Help! Connecting to the Internet via another computer...

[1Longmeads]

Help!

I have two computers. One is a PC with Windows 98 (ver 2) and is connected directly to the internet. The other is a new laptop with Windows XP (Home). I have connected them together on a network with an ethernet cable etc. When I originally did this, I had no problems and could access the internet on my laptop via the PC. Now I can't. Although I can still 'see' each computer from the other, and access files; I can't access the internet on the laptop, via the PC, as I could before. I have tried to reinstall the network, but it make no difference, and when I repair the Network Bridge (on my laptop in XP) it eventually comes up with the message "Repair Connection: The following steps of the repair operation failed: Renewing the IP address. Please contact your network administrator or ISP." How can I fix this? Can anyone help me?

[BipolarBill]

Try re-running the Internet Connection Sharing on Win98. Do not bother using the floppy it creates - XP doesn't need it.

[1Longmeads]

I've tried to do that - maybe I'm doing something wrong? Any chance of explaining...

Thanks

[BipolarBill]

The way it works is that the ICS PC becomes what's called a "DHCP server" which assigns the IP address for the other PC. Either Win98 isn't running ICS or XP isn't allowing the connection.

In XP, it's probably a good idea to run the Home Networking Wizard again to be sure that it's aware of "who's boss". ;)

[Midknyte]

please look at this thread:
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=150866

Get a router and save yourself the headache. ICS is a PITA.