Internet connection sharing is one of the most common things people want out of their home networks. Any type of Internet connection can be shared. We will the discuss the easiest methods of sharing dial up connections, and DSL and Cable connections under Windows XP.
I recommend that you try the Network Setup wizard first and if that does not work you should try the following methods.
Sharing a Dial-up Connection:
To share a dial-up connection, you need the following:
1. A working network
2. A working Internet connections
Okay, now we can get to setting up the connection sharing.
Open the Network and Dial-up Connections control panel. Right click on your dial-up connection and choose Properties. Click the Advanced tab and then check Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection.
Now you will need to choose on the next two options.
Establish a dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet.
This allows other computers on your network to connect to the Internet whenever they please. If you would like access to the Internet only to be controlled manually by the computer with the modem in it don't check this one.
Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet control
If you want other computers to log off the Internet check this box.
Now you can click OK. Now Windows XP may ask you about an IP address change, allow it to change it. Click Yes and everything should be set up properly.
Sharing a DSL, Cable Connection:
There a few ways to share a DSL or a Cable connection. We will be discussing the two that are the easiest and most common, using broadband routers and using Internet Connection sharing through Windows XP.
Using a broadband router
If you want to share your Internet connection through a wireless network and access it from any computer, you will want a broadband router. Any router will do fine, but I find that Microsoft makes particularly good broadband routers.
Once you have gotten the broadband router, plug the Cable or DSL modem into the router as described in the router's documentation. Setting up a wireless network is beyond the scope of this guide.
The main advantage of such a setup is that there is no need for another computer to be turned on for everyone to use to the Internet. In the other setup, which will be described shortly, the computer that has the modem attached to it must be powered on for the Internet connection to be shared.
Using Windows XP's Internet Connection Sharing
To share a broadband, you need the following:
1. A working network
2. A working Internet connection
Now we can get to setting up Internet Connection sharing.
Open the Network and Dial-up Connections control panel and right click on the Internet connection that you wish to share and then click Properties. Now click the Advanced tab and check Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection.
Now you will need to choose on the next option.
Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet control
If you want other computers to log off the Internet check this box.
Now you can click OK. Now Windows XP may ask you about an IP address change, allow it to change it. Click Yes and everything should be set up properly.
Conclusion:
Yes, setting up an Internet Connection Sharing system is easier than it has ever been. If you use the Wizard it is even easier. If you have any problems are any issues please post the question in our forums.