Direct cable network help

Ive got a problem,
I have a HP laptop and want to direct link to my Advent Desktop using a
crossover cable.

Now both computers know that each are there ( the lights come on at the
network sockets and they tell me network cable is unplugged if I switch one
off)

On the laptop it says that I have no IP address but the spaces for ip
address are greyed out.
I can't get ICS (internet connection sharing) to work either.

Ive tried Pinging each other but that fails too. Any clues ?

both run XP home

Thanks


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In article <c78rsg$icl$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Robert Scott"
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> Ive got a problem,
> I have a HP laptop and want to direct link to my Advent Desktop using a
> crossover cable.
>
> Now both computers know that each are there ( the lights come on at the
> network sockets and they tell me network cable is unplugged if I switch one
> off)
>
> On the laptop it says that I have no IP address but the spaces for ip
> address are greyed out.
> I can't get ICS (internet connection sharing) to work either.
>
If ICS doesn't work then the chances are that the DHCP server isn't
working, so the laptop won't be getting an IP address that works.

Set the desktop to 192.168.0.1, netmask 255.255.255.0
Set the laptop to 192.168.0.2, netmask 255.255.255.0
Check you can ping each from the other by IP address.
If you can then the NICs and TCP/IP are working.

Enable ICS on the desktop machine
Enable DHCP on the laptop
On the laptop run
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig
and see if it comes up with sensible values

If you've got this far then all you need to do is sort out
accounts/permissions/shares for file and printer sharing.
If you haven't got this far, where did it go wrong?