. Just trying to eliminate the highly impossible.

Who's your card made by? I wouldn't use the NE2000 compatible drivers. I'd get the ones made from your manufacture.


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Schmitty
EG 278

[Schmitty]

Originally posted by Schmitty:
ROFL, yes just say NO!

Just get a router they are way better and not to expensive, but they are defintely worth the extra $$$.

Oh BTW, a router isn't going to help you if you can't get TCP/IP to work right.

Oh one other thing to try is NEtBeui, install that on both and see if you can you file sharing through that. Hopefully you know how to do that.


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Schmitty
EG 278

[Erkki]

File sharing is working fine (IPX/SPX).
I'm not going to get a router. I only have 2 PC's in the network (at home), possibly a 3rd one coming soon.

I don't think installing drivers other than NE2000 is going to help since it HAS worked with these drivers. But I'll try that, if I can find them. But I think it's a noname card.

Erkki

[Nabu_the_Wise]

Actually, I think I have to agree with Erkki that the drivers can likely stay generic. Those NE2000 cards have been around forever, I think the generic drivers would work fine (and it doesnt seem like its worth complicating the setup by finding drivers - particularly since they might not exist. Since the generic drivers work, the company might not bother coming up with updated drivers).

Besides, if IPX works fine then I imagine that tcp/ip is just messed up on that computer.

[Schmitty]

yeah, remove TCP/IP and reinstall the protocal after you reboot. So, hopefully it will reinstall all your files. I think one or more are missing. If it comes down to this you could try a dirty install of windows. That way you wouldn't lose any registry and data on your C drive.

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Schmitty
EG 278

[Erkki]

I tried removing TCP/IP and installing it after reboot, didn't help.

Anyway, thanx for all the advice. I got ADSL today, and now I can't use the LAN anyway since ADSL needs to connect to the network adapter. And I haven't bought a second one yet.

Seems strange though - the ADSL bridge has a built in HUB, but still it can't share the connection out to multiple PC's at a time. So to do that, you have to have 2 network adapters in one PC (one for ADSL one for LAN, but both will actually connect to the ADSL bridge).
There are some more expensive ADSL solutions here which you can connect to a HUB and it will work, but this one functions similarly to a dial-up connection (you have to run a program to "connect"). The more expensive ones are too expensive for most home users (including me)

Plus I'll have to add a second cable to connect from my second card to the ADSL bridge which is not so easy since we put the cables inside the walls (from the hub to every room) when we built the house, but we never thought we'd need two cables for one PC And the pipes (don't know if that's the word in Enlgish) where the cables run inside are not very accessible.

Sorry for the rant

[Un4given]

Originally posted by Erkki:
I tried removing TCP/IP and installing it after reboot, didn't help.

Anyway, thanx for all the advice. I got ADSL today, and now I can't use the LAN anyway since ADSL needs to connect to the network adapter. And I haven't bought a second one yet.

Seems strange though - the ADSL bridge has a built in HUB, but still it can't share the connection out to multiple PC's at a time. So to do that, you have to have 2 network adapters in one PC (one for ADSL one for LAN, but both will actually connect to the ADSL bridge).
There are some more expensive ADSL solutions here which you can connect to a HUB and it will work, but this one functions similarly to a dial-up connection (you have to run a program to "connect"). The more expensive ones are too expensive for most home users (including me)

Plus I'll have to add a second cable to connect from my second card to the ADSL bridge which is not so easy since we put the cables inside the walls (from the hub to every room) when we built the house, but we never thought we'd need two cables for one PC And the pipes (don't know if that's the word in Enlgish) where the cables run inside are not very accessible.

Sorry for the rant

I still say get a router. With ICS you have to have the host system running for the clients to connect, and if the host crashes, then everyone is cut off until you get the host back up, or you configure one of the other systems to be the new host.

For the hassle (and POS) that ICS really is, and the long term costs of having to run the host system for everyone to connect, it doesn't take long for the router to pay for itself.



------------------
Knight for the OC Crusaders

P3 700@945 (135x7.0 1.75V)
Asus CUV4X
128MB PC150 (2-2-2)
Radeon 64MB VIVO 200/200
SBLive! Value
13.5GB Maxtor ATA100 (5400RPM)
Memorex 36X CD-ROM
TDK 8x4x32 CD-RW
SCSI ZIP 100MB
Linksys 10/100 NIC

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin, 1759

[Erkki]

For the hassle (and POS) that ICS really is,

What do you mean by "POS"?

and the long term costs of having to run the host system for everyone to connect, it doesn't take long for the router to pay for itself.

How much do routers cost? And how exactly do they work? They can't possibly make a dial-up connection by themselves or the ADSL connection (which is practically the same as dial-up as it's not always connected). Or can they?
I would still have to have some kind of host PC running. As little as I know about routers, I thought they only work if you have a network connection.

[Erkki]

I just looked at some of the router prices at a local store and they seemed way too high for me. For example:
SMC Barricade 4*10/100+1WAN,ADSL/Cable Modem Router - about 250 USD (would that work with the ADSL? The ADSL uses PPPoE and it requires a program to "connect")
I don't have a credit card so ordering online is a hassle and shipping to here is not cheap. So finding a better price on the internet will probably not turn out much that much better.
Why should I spend that much when I only have 2-3 computers in the LAN and ICS can do it for free? (once I get it working again)
The host PC would be on most of the time anyway, but yes actually it would be a big plus if it wouldn't have to be and I wouldn't have to worry about the host restarting/crashing. That's the only plus I can see and I don't think it's worth the price for me. Only the host + 1 client is going to *actively* use the Internet anyway.

Erkki