Control Panel – Network Connections – Right Click on the 1st connection and go to Properties –
Scroll down to (TCP/IP) and click properties – Under the General tab Click Advanced –
Uncheck The Box Called Automatic Metric and Change the Interface Metric to 1 to Start Off – Click OK – OK – Close

Do the Same thing for the 2nd Connection Except Change the Interface Metric to 5. Adjust if needed.

Symptom
The “sharing” tab is not available in the new windows that pops up.

The reason
There isn’t an Internet connection running on either of the computers when you were trying to share a non-existing Internet connection.

More importantly, the problem that we have here
It sounds like both of your computers have only one LAN port each, and that it is not possible to wire to both the DSL modem and to each other simultaneously. In other words, on one of the two computers, it needs to have 1) One connection to the other computer, and 2) One connection to the DSL modem.

I think before we proceed to link up the two computers according to the tutorial, we need to figure out how to deal with the problem first.

Suggestions
1) Get a PCI ethernet card and insert into one of the two computers. That way, you will have two LAN ports to deal with this problem

2) Get a router, which will connect to the router and the two computers. This will eliminate the need for a crossover network

3) Get two wireless USB adaptors, and pluck them into each of the two computers. That way, the crossover network will be formed via the ad hoc manner.

I am looking forward to your reply

Both, independently, work fine over a CAT5-wired DSL modem.
Both have Network Connections/System/local area network running.

I did not create a new connection, using the existing LAN connections.
Did as instructed, got to the point where I assigned new workgroup names and
rebooted both machines.

Then, where you instruct:
1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Network Connections
2. Right-click on your LAN connection and click “Properties”
3. A new window should pop up, click the “Sharing” tab
4. Tick the checkbox that lies next to the statement “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection”…

I find the same panel as before, no sharing tab.

BTW, I haven’t yet linked the crossover cable between the computers – or I couldn’t be on the net reading thee direction. My Ethernet ports would be linked to each other, not the DSL modem. I was going to do that last. Then go back on line when I’m done.

No luck so far getting transfers going.

Thank you for your help.

Internet — Laptop (via the usb wireless adapter with ICS turned on)

How is the laptop connected wirelessly to the Internet? Is it connected directly to a transmission tower, similar to WiMAX? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiMAX

I am from New Zealand, and we haven’t had much exposure to high speed wireless Internet, so I do apologise for the naivety of the question.

What I have right now is;

Internet — Laptop (via the usb wireless adapter with ICS turned on)

What I am trying to achieve:

Internet — Laptop (via usb adapter) — wireless (and wired) router —- another laptop (via wireless to the router) and an Analog Telehone Adapter (ATA) wired to the router for voip telephone service.

Jamus