Now you are getting me a little confused the fastestfox. Its somewhat exactly what I am advocating, but when you say cable, make sure its a crossover cable and not a patch cable.
But for a moment, forget you ever had another network and I can do it step by agonizing step on how to set up ICS.
First, you need a host computer with internet access. It must have a free ethernet port not used in the internet access process, and if its running XP as an OS, same as the other computer, you are have no additional complications.
Then all you need in a client computer that is another computer running win XP with a free ethernet port and a crossover cable.
In terms of a check lists of needed internet protocols for ICS, you need on both computers, checked and loaded---TCP/IP, client for microsoft network, and file and printersharing for microsoft networks in something called the local area connection that should appear on both computers when you connect both computers to their respective ethernet ports using a crossover cable. Although its my understanding it can be hot connected, just to be safe, connect the crossover while both computers are off.
Then simply boot both computers up, your local area connection should show limited connectivity because your network is not set up yet, but now is the time to check properties and protocols using your network connection icon in the control panel. If all looks good, you are ready to set up your ICS network.
A. Very important, log onto the internet with your host computer. Turn on things like printers you might want to share.
B. Go to control panel, select the network set up wizard, and carefully follow the prompts on the host computer. You do not need a network floppy disk since your OS's are the same.
C. Then go to the client computer and use its network set up wizard. Make sure you name both networks the same, I just accept the default MS home.
D. When you press finish on the client computer, you should have a working ICS network and receive internet access from the host computer on the client computer. Windows help should give you instructions on how to share more than just internet, things like files and folders or printers.
E. That is the simple basics, but lots of things can screw up. You will certainly have to make sure the windows SP2 firewall on both allows internet sharing, if you have a third party software firewall they can give you fits if they are not set up right, you may have to repair the connection if you have problems, and follow troubleshooting if the connection does not repair right, and you may have to rebuild your winsock. I do not want to scare you, but things can go wrong. But I can usually network two PC's using ICS in five minutes or so. Chances are, you will get a working network first pop out of the box.
F. You can go start---run---type Cmd---enter---and then type ipconfig /all in the next dialog box and enter to get your network ip's on both computers. ( note space between the g and / )Your host computer should show an IP of 192.168.0.1 and the client computer should show an ip of 192.168.0. xxx where xxx=some number between 2 and 254. If not you are missing a protocol. Each computer should be able to ping each other and themselves. Usually I just let the client computer picks its own IP dynamically and then set it up as a static address after.
You can PM me if anything goes wrong, but hopefully it won't.
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