Using Windows ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)

[Flat Mop]

I have a few questions about using my laptop to provide an internet connection to a new desktop using ICS:

1) I already have a wireless router; this is how the laptop connects to the internet, so will this be a problem if I enable ICS on it's ethernet port and connect that to the desktop?

2) Is there a possiblity that using ICS will mess up the laptop or my wireless router?

3) To access the internet using the desktop, presumably the laptop will need to be powered up to enable this?

Thanks.

 

[boochi]

ICS will not mess up your router or your laptop. Basically what it does is provide NAT similar to your router. Yes, the laptop will have to be running for the share to take place. I have a wireless card in my desktop and use the onboard NIC to share to other computers i am working on and to provide internet access to my Dish Network DVR.

 

[Lemon law]

Yes, as a long term ICS fan, ICS will work on just about any platform. It works on dial up, and despite all the warning to the contrary I got, its works equally well with 3G evdo broadband. It would also work with DSL. But still ICS does have its limitations. (1) There has to be some host computer that has internet access. With no host computer hooked to the internet, the client computer gets nothing. (2) ICS with a cross over cable is limited to one and only one other computer. (3) ICS is a one way process, internet goes from the host to the client. Switch the modem to the client computer and the host computer gets nothing without re setting up ICS.

But I can vouch that Boochi is correct, its easy to make a desk top computer wireless, just like a lap top, all it takes is a USB device and the proper software. In my case, all I have to use my 3G mifi device, on battery or AC power, and avoid booting up the host computer when just the client computer needs internet access. My other advantage is that I can have up to five computers all running wirelessly at the same time. Comes in handy when I have to update my lap top or work on other people's computers. And even better, I keep my wife happy

And because of anomalies in the Verizon pricing structure, a MIFI device is $10.00 cheaper per month than the USB device I used to use. And because I got the mifi device on the used market for $20.00, my pay back is two months with no contract.
Since 4 G is unlikely to come to my area in the six to eight month time frame, it saves me money and increases versatility.

I should also edit the following consolidations, buying routers in the two computer situation is maximally impractical in two situations. (1) In the case of dialup, yes you can buy special modems that combine two phone lines and two dialup accounts into one pipe with 106 mbit/sec through put, but there is little to be gained and such routers are no longer made and super expensive. (2) In the case of EVDO wireless internet, they make EVDO routers with cradlepoint being a dominant player, but because its a niche market with no mass market economy of scale, such routers cost 4 to 5X as much as dsl or cable routers feature for feature.