# Networking Win2k issues - paging handy (again) :-) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040 "2001-03-30T00:28:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/1 "2001-03-30T00:28:36Z")
I have 2 puters running win2k and one external dsl modem, all hooked up individually to an El Cheapo 4-port hub. My DSL is dynamic IP, and I have to use the EnterNet 300 program to login/establish service. I don’t have any other software/hardware that relates to this issue. U use the network for backup and file sharing purposes. Puter #1 is a Dell desktop with an internal network adapter. Puter #2 is an HP laptop with a PCMCIA network card. By some miracle, I can run the EnterNet software on puter #1 and browse the web on puter #2. However, puter #2 will not do certain things, like download from Windows Update. If I close the connection on puter #1 and loging on puter #2, everything works just fine. 1. How the heck is puter #2 going through puter #1 to get to the Net? I didn’t think it was possible to have to puters connected using one dynamic IP… 2. Why won’t downloads from IE work on puter #2 unless it is logged in? 3. What is the free solution to this problem? ---
**Author:** ![ookpik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c68b51/32.png) [@ookpik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ookpik)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/2 "2001-03-30T04:41:23Z")
You need to set up a proxy server on #1. The reason you cannot download is due to the fact that the remote machine does not know where to send the data. ---
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/3 "2001-03-30T05:11:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ookpik \* > \*\*You need to set up a proxy server on #1. The reason you cannot download is due to the fact that the remote machine does not know where to send the data. \*\* Pardon my ignorance; if the remote machine does not know where to send the data, how is data flowing currently? I’m able to download HTML pages, etc. on both computers as currently configured. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/4 "2001-03-30T13:32:56Z")
What’s happening now is your first computer is acting as an HTTP proxy – it receives the port 80 request from computer #2 and retransmits it over the DSL connection, then receives the data back from the remote web site and kicks it back to computer #2. However, downloads that use something other than HTTP – like Windows Update, which I think uses FTP – are stymied by this, since computer #1 doesn’t listen for computer #2’s FTP requests. You’d similarly be out of luck trying to run IRC or ICQ on computer #2. What you need on computer #1 is not just a web proxy server, but a socks proxy server. This would allow all sorts of traffic to be routed through computer #1. I use MS Backoffice and Proxy Server 2.0 at home, on an NET Server for computer #1, and several different computers in the rest of the house, and it works like a champ. However, it is not free, and I don’t know of a solution that’s free and works under Win2K. Not to say there isn’t one, just that I don’t know. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/5 "2001-03-30T14:34:04Z")
Well, not a free solution, but if you have $100 go buy yourself a Linksys Cable/DSL router. It can be set up for the PPPoE protocol on the front-end. This is what your EtherNet300 program is using to get an IP address, so the router replaces that. It also acts as a DHCP server on the back-end, so you can have as many local IP addresses as you want. It also serves as a firewall. Just plug it between the DSL modem and the hub and set up the PPPoE to your username and password for logging into the ISP. I think that would be your best solution, if you have the hundred bucks to put into it. Jim ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/networking-win2k-issues-paging-handy-again/60040/6 "2001-03-30T15:42:19Z")
I agree with JimB. A DSL router is an excellent idea.