Topic: Bridging connections in Windows

[Hiatus]

Just wondering if anyone else knows how to do this better (or do this at all, lol) since I have never tried this before.

It might be easier to explain this with a diagram, but I'll give you the basic outline for now. I have one computer (desktop) with a usb wireless adapter and an ethernet connection. I have two laptops, one will connect through wireless (ad-hoc) to the desktop the other through ethernet. Basically, I want to have one big LAN with three computers connected in different ways.

Cheesy Diagram:



The problem is I can't run two connections on my desktop at once or things get screwed up. So do I have to bridge the wireless and ethernet connections? or is there another way? The only reason I want to do this is for gaming, lol... if both laptops are connected on wireless there is a lot of lag, on ethernet there is no lag but the one laptop is upstairs so that doesn't work too well.

This would probably be easier if I had a router... but I have no money so that is kinda out of the question rite now.

[Sandra]

Why cant you run two connections on deskktop pc ?

That shouldnt be a problem.

Set the desktop as the gateway and the ethernet to one laptop is straightforward, dont forget it needs a crossed cable not a straight patch one.
Then the Wi Fi from laptop to desktop, should link all 3 as the desktop is set as gateway 

[Hiatus]

Oh, sorry forgot to mention there was a 10Mb hub between the desktop and the laptop, but a crossover might be a better idea. Then it will be 54Mb (cause of wireless) instead of 10Mb, rite?

Also...how do I set the desktop as a gateway?

[Sandra]

Do away with the hub, as you say that will speed it up, although if you are doing on line gaming it wont really affect it as the 10mb is still faster than you woud get from your ISP, unless you are with one of the 24mb ISPs like BE.

When you set your network up through the network wizard, set the desktop up first and select the option "This pc connects directly to the net and other pcs connect through it"

When you set up the laptop with the ethernet connection you select the option "This pc connects to a residential gateway"

I think the "Ad Hoc" option is the one to use for the Wi Fi enabled laptop.

Dont forget that all 3 pcs have to be on the same workgroup name, ususally WORKGROUP.

[Hiatus]

When you set your network up through the network wizard, set the desktop up first and select the option "This pc connects directly to the net and other pcs connect through it"

I tried that, but it failed... The desktop isn't connected to the internet, so should I choose the "This computer belongs to a network that does not have an internet connection" option? I tried that, but it doesn't seem to work... so maybe im doing it wrong?

When you set up the laptop with the ethernet connection you select the option "This pc connects to a residential gateway"

Should I choose the same option for this as above? ("...does not have an internet connection")

Dont forget that all 3 pcs have to be on the same workgroup name, ususally WORKGROUP.

Yes, I have them all as MSHOME


Bah, Networking....

[Sandra]

Ah, so none of them are on the net ?

Its just a LAN that you have the 3 pcs on ?

Have to think about that one as I havent come across that before