Cable and Windows 98 - ME
General
Overview
Configuring a Server or stand alone PC
Connecting Problems
Networking
Configuring the second Network Card
Activating Internet Connection Sharing
Configuring the client PCs
Summary
Additional on-line Help
Overview
Note: If you're using a router
the information below is not relevant.
To share a Cable Internet connection using Windows 98, ME, Windows
2000 or XP's built in Internet Connection Sharing, you'll need
a PC to act as a Server to handle the incoming connection and
to distribute that to the other computer/s.
The Server will need two Network cards. One to connect to the
Cable Modem and one to connect to the internal network.
If you're just connecting to one other PC without a hub, you can
only achieve that by using a crossover cable. If you're connecting
via a hub or switch, you'll need to use a standard, straight through
cable as the hub provides the crossover.
Older coaxial Networks are exactly the same to configure in principal.
Configuring a Server or Stand Alone PC
Configuring the NIC is straightforward.
Once it’s fitted and the drivers are installed, plug the modem
in.
Go to control panel
Click on “networking”.
Select the TCP/IP on the adapter
you just installed 
Click “properties”
Select “Bindings”, and un-tick the boxes. They’re not needed.
(This will cause a warning to pop up about not selecting
anything to bind to, but just select “no” and continue.)
Disable “WINS”
Make sure the IP address is
set to “obtain automatically”.
There should be nothing in “Gateways”
“DNS” should be disabled.
Then click “ok” and reboot when prompted.
Connecting problems
If you can't connect, check that you're actually getting an IP
address from the ISP
Click "Start" and "run" and type winipcfg
and enter.
Click release and renew on the window that pops up
If it times out and you only get an address that starts with
169 you have problems.
Ensure the Network card is configured correctly as above
Ensure any link lights are on at the card and on the modem
Ensure all leads are tested and proven
Ensure that there are no conflicts in the device manager
Ensure that the Network card does in fact work by testing
with another proven card if necessary
Remove any other Network cards
Uninstall any software that may be related to Internet or
Networking, particularly firewalls & VPN clients
Uninstall any dial-up or dial-in connections
Check that there are no proxies configured in Internet Options
> Connections > LAN Settings
Try the Winsock Patch from the Downloads
Page
If all this fails, you most likely have a corrupted registry
and a complete format is the quickest
option.
That's it for a stand alone PC. Continue ahead for Networking.
Now for the other Network Card
Go to your "Control Panel"
Choose "Network"
Choose the "Configuration" tab
Highlight the TCP/IP on the
network card which is connected to your LAN.
Click "Properties"
Choose the "IP Address" tab
and give it a static IP of 192.168.0.1
Set the subnet mask to
255.255.255.0
 Note:
For the Computers to all "see" each other in Network
Neighbourhood, otherwise known as "My Network Places",
ensure file & printer sharing is active on this card.
Activating ICS
To set up ICS, windows help is
an excellent resource. More on-line help below.
Go to control panel > add/remove programs > windows
setup.
For Win 98, double click Internet Tools and tick Internet
Connection Sharing.
For ME, double click Communications and tick Internet Connection
Sharing.
Then click apply and the ICS
wizard will start. Follow your nose.
Don't worry about creating a client disk, just set the client
PCs as per below.
For
best results and ease of set up, I suggest that all your client
PCs be set to “obtain IP address
automatically.” ICS prefers it
this way. Just remember to boot up the server
first.
Note:
If you want static IPs on the
LAN, you'll need to install the server's
IP address as a gateway
on the client PCs and also as
a DNS search order.
This is often a good method to get around inexplicable difficulties.
For more experienced users, there is a nice little freeware app
called ICS
configuration that allows advanced port mapping in ICS to
solve problems with running programs like ICQ
from client PCs.
ICS
also has issues with "wake on LAN" features that some
Network Cards have. Turn them off if you get BSODs
or odd conflicts happening with ICS enabled.
Client Configuration
Go to control panel
Click on “networking”.
Select the TCP/IP on the adapter
plugged into your hub or other PC
Click “properties”
Disable “WINS”
Make sure the IP address is
set to “obtain automatically”.
There should be nothing in “Gateways”
“DNS” as below
*
Then click “ok” and reboot when prompted.
* Telstra users: If you're having trouble accessing news
groups, logging into Telstra or sending & receiving email
just add "XXX.bigpond.net.au" as a domain suffix (Where XXX is
your state - nsw, vic, qld, sa, wa etc) to the TCP/IP settings
on all the client PCs. (Pics
- win98/ME .
Win2K )
* Other Broadband users will need to consult
their ISP for these details. Often they're mentioned in on-line
FAQs.
For email: Just put your mail server's name in the SMTP
field in the relevant email address properties. In Outlook Express,
it should look like this for BigPond users.
You will need to do this whether your email account
is with your Broadband ISP or not. Any replies will come to you
via your usual mail server. So it'll use your ISP’s to send and
the other to receive. Your contacts won't know the difference.
Note:
If you want static IPs
on the LAN, you'll need to install the server's
IP address as a gateway on the client
PCs and also as a DNS search order.
This is also often a good method to get around some inexplicable
difficulties.
Note:
For the Computers to all "see" each other in Network
Neighbourhood, otherwise known as "My Network Places",
ensure file & printer sharing is active on this card.
Summary
The end result should look like this -
(Any settings not mentioned should be left at default)
The Server
Adaptor 1 connected to the modem:
TCP/IP set to obtain automatically
File & Printer Sharing on tcp/ip disabled
No DNS or Gateways enabled
Adaptor 2 connected to the LAN
TCP/IP set to 192.168.0.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
File & Printer Sharing Enabled
No DNS or Gateways enabled
The client/s
TCP/IP set to obtain automatically
File & Printer Sharing Enabled
DNS Suffix of your ISP's (BigPond is qld.bigpond.net.au or whatever
state you're in, & bigpond.net.au)
No Gateways
Alternatively -
Issue sequential static IPs in TCP/IP - 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3
etc. Subnet 255.255.255.0
File & Printer Sharing Enabled
DNS Suffix of your ISP's
DNS Server Search Order 192.168.0.1
Gateway 192.168.0.1
Links and resources
Helmig
Practically
Networked
Sharing
a USB Modem
ICS
Configuration Utility
Phil
Clayton
Mad
Mick
Ars
Technica PC building guide.
911 Networks
Windows
98 Tips & Tricks
Broomeman
Windows
2000 message board
Windows
2000 Forums
JSI Inc
Labmice
Windows
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