WIN 98SE ICS (TIRED SUBJECT?) 1

[ZylaWonder]

IS THERE ANYONE IN HISTORY WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY USED ICS? TO QUALIFY MY QUESTION, I HAVE READ 16 DIFFERENT KB ARTICLES ON THIS SUBJECT. I HAVE 4 COMPUTERS CONNECTED VIA HUB; HOST COMPUTER HAS 2 NIC CARDS; 2ND NIC CONNECTED TO DSL PIPE.
1) PEER TO PEER NETWORK WORKS CORRECTLY.
2) HOST CAN GET ONTO NET FROM 2ND NIC.

WHEN I INSTALL ICS, CANNOT GET ONTO NET FROM HOST AND I CANNOT SEE NETWORK.

QUESTION #1:
IF I USE ICS WILL OTHERS STILL BE ABLE TO USE MY FILE SHARING WHILE ANOTHER USER SURFS? IN OTHER WORDS, DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE OR CAN BOTH FILE SHARING AND INTERNET SHARING HAPPEN FROM THE HOST AT THE SAME TIME?

QUESTION #2:
WILL THE FIREWALL INSTALLED AT THE HOST (SYMANTEC INTERNET FIREWALL AND ANTI-VIRUS IN ONE) TAKE CARE OF ALL OF MY SHARED INTERNET CONNECTIONS?

QUESTION #3:
WOULD A DSL ROUTER BE A BETTER SOLUTION?

QUESTION #4:
MICROSOFT IS NOT HONEST IN THAT THIS SERVICE IS EASY TO SET UP. ANYWAY, AFTER INSTALLING ICS AT THE HOST WHY WOULD I LOOSE MY NETWORK AND MY NET CONNECTION?

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP.

 

[edfair]

How about a DSL modem feeding a router.
I have a speedstream 5260 into a belkin router, into an artisoft hub. And with 4 or less systems the hub wouldn't be needed.
Modem was 65.00 on e-bay, router was 79.00.
Only problem was getting the bellsouth virtual circuit IDs. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[ZylaWonder]

Hi EdFair!

I am checking out DSL routers NOW! I decided on the ICS solution because it was already there and looked fairly simple. It's that now it has become a mission. Even if it is a mission I might not deploy just now. I have to date not read or spoke to anyone that has used this successfully.

 

[Timebomb]

I have, in the past, set up ICS with success. The problem is that I have also seen it not work. I used ICS with a dial up and a cable modem. When trying it with the DSL, it didn't work. There seems to be an issue with DSL and ICS in some areas. DSL/Cable Modem routers are so cheap these days, 4 port models are right around $100 at retail outlets, less at some on-line auctions.

ICS also has the drawback of seeming to be slower. If you try to do anything with the host machine, the internet connection comes to a crawl.

Hope this helps.

Tom Backus
Network Administrator
Hitchcock Industries
Bloomington, Minnesota.
backust@hitchcockusa.com

 

[Jakespeare]

I have used ICS. I was easy to setup, and it worked all 3 or 4 times I used it. It also worked quickly, and without a hassle.
All times I used a DIAL-UP connection, and had a network setup with a hub. Windows 98 everytime.

As you can see, this was a simple and rudimentary setup.

** I Have also setup several DSL NETWORKS, with 8 OR MORE computers, and some I did in as little as 2 hours to get ALL the computers functioning on with Internet connectivity.

** AT NO TIME did I use ICS for the DSL network. I never even considered it.

>> Just my opinion, but your not using the right application ( ICS ) for the job. You DO NOT NEED ICS for the DSL network. (Why would you ?)

If you have a functioning network, and if you have a functioning DSL connection then you have DSL network.

Is the DSL DHCP ? Then it is simply a matter of getting the network set up right.
Forget the ICS. Your mission needs to be modified to fit the perameters of DSL reality.

Just an opinion. (but ICS is for simple dial-up)

 

[edfair]

I suggested the DSL modem route based on my experience with 98SE and a speedstream 3060 internal modem. I basically spent 8 hours (4 calls of 2 hours each over a week) with the bellsouth helpdesk attempting to get the 3060 to work. In the end I reverted to 95a for net access while I worked up the parts for replacement. ICS was where I was heading, but once I got tired of beating my head againt the post it was a good idea no longer worth implementing.
Once I had the parts available it was about 30 minutes for the OS install up to the point of running into the VC problem, then 30 minutes to get the answer, and another 30 to find the documentation to fix it.
I've since spent 4 or 5 hours diddling with the network, but that is because of the other stuff connected up. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[ZylaWonder]

THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR INPUT!!

Timebomb: Great response!! "The problem is that sometimes it just don't work" I LOVE IT! ROFLOL!!

Jakespeare: Ok you may be exactly right. I am not using the right tool. No argument here! But, when I read documentation from Microsoft they describe it as THE TOOL!! (Imagine that!) Also let me clarify: Only the file server (which is running 98SE) can get on the net, not my workstations. When I install ICS I even loose that. I know that some ISP's will not allow this type of set-up. Not to be a pain ...BUT..why did you not consider it and what do you mean by DSL parameters?


Hi EdFair! Glad to know that you were at least heading in the direction if ICS also. I do not feel quite so defeated to know that there are others!

So here is the mission: It may indeed not be worth the time or even the correct tool, but I do want to know more about this. I found a web site

http://www.practicallynetworked.com

that has a lot of information and the history of how ICS came to be. Even if I do not want to use it, I refuse to be defeated without knowing why and secondly make an informed decision as to that choice I make. If you're interested I will post back as to my findings.

Thanks again. Good information.

 

[ZylaWonder]

OK I GIVE. I know all I care to know about ICS! Basically, it will work but the thing is that sometimes it just won't. I find this solution to be unstable at best. For the effort spent it is not worth the end result. As those wiser before have stated:

** AT NO TIME did I use ICS for the DSL network. I never even considered it.

Anyway, I wound up with a LinkSys Router. However, this was no just a 15 minute fix, but it did work!

 

[edgestrato]

I'm having the same problem as zylawonder. However i had ics working fine on a homephoneline network (3com) with 4 machines on which a w98se machine was dsl connect to internet and server. when i moved my dsl card to the WMe machine and made that the server, the network still worked fine, and the server connects to the net fine (fast!), but as soon as i install ics, IE will not connect and none of the clients can surf over ics. Really weird: I still connect to the net (the dialup PPP connects) on the WMe host, and, AOL IM works ... but IE does not! When I remove ics, the host net connection and IE again works fine. Any suggestions for a fix?

 

[Win98User]

A couple of things spring to mind, sorry if you have already thought of them;

a. ICS needs to be uninstalled from the previous host.
b. uninstall, reboot and reinstall ICS to your new client.
c. rerun the ICS setup on your client machines.

A point worth mentioning is that when you change the adapter that is to connect to the internet or your network card, ICS must be uninstalled and reinstalled - it does not reconfigure the network adapter on the fly, as you might presume given the fact that ICS gives you "live" options to select how you connect to your home network and the internet.

Also, if you have Zonealarms free Firewall software installed - the highest protection settings disable all file sharing including ICS - it needs setting to medium.

hope it is of some help to someone, Regards.

 

[edgestrato]

thanks for response w98user but just a clarification for posterity...

a. ICS needs to be uninstalled from the previous host.
b. uninstall, reboot and reinstall ICS to your new client.
c. rerun the ICS setup on your client machines.

ICS only gets installed to the server. It should not be installed on clients.

Good point re: zonealarm, which I do run (and recomend), but have kept it disabled for all this painful troubleshooting I'm enduring Cheers...

 

[edgestrato]

turns out that my problem was a result of my provider using PPPoE ADSL.

after much pain, i discovered that in the ics wizard on setup, at the dialog which asks you to choose the network adapter you use to connect to the internet, you must choose the "connectoid" --not your DSL modem-- from this list. (The connectoid is the DUN instance your PPPoE setup installation software should create.) Complete the rest of the wizard normally.

If ICS still does not work (this makese no sense to me, but it made the difference for on reinstall), go into IE, then Tools/Internet Options and choose the Connections tab. Check the radio button "Always dial my default connection."

Also, you'll notice that on the server (not the clients) at the Connections tab, you'll see another button called sharing. Click here and you'll see that the field for your internet hardware is "dial up adapter," instead of your ADSL modem...

Finally, in the network section of device manager, the IPX/SPX protocol is bound to dial up adapter(sharing), again, instead of your ADSL modem.

I'm using a homephoneline network (3com), WinME server, W98se clients...

 

[Amphoto]

Hi, I have set up ICS many times and it is very easy, I am runnning 7 machines behind ICS on a lan, one (the host) with an wirless NIC to my ISP.
I may be able to help you.