# Using Windows XP OS with 2 network cards?



## theMagus (Aug 19, 2007)

I have this scenario:

- 1 public IP address
- 1 cable modem
- 1 router (4 ports)
- 4 computers connected to the router

Everything works flawlessly.
Now I have a laptop with a wireless network card. My router is not wireless, and all it's 4 ports are used. To be able to browse the internet from the laptop, I bought a wireless network card and put it in one of the computers. I want to use this computer (Windows XP Professional) as a router/gateway for the wireless network. At the moment, the card is installed properly, but the laptop is not connecting to the pc. I created a new wireless network named xyz, that I can see from the laptop, but the packets do not go through.
The packet's path should be like this, I think: it should come from my isp, through the modem, router, pc's wired network card, pc's wireless network card, laptop.


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## TheWiz (May 30, 2008)

Have you enabled Internet Connection Sharing on the PC with the wireless network? This could present a problem if the network off your router is the 192.168.0.0 network though. You may have to change the router to handle a different subnet. You will also end up with double NAT but I have had this working before.


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## theMagus (Aug 19, 2007)

The IPs are as follows:

NIC1 (wired):
IP: 192.168.1.2
SNM: 255.255.255.0
GW: 192.168.1.254 (the router)
DNS: (my DNS's address)
The Internet Connection Sharing is already enabled on this NIC.

NIC2 (wireless):
everything is automatic


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Why not buy a simple Ethernet switch and expand the ports, using ICS is not the best fix for this issue.


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## TheWiz (May 30, 2008)

johnwill said:


> Why not buy a simple Ethernet switch and expand the ports, using ICS is not the best fix for this issue.


I'm certainly no expert on the Windows side of networking and johnwill may be correct in that ICS may not be the best solution here. Expanding the switch for more ports is certainly the easiest solution provided wireless connectivity for the laptop is not desired - otherwise a wirless router with switchports may be the next option. It does sound as though you are trying to get away without spending cash untill you have tried all the networking options first. As stated I'm no Windows expert but there is an option in XP pro that allows you to "bridge" two network interfaces together (highlight both interfaces and right click for the "bridge connections" option). I highly stress I have never used this but it may be worth testing - if you have the time and inclination, to see how it works, and if it will work for you. If others know better, then please post and save wasted effort. My first thought is that the bridged wired interface may not broadcast for a DHCP address and the PC will become nothing more than a glorified switch


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## theMagus (Aug 19, 2007)

Indeed, I don't want to spend money until I have eliminated all the other possibilities. It's easier to buy a wireless router, but it's more rewarding to try to learn something new instead.
What puzzles me is that this worked perfectly for about a month or so. I just installed the wireless card and it just worked. Why doesn't it work now?
I searched high and low on the internet and found various solutions but none of them worked.
This really puzzles me.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Bridging two connections will still only allow a single connection, since you only have one available DHCP address from the ISP. Bridging works fine with a router at the other end, because the bridged machine can get it's own IP address from the router.


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