peer to peer network on Win2000 using crossover cable

[Imran_9]

Hi,
Could any one help me step by step to set up my two pc's both with Windows 2000, pc-1 has 2 Netword card which is connected to cable modem and the other one connect to pc-2 using crossover cable, I would like to make pc-1 as host and pc-2 to be client. I would like to share the internet and also the drives/printers. If some come could help me that would be great. Thanks.

[Jerome Henry · Accepted solution]

Set up both PC with an IP address :
right click on network favorites, properties, then check that TCP/IP is installed, install it if necessary, go to its properties, PC 1 NIC 1 going to modem will be on DHCP address, DNS depending on your ISP, NIC 2 can be 192.168.0.1, mask 255.255.255.0, no special gateway, PC 2 NIC can be 192.168.0.2, mask 255.255.255.0, gateway 192.168.0.1.
Go to start, programs, administration tools, routing and distant access (it may be slightly different names, I'm translating from my french box), right click on your computer and go to 'configure and activate routing and distant access. Set Internet access server, choose Internet connection sharing, and share your modem cable connexion.
You now share your internet connection.
On PC2, just open explorer, go to tools, options, connection, delete if there are any numbering options, go down to network parameters, and see that 'proxy auto detect' is checked.

Go to start/parameters,
printers, on PC1, right click on your printer, go to share, and share it ! You then see and hand under it.
On PC2, go to start, parameters, printer, add new printer, network printer, you'll see PC1, click on '+' on its left, you'll see your printer, select it, install it now as usual.
You now share your printer.

To share a drive, I suggest you don't share a whole drive, to avoid any trouble coming from internet. Just share a directory (or several, but I suggest no dir with system files, as \winnt and so on). Go to my computer on PC1, open your drive up to the time you see the directory you want to share, right click on it, clik share, choose to share just for reading stuff from PC2, but no changing, or full access.
From PC2, click on network favorite, you'll see PC1, double click on it, you see your share.
You can do the same to share from PC2.

Thanks to assign points if all that is useful :]

Do not hesitate to ask more if you need some other tips.

J

[Ernest Ford]

There's a MUCH easier way - it's called Internet Connection Sharing or ICS.

Make sure you can identify which of the network cards is connected to the cable modem - go to Properties for My Network Places (right-click My Network Places and choose Properties, right-click the network connection that is hooked up to the cable modem and choose Properties - select the Sharing tab and then check the Enable Internet Connection Sharing for This Connection box, and then click OK - click OK on the warning message that pops up and you're done configuring ICS

Make sure the second computer is set up for DHCP - and you're good to go.

For more information - consult Windows HELP on Internet Connection Sharing - it's there in detail

[Jerome Henry]

Ernest's solutions is the same as for internet connection sharing. But it supposes that your ISP can allow you 2 addresses on going to the Net, which implies in many countries to subscribe both (and pay twice). I do not know how it is for your country, that's why I suggested to set private address yourself for PC2.

You may try it, and if you get trouble, go back to the first soltuion.

It doesn't apply of course to any other share, driver or printer.

RGDS

J

[Ernest Ford]

Jerome,

Just for your information - ICS will share the Internet connection using only ONE ip address which can be set however your ISP requires it - static or DHCP.

The second NIC in the machine WILL be set to 192.168.0.1 - this can NOT be changed in W2K although this can be done with W9x - and uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to provide internet access to the second (private) network.

It is available on ALL versions of Windows from 98 upwards UNLIKE your solution which is restricted to the server family of product.

[Jerome Henry]

Thanks for the tip Ernest,

But what about PC2 ? Do you mean that it doesn't have to have any IP address set ?

J

[Ernest Ford]

Jerome,

In my first post I said "Make sure the second computer is set up for DHCP" - the computer that is running ICS acts as a DHCP server.

Microsoft says this is usable for upto 5 systems - in my experience you can run more, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

[Jerome Henry]

Ernest,

I read your post. My question was : what IP address do PC2 get, then ? 192.168.0.x like, or the ISP given public address ? I suppose kind of 192.168.0.2 and so on, what does your experience shows ?

[Ernest Ford]

My apologies - I assumed that as an expert in this area you'd understand how DHCP and NAT work. Also - since you have a system running W2K - you could have checked the HELP system - it really does have all the details - in fact that might have been the better way to go, since it would have been in your native language.

Anyway - the system running ICS has the first NIC connected to the ISP and the second NIC is set as 192.168.0.1. The system has a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server that automatically assigns addresses to the remaining PCs - whatever quantity you have - in the range of 192.168.0.2 - 192.168.0.254. The DHCP server also sets the default gateway and the DNS (Domain Name Server) to 192.168.0.1 although the system does not actually perform any DNS duties - it simply passes the DNS request onto the ISP's DNS server and then passes the response back.

ICS uses a technique known as NAT overload (Network Address Translation) to make ALL of the private network addresses (192.168.0.x) appear to be the single public address issued by the ISP.

As I mentioned with W2K the private subnet can NOT be changed from 192.168.0.x although with W9x this can be done by editing the registry

[Jerome Henry]

Hi Ernest,

It's fun for me to see how agressive are your posts...

Thanks a lot anyway to take time and let me discover DHCP, NAT, Windows and many other conepts I just heard about without really understanding what they were.

Thanks also to point that there is very well made and efficient help stuff in m$... I always thought that .chm files were quite poor.

Guess what ? I'm MCP 70-216, that's why I dared put this red star here. I'm sure that you know what this certification is about.

I'm glad to discover too that what is MUCH easier in your solution is to let the system do what I suggested to do manually. You are perfectly right, it's MUCH easier. I'm glad to see that you also can explain how it works.

Long live to you Ernest, and keep foruming. This is a place of help and friendship.

J