# Tech help (Getting internet going on 2 comps) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151 "2002-11-22T14:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/1 "2002-11-22T14:57:30Z")
Hey all, I’m wondering if anyone can help me. I’ve got 2 computers, one of which is hooked up to the internet (cable connection). This computer is networked to another computer, and this other computer accesses the internet through the network, via an Internet Gateway. The computer that has the cable hooked up to it can run 2 operating systems; XP, and ME. The other computer just runs ME. The computer not directly hooked up to the cable can _only_ access the internet when the other computer is running XP. When the other computer is running ME, only that computer (the one directly hooked up to the cable modem) can use the internet. I would like to be able to tweak it so that both computers can run the internet, regardless of which operating systems they are running at the time. Can anyone help? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/2 "2002-11-22T15:30:24Z")
You need a router. You can buy one of the little Linksys routers for about $70, and it has a built in switch for connecting up to 4 computers. The router can automatically assign each machine on your network an IP address, and the computers can get online completely independent of each other. I have one, and it works great. ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/3 "2002-11-22T15:56:31Z")
Thanks, but any “free” way of doing it? ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/4 "2002-11-22T16:19:09Z")
You _might_ try a cable splitter – not too sure if it would work, but it’s worth a try. They’re only a couple bucks at the hardware store, but a router is definitely the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/5 "2002-11-22T16:26:28Z")
Test your settings? I have Me and Me on my two computers, and it’s really not a problem. Any time I have a problem with using the gateway technique as you mentioned I find its because i transposed a digit when entering the main-computers IP as they gateway on the little one. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/6 "2002-11-22T16:26:54Z")
You definitely want a router/switch combo box. ---
**Author:** ![AZCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@AZCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZCowboy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/7 "2002-11-22T16:33:26Z")
I’m speculating a bit, because I have never run WinME, and have little experience with WinXP (and have no desire to “upgrade”…) First, I would like to reiterate the suggestion to get a cable/DSL router. Instead of $70, I was able to pick up a no-brand generic at CompUSA for $40. The main benefit to this approach is that you do not need to have the XP/ME computer turned on for the ME-only computer to access the Internet. The cable splitter idea likely won’t work. Most cable systems limit piracy of Internet services by registering the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the ethernet card in your computer. Even if the cable splitter would work technically, you’d probably have to pay an extra $10 per month for your cable ISP to provide you an extra IP address. And if that’s the case, the router solution is cheaper in four months. The Windows OSs offer the same type capability as the cable router through software called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). I speculate that XP has this capability “built-in”, but that ME requires that you activate/configure it. To configure it, everything you need to know can be found [here](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;234815). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/8 "2002-11-22T21:54:07Z")
Sounds to me like you don’t have internet connection sharing enabled on the ME operating system. Go into the network properties of your cable connection and enable internet connection sharing. Or you can buy a bunch of hardware like the others suggested. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/9 "2002-11-22T21:57:59Z")
Oh, and make sure that the local network is properly configured on the ME box that has the internet connection. It should have a static IP of 192.168.0.1 as that will be the gateway that your other ME box uses. ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-help-getting-internet-going-on-2-comps/138151/10 "2002-11-24T17:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by engineer\_comp\_geek \* > \*\*Sounds to me like you don’t have internet connection sharing enabled on the ME operating system. Go into the network properties of your cable connection and enable internet connection sharing. > > Or you can buy a bunch of hardware like the others suggested. \*\* Cheers. The faulty setting was indeed under internet sharing properties. Phe! to all the fools who told me I had to shell out some cash.