Using a Wireless Computer as a LAN Gateway

Moyer · 05-15-2006, 06:44 PM

I know this is slightly convoluted, but I have a desktop (without wireless) and a laptop (with wireless.) I have a wireless router acting as an internet access point.
My laptop and desktop are on a wired lan connection via a Linksys switch and my question is: Since the laptop is receiving wireless internet can I can somehow share that wireless access over the wired connection so my desktop can use the internet?

I have tried many different bridging and internet sharing configurations and I cannot get it to work. Any suggestions?

Thanks alot!

Law · 05-15-2006, 06:51 PM

You want to connect your desktop to your laptop for internet sharing? I don't understand...you have a home router, why not use that?

Moyer · 05-15-2006, 07:00 PM

The home router is connected to another desktop downstairs. The desktop setup upstairs (along with the laptop) is temporary - for a guest, and I would rather not run cable up there.

I want the desktop - which is on a little wired mini-network with the laptop - to be able to use the laptops wireless internet connection.

Law · 05-15-2006, 07:06 PM

If you got the the upstair desktop connected to the laptop NIC port with cable you can do this.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

Moyer · 05-15-2006, 07:15 PM

I tried using ICS. Nothing will work, can you be a little more specific?

Law · 05-15-2006, 07:19 PM

Did you bridge the two NIC card on your laptop?? You must also use a crossover cable and not the straight through cable that you use to connect your router to the PC. A crossover cable is a cable for connecting two PC together.

Moyer · 05-15-2006, 07:22 PM

The wired lan between the desktop and the laptop is using a linksys switch, so a crossover cable isnt needed.

I bridged the wireless and the lan on the laptop and tried using ICS, but I don't know the specifics of what must be done. Like what IPs i need to use for each device, what I should set the gateways to. etc etc.

Law · 05-15-2006, 07:24 PM

You have to assign both NIC that are connected together an IP address for example.

The laptop has two NIC, the wireless NIC has an IP address of lets say 192.168.1.100 and 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.1.1, it's second NIC (wired) needs to be assigned an IP address but in another network but with the wireless IP address as it's default gateway like this 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.1.100 <---address of the wireless NIC.

The desktop NIC has to be in the same network as the laptop (wired NIC) so you can give it an IP address of 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0 default gateway is (the laptop wired NIC) 192.168.2.1 and DNS information you must enter (get the information from your laptop by doing ipconfig /all in command prompt.

And make sure you enable ICS and bridge the two NIC on your laptop.

Law · 05-15-2006, 07:26 PM

Does the switch have an IP address? or is it non-manageable?

Moyer · 05-15-2006, 07:57 PM

OK thanks alot for the help, but I've encountered a few issues. ICS wants the wired NIC to be 192.168.0.1 - which isn't the same as wireless NIC's IP (which is getting auto-assigned from the wireless router.)

Also, when I bridge the two, it magically kills my wireless connection. This is such a pain in the ***, but my guest really wanted his desktop to have internet access, and since he's only staying a few days I thought we could make it work with the current setup.

As far as I know the switch is non-manageable.

05-15-2006, 06:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
Moyer Newb Techie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	Using a Wireless Computer as a LAN Gateway I know this is slightly convoluted, but I have a desktop (without wireless) and a laptop (with wireless.) I have a wireless router acting as an internet access point. My laptop and desktop are on a wired lan connection via a Linksys switch and my question is: Since the laptop is receiving wireless internet can I can somehow share that wireless access over the wired connection so my desktop can use the internet? I have tried many different bridging and internet sharing configurations and I cannot get it to work. Any suggestions? Thanks alot!

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05-15-2006, 06:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Law Wizard Techie Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,171	You want to connect your desktop to your laptop for internet sharing? I don't understand...you have a home router, why not use that?

05-15-2006, 07:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
Moyer Newb Techie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	The home router is connected to another desktop downstairs. The desktop setup upstairs (along with the laptop) is temporary - for a guest, and I would rather not run cable up there. I want the desktop - which is on a little wired mini-network with the laptop - to be able to use the laptops wireless internet connection.

05-15-2006, 07:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Law Wizard Techie Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,171	If you got the the upstair desktop connected to the laptop NIC port with cable you can do this. http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

05-15-2006, 07:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
Moyer Newb Techie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	I tried using ICS. Nothing will work, can you be a little more specific?

05-15-2006, 07:19 PM	#6 (permalink)
Law Wizard Techie Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,171	Did you bridge the two NIC card on your laptop?? You must also use a crossover cable and not the straight through cable that you use to connect your router to the PC. A crossover cable is a cable for connecting two PC together.

05-15-2006, 07:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Moyer Newb Techie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	The wired lan between the desktop and the laptop is using a linksys switch, so a crossover cable isnt needed. I bridged the wireless and the lan on the laptop and tried using ICS, but I don't know the specifics of what must be done. Like what IPs i need to use for each device, what I should set the gateways to. etc etc.

05-15-2006, 07:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
Law Wizard Techie Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,171	You have to assign both NIC that are connected together an IP address for example. The laptop has two NIC, the wireless NIC has an IP address of lets say 192.168.1.100 and 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.1.1, it's second NIC (wired) needs to be assigned an IP address but in another network but with the wireless IP address as it's default gateway like this 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.1.100 <---address of the wireless NIC. The desktop NIC has to be in the same network as the laptop (wired NIC) so you can give it an IP address of 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0 default gateway is (the laptop wired NIC) 192.168.2.1 and DNS information you must enter (get the information from your laptop by doing ipconfig /all in command prompt. And make sure you enable ICS and bridge the two NIC on your laptop.

05-15-2006, 07:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Law Wizard Techie Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,171	Does the switch have an IP address? or is it non-manageable?

05-15-2006, 07:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
Moyer Newb Techie Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	OK thanks alot for the help, but I've encountered a few issues. ICS wants the wired NIC to be 192.168.0.1 - which isn't the same as wireless NIC's IP (which is getting auto-assigned from the wireless router.) Also, when I bridge the two, it magically kills my wireless connection. This is such a pain in the ***, but my guest really wanted his desktop to have internet access, and since he's only staying a few days I thought we could make it work with the current setup. As far as I know the switch is non-manageable.