Can I use ICS over ad-hoc wireless (ie no AP or router)?

Hi,

I have a laptop with a D-LINK DWL-650 Cardbus card connecting to a desktop
which has a Netcomm NP7042 USB wireless LAN adapter. These operate in adhoc
mode as I do not own an AP or a router) Both are running WindowsMe.

I can share files and printers between the laptop and the desktop, but would
also like to share the internet as well if possible.

However, I cannot even get ping to work across the wireless connection. (I
am assuming that it's not worth progressing much further until I can at
least ping successfully.)

(I also surmise that the file sharing is working via NETBEUI protocol,
rather than the TCP/IP protocol - removing NETBEUI kills the file sharing,
re-installing it brings it back)

I have tried both Static IP and Dynamic IP configs to no avail. I have
managed to get ICS to successfully allocate the laptop an IP automatically -
yet still no go with ping!

Both wireless manuals indicate that their respective adapters support
TCP/IP and seem to suggest that this should work in the peer-to-peer adhoc
mode.

Am I trying to achieve the impossible (without purchasing extra hardware)?

If not, any ideas on what settings I could try?

Thanks,
ColinW

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 22:22:58 +1100, "Colin Watts" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I have a laptop with a D-LINK DWL-650 Cardbus card connecting to a desktop
>which has a Netcomm NP7042 USB wireless LAN adapter. These operate in adhoc
>mode as I do not own an AP or a router) Both are running WindowsMe.
>
>I can share files and printers between the laptop and the desktop, but would
>also like to share the internet as well if possible.
>
>However, I cannot even get ping to work across the wireless connection. (I
>am assuming that it's not worth progressing much further until I can at
>least ping successfully.)
>
>(I also surmise that the file sharing is working via NETBEUI protocol,
>rather than the TCP/IP protocol - removing NETBEUI kills the file sharing,
>re-installing it brings it back)
>
>I have tried both Static IP and Dynamic IP configs to no avail. I have
>managed to get ICS to successfully allocate the laptop an IP automatically -
>yet still no go with ping!
>
>Both wireless manuals indicate that their respective adapters support
>TCP/IP and seem to suggest that this should work in the peer-to-peer adhoc
>mode.
>
>Am I trying to achieve the impossible (without purchasing extra hardware)?
>
>If not, any ideas on what settings I could try?
>
>Thanks,
>ColinW
>
I'm thinking one or both of your machines has a firewall running.

Get it back to the point where the ICS machine successfully allocates
an IP address to the remote machine, go into the TCP/IP properties on
both machines and under the "Advanced" tabs check "Set this protocol
to be the default protocol". Now you should be able to delete NETBEUI
and still share files.

Shut down any firewalls (like Zonealarm) and try it.

If a firewall is your problem, you can configure the firewall so that
your 192.168.0.x network is "trusted" and you should be good to go,
unless I missed something.

HTH


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

> "Mike Patterson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> Shut down any firewalls (like Zonealarm) and try it.
> If a firewall is your problem, you can configure the firewall so that
> your 192.168.0.x network is "trusted" and you should be good to go,


Yes, I am using Zonealarm. I tried the IP range idea (hadn't realised you
can set a whole range at a time!). Unfortunately, that didn't help so I
disabled it
altogether. Still no good.

> Get it back to the point where the ICS machine successfully allocates
> an IP address to the remote machine, go into the TCP/IP properties on
> both machines and under the "Advanced" tabs check "Set this protocol
> to be the default protocol". Now you should be able to delete NETBEUI
> and still share files.
>
Thanks, more good advice, but that didn't work either.

> unless I missed something.
>

I figure that I must be missing something!
I take it from your reply that what I am trying to do SHOULD be possible.

I have set TCP/IP on the laptop to "obtain an IP automatically". This seems
to work fine. If I change the
subnet of the desktop adapter (ie to 192.168.1.1) the laptop will
automatically follow suit (ie 192.168.1.2). And yet that seems to be the
extent of the TCP/IP interface. Can't get internet/fileshare/"net diag" or
even 'ping' to work. (fileshare and "net diag" work fine if NETBEUI is
installed, but not if only TCP/IP installed)

I wonder if my adapters are incompatible. But if so why does the dynamicIP
and NETBEUI work?

Is there a more informative diagnostic tool that 'ping' which might give me
better insight?

Thanks,
Colin Watts