Internet Connection Sharing

Topic

New Reply

Hi I wasn’t sure if I should post this question here or in the Windows XP.

My problem is, I have 2 PC’s on a home network, the main PC is running XP Pro and the other XP Home both have SP2 installed. The network is running fine although on occasions some of the shared folders don’t show up in My Network Places (but that’s another issue)

My problem is that I have tried to install Internet Connection Sharing but can’t seem to get it to work, I have followed the M’soft KBA 306126, but it still eludes me. My host PC has a ESS ES56H-PI Data Fax Voice Modem installed. When I try to connect through the client pc (by opening Internet Explorer) it wants to connect to the net by dialing in even though my host PC is already connected.

I hope this makes sense. Is anyone able to give me any suggestions
Thanks in advance

Reply | Quote

Replies

The first thing to check is Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Connections
Make sure this is set to “Never dial a connection”

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart
Thanks for your suggestion, I’ve checked the setting and have now changed it to never dial a connction, but it still isn’t working.

Any other suggestions?

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Can you give a bit more information than “isn’t working”. Hopefully it is no longer attempting to dial out?

Can you type the command IPCONFIG into a command prompt on both computers and let us know what output you get.

Can you try Start > Run > NETSH DIAG GUI
When the window appears click on “Set scanning options” and check all the boxes except Verbose
Click “Scan your system”
This will run a whole series of different network tests, which may pinpoint where the problem is
Wait a few minutes for the tests to finish
Let us know what results you get, particularly which tests PASS

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart

Thanks again for your help and sorry for not giving enough information. What I meant to say was when I open Internet Explorer it comes up saying “Can’t find server”, and yes it no longer tries to dial out.

Also I have run all the tests you suggested and was going to attached them but they are too big. Is there some way I can send them or would you prefer me to detail them here. I have attached the IPCONFIG test results.

Cheers

Reply | Quote

The IPCONFIG output is really helpful.

The “Server PC” is correctly using address 192.168.0.1 on it’s Ethernet adapter and a different, valid looking address on it’s dial up.
The “Client PC” is correctly using address 192.168.0.2 with a gateway of 192.168.0.1 so we know that the “Server PC” is running ICS and has given the Client information via DHCP.

On the client PC what happens if you type PING 192.168.0.1
On the client PC can you access web sites by address, rather than name. e.g. http://207.46.236.29/%5B/url%5D to get to the Microsoft web site.
Can you let us know which Network diagnostics passed and which failed.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

(Edited by Leif on 01-Feb-05 18:02. to move very lengthy test results into the attachment.)

Hi Stuart

I did the ping test and have attached the results.
I tried entering the site address you provided but again the same result ie “cannot find server”

The results of the Network Diagnotics are in the attached document

Hope this all makes sense to you.

Cheers and thanks again

Reply | Quote

Dax,

It’s quite hard ploughing through that output, but it looks to me as though every single network test PASSED on both the server and the client. Is that right? Not a single red FAILED on either computer?

To reduce the strain on other Loungers you might want to edit your post to remove most of that data, and just say which tests passed/failed.

Can you try a couple more commands from the CLIENT computer
PING 203.164.196.137
PING 203.2.75.132

The first of these tests the ability to talk to the far side of the HOST computer
The second tests whether we can talk to the DNS server that the HOST computer is using

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart

Thanks for the advice re the size of the last message. I haven’t amended it as Leif has included it in the attachment.

Yes you are correct there were no red failed results in either test.

I have run the additional ping tests you requested and have attached them for you.

Thanks again for your help I really appreciate it

Cheers

Reply | Quote

The additional pings show that the HOST PC is not routing packets from the CLIENT PC, even though we know (from earlier pings) that it can receive them on it’s Ethernet port.

My guess is that there is a Service not running that ought to be. I don’t have a PC running ICS, so I can’t check what services should be started. I will try looking round the Microsoft web site later (when I’m not at work) unless someone else can post a list of Services that should be started with ICS.

Can you look in Event Viewer (Start > Run > Eventvwr) to see if there were any errors around the time you started up the HOST PC, or at the time the Client tried it’s PING.

In the meantime can you try the following on the HOST PC.
Start > Run > Services.msc
Actions > Export List > give it a file name
Post the file here as an attachment, so we can see what services you are running.

It will be a TAB separated text file, with some long entries, so one of us needs to import it into Excel to make it usable.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart

I have run the events viewer and couldn’t see any issues.

I have also generated the services.msc and have attached it. I haven’t converted it to excel as I don’t have excel on my pc…sorry.

Cheers

Reply | Quote

I can see absolutely no reason why this is not working.

Do you have ANY firewalls installed? I could imagine a firewall causing these symptoms.

The only other suggestion I have is to turn off internet connection sharing on the HOST PC, reboot the HOST PC and reenable ICS, maybe something went wrong when you turned it on the first time and some functionality wasn’t enabled – but I can’t imagine what!

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart
I guess we are starting to run out of ideas.

I do have Zone Alarm running, but have previouly switched it off but without any change.

Ialso turned off ICS on the host rebooted then reenabled it but I still have the same problem.

Guess I’ll just have to grin and bear it until our local telecommunications company (Telstra) pull there finger out so I can get ADSL connected.

Thanks for all your help, it was really appreciated

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Dax,
Just ran across this: Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing. Maybe it will help.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Thanks Joe

I’ll work through it later today

Cheers

Reply | Quote

We have had at least one case where Zone Alarm caused something a bit similar and even turning it off didn’t fix the symptoms. I think this is because of the low level at which it operates, meaning that it interferes even when supposedly disabled.

Can you try completely deinstalling Zone Alarm – test the ICS and then reinstal Zone Alarm again.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

art

No luck again.

I completely uninstalled Zone Alarm, rebooted the system, tested the ICS then reinstalled Zone Alarm and rebooted. Unfortunately the same problem still exists, I still can’t access the net from the client PC

Cheers
Frank

PS I’ve had a read through the ICS information Joe suggested but there is nothing there that offers any other ideas

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Not sure if this will work for you, but give it a try:
http://www.twiga.ltd.uk/rdu.asp%5B/url%5D

Reply | Quote

Hi Dave

Thanks for the advice and link. I downloaded RDU and gave it a try but without any luck.

My problem at the moment is that my LAN is working, when I’m connected to the net on the host pc, it shows up on my client PC but when I try to access the net by opening IE I get a message advising it can not find server. I have tried both IE and Firefox and also Outlook but none can access the net.

It’s all a bit of a mystery

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Dax, if I might add a suggestion. Was ZA completely uninstalled? I’m not sure if this is the case with newer versions of ZA, but with older versions, the True Vector service continued to run even after ZA was uninstalled. Uninstall ZA, reboot and then check to see if the True Vector engine is still running. If so, uninstall it via Add/Remove programs and see what happens.

Reply | Quote

Hi John

Thanks for your advice. Yes I did uninstall ZA using the uninstall feature and then rebooted, checked it was fully uninstalled and then tried access the net but again to no avail.

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Remember that when you uninstall your third party firewall, the SP2 firewall will kick in.
Have you checked ALL machines to see that it is NOT on?

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

Hi Dave

Thanks for your advice, yes I did check the XP Firewall and you are right it had switched itself on, luckily I checked this after uninstalling ZA and rebooting, so when I tried to access the Net on the client PC the XP Firewall was switched off and ZA was uninstalled.

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Dax,

This functionality should work, and does work for other people. We just have to work out what is interfering with your configuration.

The problem is definitely on the HOST PC and not the client, changing browsers etc will have no impact. Can you confirm that you deinstalled and disabled all firewalls on the HOST when you were testing.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart

Yes I did uninstall Zone Alarm on both the PC’s, rebooted and then disabled the XP Firewall before trying to connect on the client PC, again without success

Cheers

Reply | Quote

Hi everyone

Thanks for all your help with my problem. Unfortunately the client PC still isn’t accessing the net. I don’t like admitting defeat but in this case I think I’ll just accept it. Will just have to leave it until I get ADSL and retry then.

Thanks again
Cheers

Reply | Quote

Abject, grovelling apologies for not solving your problem. Please do post here if you ever find an explanation.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart

No grovelling required, I accepted long ago that somethimes somethings on a pc just won’t work no matter what is tried. Probably my best bet will be to bring forward my annual format and reinstall of Windows and see if that works, but at the moment I don’t have the time to do it.

Will most certainly post a message if I happen to stumble over what the problem was.

Cheers

Reply | Quote