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Share an Internet Connection

It should seem that it would be easy to connect a single computer to the Internet, and be able to use that connection simultaneously with all other computers in the same room (on a LAN). Unfortunately, it's a bit more complicated than that. Naturally, you can have a separate Internet connection for each computer, but that's not terribly practical. You can do it either with a software or a hardware solution:

Software to utilize existing hardware:

• If you have Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can use the included Internet Connection Sharing feature.
• WinGate and WinProxy are third-party, shareware alternatives that enable you to configure your computer as a gateway or a proxy server, respectively. (Only recommended if you can't get ICS to work, if your version of Windwos doesn't support ICS, or if ICS doesn't meet your needs).
• Advantages to using software to share Internet connections:
  Gary Winnick
  • No additional cost, and no additional equipment or wiring to set up.
  • Assuming you have a working LAN, you can be up and running in under 20 minutes.
  • ICS works with any type of Internet connection.
• Drawbacks to using software to share Internet connections:
  • The performance may be slightly slower than a hardware solution (below), although for most intents and purposes, you'll never notice a difference.
  • The computer hosting the connection must be on for the others to have access to the Internet.
  • The software can be difficult to set up.

Additional hardware:

• A special router is connected directly to the Internet connection adapter.
• Each computer is then connected to the router (which is also a hub), which provides Internet access to all connected computers simultaneously.
• Some routers double as Internet connection adapters, so yoy may need to get one that specifically supports DSL, cable, ISDN, etc. Newer alternatives work with your existing equipment, making them better long-term investments.
• These routers typically are very easy to set up, and support 4 to 10 computers. Since they connect via ethernet, each computer will need an ethernet card.
• Advantages to using hardware to share Internet connections:
  • The hardware provides access to any computer that needs it; no single "host" computer is required to be on at any given time.
  • The hardware usually works independently of the operating system, so you don't need a version of Windows the specifically supports ICS .
• Drawbacks to using hardware to share Internet connections:
  • The hardware solution is much more expensive, and requires additional cabling and setup.
  • The hardware solution will only work with certain types of Internet connections.

Other alternatives:

• If you have DSL, contact your provider to find out about getting additional IP addresses. Five IP addresses, for example, would typically provide Internet access for four computers without any special software or expensive hardware. The downside is the additional monthly expense, although this can be as low as an extra few dollars per month.