Internet Connection Sharing

How to Setup Internet Connection Sharing?

Windows XP allows you to share internet connection in one computer with many computers on the network. Like File and Printer Sharing You can share Dial-up/ppp internet connection. To do this go to control panel->Network connection. Right click the Dialup-PPP connection you want to share. Make sure it is disconnected. Go to properties.

In the properties dialog box go to Advanced Tab. You will find Internet Connection Sharing option. Tick the box with "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection".

If you want the connection to be established whenver other computers on the network tries to open a web page, tick, "Establish a dial-ip connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet"

There is another tick box. "Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection.

If there are more than one ethernet adapter on your computer you will be asked to select a Local area connection. Here you will select which ethernet adapter to be used for Connection sharing.

When you click ok you will get a message stating, "You Lan adapter will be set to the IP address 192.168.0.1. You might not get this message some times for some reason.

Now your system will act as DHCP host and assign IP address automatically to other computers on the network.

If your LAN adapter is not set to the IP address 192.168.0.1 you should manually set this by opening properties dialog box of lan connection and slecting TCP/IP properties.

You can use IPCONFIG command in the command prompt to check your IP Address subnet mask etc.

OK. Now Part 1 is over by enabling ICS in the host computer. Now you have to configure other computers to access the shared internet connection. To do this open net work connection on other computer. Go to TCP/IP Properties.

Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Click properties.

Select obtain an IP address automatically and select Obtain DNS server address automatically and click ok. Now your Host computer / gateway will automaically assign IP Addrss staring 192.168.0. If that does not happen something goes wrong. Try assigning IP Address manually. Click use the following IP Address and give 192.168.0.2. For third computer give 3 for fourth give 4 and so on. Subnet mask will be 255.255.255.0. Set Default gateway to 192.168.0.1 and click use the following DNS sever addresses and give preferred DNS server 192.168.0.1 and Alternate DNS server 192.168.0.1.


If automatic IP assignment is not working your host computer also is not assigned automatic IP. In the host computer set TCPIP address to 192.168.0.1

This is the basics of Internet connection Sharing in Windows XP Computer. There might be errors/warnings during these setups. We will discuss them later.