Our desktop has just died so I'm trying to network (via a cable) our 2 laptops so we can share internet. Both our internet & our network is cabled not wi-fi. Both laptops are ASUS, one is running XP & has the modem plugged into it via USB and the other has Vista Business.

It's the Vista one that's giving me a pain. I can set up the network on the XP one but when I try to either use a network disc or set up a wired network on the Vista, I can't. The only options it's giving me are wireless. Useless wireless. Oh & I've set this wired network up before with little or no problems so it's not like I'm inexperienced! I just can't work out where I can find the option I want.

Oh & another twist to the saga....I tried installing the modem on the Vista laptop...no go. Geez!

Okay, first get some string and a couple of tin cans . . .

Seriously, I'm not quite clear on what you're trying to do.

In order to share a wired network connection, you need a router which will connect to your DSL/Cable/whatever modem. The modem gets plugged into the WAN port on the router. You will need to configure the modem for whatever log-in procedures are demanded by your ISP, though I'm sure their tech support can walk you through it. Each laptop gets plugged into one of the LAN ports on the router.

If the router is properly configured and establishes a connection with your ISP through the modem, both the Vista and XP machines will automatically detect the connection and pull IP addresses from the router (which must be configured as a DHCP server).

If you're trying to do something else, please describe in a little more detail how you're trying to connect the two machines.

It sounds like the one running xp is the router. It has a usb connection to the internet (via some sort of modem, what type of modem, we don't know) and I guess it also has a wired interface that can export it's internet connection.

It's simiilar to the 2nd diagram on this page, except it's wired, not wireless?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...tup/adhoc.mspx

Did you set up the xp computer with Internet Connection Sharing?

The only other "gotcha" would be that you might need a crossover network cable if you are connecting one computer directly to the other, but most modern nics can detect swapped tx/rx signals and deal with them.

If both computers have wireless, do it using the wireless method on that page.

You should be able to do it no matter which computer has the modem connected to it.

-David

If that's it, the OP will need a cross-over cable if she's connecting the two laptops via an ethernet cable. She'll also have to configure the XP machine to allow a shared internet connection which, if I recall correctly, may be difficult if the machine is pulling an IP address from the modem/ISP.

Oops...sorry. The two computers are connected by the big blue cable. First laptop is plugged into ADSL modem router via USB. The second laptop only has the blue cable. We have always run our desktop and one of the laptops like this, thus sharing the internet connection.

Can the two laptops share the internet connection wirelessly if the modem is not wireless? I can actually create a wireless connection between them but cannot share the internet.

I used the Network Connection wizard to create the network. This is fine on the XP...but there is no wired option on the Vista one.

I just had a look at that microsoft page (thanks LIH Prem) and it looks promising. I'll have a proper read & see if I can work it out.

Buy a router for the ADSL line. You'll get the networking functionality WAY easier and the added bonus of protecting your laptops from most of the harm they can easily succumb to on the Internet.

That's not to say that the Internet Connection Sharing option won't work but the router option is easier and safer in general.

Is there any reason that you don't simply go out and buy a wireless router? The method you're attempting to use should technically work, but as you can see, will take a bit of effort and not a very common scenario given how inexpensive wireless routers are these days.

Why not just buy yourself a cheap Wireless Access Point which can plug straight into your ADSL modem, and provide easy 1-2-3 internet access for your 2 laptops?

(Oops just noted the post above )

that's the missing link, Internet Connection Sharing on the computer with the usb modem connection.

Also, the blue cable may or may not work here. You need a crossover cable, but, most modern NICs will recognize the swapped tx/rx signals and correct for that. It sounds like it worked with your desktop. Crossover cables are usually orange, I think, but the color itself really doesn't mean anything. You need the crossover cable so that the cable itself will crossover the tx signal from computer A to be the rx signal on computer B and vice versa. If you have a switch or a router in between the computers, you don't need/use crossover cables. You only need one to connect computer-computer direct and only if the NICs don't auto-adjust for it. There's a name for that feature, but I forget what it is. Auto-sense maybe?

A wireless router with a built-in switch would be the better long term solution. They are so cheap these days, maybe $50 or less for a decent one.

-David