How to do I share internet using an Ethernet cord?

Question

Hi, I have 2 desktop PCs. The one with Windows XP has internet via my Wireless-G USB adapter. The other PC, which is running Windows 98 SE, has no internet access. I was wondering if I could use an Ethernet cord to connect the PC with no internet to the PC with internet and share the connection. It might be harder considering that the PC with no internet has Win 98. Any solutions? I already connected the cord to both the computers.

The specs (if it even helps):
PC with internet:
Windows XP Pro SP3
Pentium 3 933 MHz
512 MB RAM

PC without internet:
Windows 98 Second Edition
Pentium 4 1.70 GHz
480 MB RAM

Thanks!

Answer 1

The best and easiest solution would be to obtain a similar USB adapter for your second PC. Alternatively, if your router has wired ports, you could run a CAT5 cable from your second PC to the router.



- John

Answer 2

You can bridge the connection from the XP machine to the 98 machine. It's pretty simple.



What you do is on the XP machine with the wireless you need to plug the ethernet cable into it and the other end into the Win98.



Secondly you need to go to Network Connections (from control panel) and while holding CTRL you need to click on both the wireless and Local Area connections (this selects them both). Then right click on one of the connections and click Bridge connections.



What this does is essentially it shares the connection from the wireless to the local area (wired) and from there it will travel through the ethernet cable to your windows 98 machine. It's effective but in order for your connection to work on the 98 machine you need the XP to be on.



Your most efficient solution would be to buy a switch. Good luck. If you have any trouble just search "bridging network connections" and you'll find tons of info.

Answer 3

The long answer: It can be done, but not easily (or with great results).



The short answer: If your Win98 PC has a PCMCIA slot, spend ~$20 and buy a wireless card and connect your second computer to your wi-fi router.



If you want to simply connect a wire between the two, a straight Ethernet cable will NOT be the answer. You will need to buy a "crossover" cable, and these can cost as much as the card.



Going the cable route also requires that the first computer be turned on in order for the second one to access the Internet. The wireless card does not.

Answer 4

First you can not do this with an ordinary ethernet cable, you would need a cross-over cable. But since you have a wireless router you simply plug the second machine into one of the router ports. It will then connect automatically. Through the other machine requires a lot of extra configuration, places a large lod on that machine and is notoriously unreliable.

Answer 5

First you need to make sure that both machines are in the same work group



From the desk top, right click on my computer.



left click on computer name

then under to rename this computer, left click on change

name the computer something easily recognizeable, and use your last name for the work group.



Then click on apply and close out of that.

you'll get a prompt saying changes will take effect when you restart...



Repeat the steps above on the other machine.

use the same name for the work group but a different name for the computer.



Then you need to -



go into the machine with the wireless card, and click on start> settings>network connections, and then RIGHT click on your wireless connection, then slide down to properties, and left click it.

left click on advanced. then check "allow other network users to connect through this computers network connection.



make sure the box below that" allow other network users to to control or disable this network connection is NOT checked...



shut down and reboot both machines, and then try to open internet explorer on both machines... you should be online on both...



If the second machine still doesnt see the internet, then make sure you are using a ---> CROSSOVER <--- ethernet cable and try it again...



a regular ethernet cable will not work in this case. you have to have a crossover cable which has 2 sets of wires flipped inteernally, for the machines to be able to talk to each other....

Answer 6

for the PC with no internet, you would need to purchase and install a NIC (Network Interface Card) card into the PC. Unless it already has one. From there you would take the ethernet cable plug it into the NIC card and run it from the PC to a router/switch. I'm assuming you own a switch, from there you would go into the network properties (Control Panel - Network devices) or in your Device Manager look for Network Interface Card. on your NIC card and set everything to Automatic, assign an IP, DNS, and Subnet automatically. from there you should have internet.

Answer 7

No it cannot. You cannot share an internet connection that way. Just so you know its called a Laptop not Labtop.

Answer 8

You will need a router.



Your modem will connect to the router and each computer will connect to the router which will share the internet.



http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/routers/g/bldef_router.htm