Step by step Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) setup in Vista
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Vista lets you share your Internet connection with other computers on your network.
Logically enough, the feature that lets you do this is called Internet Connection Sharing, which gets abbreviated to ICS.
ICS can be a great way of saving time and money: instead of needing a modem and a phone line (or a DSL or cable modem) for each computer that needs Internet connectivity, you can get by with one modem and one phone line (or the equivalent). ICS is particularly good if you have a fast Internet connection such as a DSL or a cable modem that provides enough bandwidth for several computers under normal circumstances.
Set Up the Computer That Will Share the Connection
Start with the computer that will share the Internet connection. First set up your Internet connection,and then use the Network Setup Wizard to configure the computer by taking the following steps
Create and test an Internet connection using the information in the “Connecting to the Internet”.
Click on start Right-click Network and choose Properties from the context menu. You’ll see the Network and Sharing Center window.Click the Manage Network Connection link.
You’ll see the Network Connection window.You must have a minimum of two active network connections to make ICS work. The first connection is from your computer to the Internet. The second connection is from your computer to the rest of the network.
Right-click the connection to the Internet and choose Properties from the context menu.Select the Sharing tab. You’ll see sharing options like the ones shown.Check the first option to let other people use this connection to access the Internet. If you want to also allow others to manage the connection ,check the second option.Click Settings.
You’ll see the Advanced Settings dialog box shown where you can control the services that others can use on your system.
Check the standard services that you want other people to access.lick Add to add custom services to the list. You’ll see the Service Settings dialog box . Custom services require that you provide an IP address and port umber. You can make your custom service less vulnerable by choosing a different setting for the fourth field, Internal Port number for This Service, to a different value than the external port number.Click OK to add the custom service. ICS enables the option automatically.
Click OK twice to make the ICS connection functional. Vista will ensure that the connection doesn’t have any problems such as address conflicts.
Setting Up a Client Computer
Next, set up the first of your client computers. Make sure the Internet connection is still open on thecomputer you set up to share it, and then take the following steps
Open the Internet Options applet in the Control Panel. You’ll see the Internet Properties dialog box.Select the Connections tab.
Choose the Never Dial a Connection option.Click LAN Settings to display the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog box.
Check the Automatically Detect Settings and the Use Automatic Configuration Script
options. Clear the Use a Proxy Server for Your LAN option. Click OK twice to change
the settings.
NOTE You may have to reboot or at least log out and then back into the system to make the connection work. Windows may not acknowledge the availability of the shared connection otherwise.
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Help, for some reason I can’t open the advanced settings. When i click on it nothing happens.
I am trying to connect xbox 360 using my wireless connection and laptop computer. My operating system is vista and I need to know how to internet connection sharing. Please help.
Hi, I have ICS set up between 2 PCs. Host computer is XP Pro SP3 and client PC is Vista HP SP1. I got file/printer sharing and ISDN internet connection working well through TP-Link switch but Visa machine(client) keeps automatically dially the hosts internet connection even when not required. I have run msconfig on both PCs and restricted all programs from automatically starting when Windows starts with no luck. Is this normal or is there a way that I can dial the hosts Internet connection only when I need it apart from unplugging the switch to disconnect from my home network?
I am trying to connect my xbox 360 using my laptop and a wireless network!
How do I make the ICS work?
Hi, this is a great tutorial and does explain the first part of setting up ICS, however can you please elaborate since your post comes up high on the google searches and is called step by step however manay people would be sharing a wired connection into their wirless lan, can you please continue for those who dont know how to create an wireless adhoc connection. Im sure manay have found this helpful and many more will be appreciated for knowing the further steps sharing a wired connection. thank you for great ICS tutorial.
i tried all of that and it just didn’t work. I really need my internet can u please help me.
Hi,
thanks for the Great post.But I ‘ve faced some poblems while I was trying to follow the steps.I am trying to share wire Internet connection using wireless ad-hoc network.The problem is that when I click Properties of the Local Area Connection I don’t have sharing tab so I can’t share the connection.Note that my computer is running on Windows Vista.I’ll appretiate any help.Thanks in advance
Great Post but let me take a stab at answering some of the questions.
Some of you posted the question of how to use your Lan Connection as a Provider or Point of presence and then share that connection out by broadcasting it via your wireless card. This process is fairly simple follow the steps above (this works for the Verizon Air Card too just use advanced options, make sure you use the drop down change from private to wireless)once you have shared the Lan or other connection out.
1. Click Start
2. Right Click Network Go to Properties
3. Under tasks click “Set up a connection or network”
3. Click “Set up a wireless ad-hoc…”
4. Next screen shows you two computers with wireless kind of canted at each other, click next
5. Give the network a name, choose apropriate security, then choose a pass phrase and password ie “HomeNet” “G0Phi11ies!@34″. Check the box save this network.
** Your wireless card will begin broadcasting at this point.**
Now go to a client computer
1. Click Start, Right Click Network Properties
2. Click Connect to a Network
3. Locate the network you started and connect.
Hope this helps. Email me with questions.
Geo
Nice Tutorial. I want to access net from my linux system. Currently I have net running from my windows machine. I will follow this tutorial and see if things work out properly.
i have vista in 1 laptop and xp in another laptop.i hav i internet connection in in vista and i want to acess
internet in xp through wirelan.How to get this???
psl help me.
I have vista on both desktop and laptop
I did all what is Up here
but I still don’t have ICS
help
I have to say the key variable here with my situation was the IP address. The HUAWEI mobile adapter was creater a ghost type network adapter and it was assigning the 192.168.0.1 IP address to that particular device.
I simply disabled the ‘ghost’ adapter in Vista, and then tried to enable ICS sharing again. It worked flawlessly!
I just wanted to take a small amount of time and thank you for the discussion here which enabled me to finally share my mobile connection between my default connection with Vista, and my secondary computer with XP Pro SP3.
Take care, and thanks!
what &where can i find that ‘ghost’ adapter in vista
I would really love to know, what to do know i have set up the ad hoc ICS and my other laptop has connected but its local only! i have no idea why or what to do about it? can anyone help? as theres loads of step by step guides for setting it up but nothing to help when you get stuck on “Local only” ad hoc ICS. cheers
i have three computer and a laptop,i want to install networking using adsl modem. please sent me step by step configeration for it.i using win xp.
thnx i conect my 2 pc through it.
i used dsl conect in my laptop .
started the process
then opened wrless connection in two laptops
followed the instructions
set up a connection without any cost or equipment
thnx once again
Hey!
Guide all good and stuff but not working for me.
PC has onboard lan card that has internet incoming to it from house router but my 2ndary computer is unable to get internet from the 10/100 lan card. (mac os x).
this conf worked fluently on my old pc with same setup but Xp Pro.
Why is the Vista blocking my fun.
Computers are able to see eachother in lan and share files and whatnot.. why is the net missing from it?
This didn’t work for me. How do I get my ICS working and connect it to my Xbox 360 via vista? Help please. Thank you.
I have a Windows 7 desktop and an XP wireless laptop. I was connected to the internet thru a router until my ISP went out of business. I now have a Verizon broad band USB internet connection on my, host, desktop. The LAN is still working both ways thru the router, but when I set up ICS, as described above, I lose LAN connectivity, although I still have internet on the host PC via Verizon broad band. I have ordered an wireless access point to replace the router, but don’t know why I can’t share thru the router.
Thanks for your help.
Hi,
i use a usb broadband internet connection on my laptop. can someone pls tel me how do i share this connection through router??
Hello, great step by step guide by the way! I have followed it to the word though and still no luck, I have a Vista laptop connected to the internet via mobile internet (much faster then the average mobile internet though) and that’s connected in to the USB port. I want my Xbox 360 (elite) to have internet via a Ethernet cable, on the Xbox it can see the connection and identifies the ip settings, ip address and subnet mask. Everything else is 0.0.0.0 or not set. So both systems seem to be co-operating until i hit the ‘test connection to xbox live’ and it says ”There’s a problem with you connection. Select More Info for a description of the problem….” then ”Can’t obtain an IP address from your router or modem..”
Hmm so that’s not working as i would like it too.. However if you send me just a tiny bit of advice i would be FOREVER grateful, and i would HIGHLY appreciate it. So many thanks for reading my life story.
Andrew ‘Ashley’ McMahon
it doesn’t work, 4 hours of attempting to make a connection and it doesn’t work…..
Hello. I have 2 laptops A and B using windows vista with laptop A connected to the internet through a Broadband LAN cable. How do I connect Laptop B to the internet through laptop A with a cable? The wireless connection of both laptops are not working. Please help me and Thanks for your help.
Thank YOU so much!