Is it possible to share LAN to crossover lappy outside router?

[Bruce Lee]

My room-mates and I have a LAN setup via a 4-port router to share our DSL connection. Unfortunately, all 4 ports are used up.

My PC with dual built-in ethernet ports has 1 cable going to the router, and a crossover cable going to my laptop. On my PC, I can browse the web, join lan games, and share files with the rest of my room-mates' PCs. On my laptop, I can browse the web, but can only share files with my PC that it's physically connected to.

At work we have networked shared drives that can be accessed from any of the ton of PCs in any of the ton of buildings we have, so I'd think I should somehow be able to share files from my lappy with the rest of the network. However, I've looked all over the web, and can't find anything that specifically addresses this issue.

Can it be done? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance, all!

 

[ktwebb]

So you are bridged to the laptop?

Switches can be had for 10 bucks. Why not just add a cheap switch to the existing network?

If your bridged then all traffic should be forwarded on. Impossible to even make guesses at what might be going on since you only said it didn't work and gave zero specifics, error messages, etc..

 

[Bruce Lee]

There are no error messages. Here's an idea what it looks like
---------
| DSL |
---------
I
----
|R|--PC1--Laptop
|O|
|U|--PC2
|T|
|E|--PC3
|R|--PC4
----

So PC1 - PC4 can all browse the web. When they go to Network Places, they can see the other PCs, and are able to share files back and forth. However, PC1 (my PC) can also see my laptop in it's Network Places, and share files back and forth with it. None of the other PCs connected see my laptop in Network Places.

In case it matters, PCs 1-3 are running XP Pro, PC4 2k and Laptop XP Pro.

Laptop is connected directly to PC1's 2nd ethernet port via a crossover cable. My laptop can browse the internet, an share files back and forth with PC1 (my PC). However, none of the other PCs are viewable from my laptop's Network Places.

Is it possible to get PCs 2-4 to show up in Network Places on the laptop, or at least be able to share files freely between them?

 

[JackMDS]

Since there is a Router in the system, if your PC has WinXP Pro, you can Bridge the Laptop to your PC.

This page does not describe your specific configuration, but the principle can easily extrapolate to your needs, http://www.windowsnetworking.com/j_helmig/wxpbrdge.htm

:sun: