Can't Configure 2nd PC's Network Connection w/o Netgear Switch

I have two PCs running XP Home, both connected to a Netgear Fast Ethernet Switch 105. I would like to configure the 2nd (new) PC directly to my DSL service without the switch or the 1st PC, but all attempts with a direct connection and the connection wizard yield no results. Keep getting an error 678. If I connect the 2nd PC to the switch, and connect the DSL line to the switch the connection then works. But I want to get rid of the switch and just go straight 2nd PC to DSL.

Have spent several hours on phone with BellSouth.net tech support but have had no success in fixing this. Also have combed multiple MS XP NewsGroups on microsoft.com but can not seem to find a fix for this???

I can not tell if somehow I have ICS installed or not on these PCs (one as host and one as client maybe??).

The Netgear switch does not appear to have any s/w associated with it as far as I can tell, so I can not figure out whether / how this switch seems to be "controlling" how 2nd PC accesses DSL.

(If I direct connect the first PC to the DSL I can log in no problem everytime w/o the switch.)

Do not see any firewall turned on anywhere.

Would appreciate any help here how to fix this.

Thanks!

James wrote:

> I have two PCs running XP Home, both connected to a Netgear Fast Ethernet Switch 105. I would like to configure the 2nd (new) PC directly to my DSL service without the switch or the 1st PC, but all attempts with a direct connection and the connection wizard yield no results. Keep getting an error 678. If I connect the 2nd PC to the switch, and connect the DSL line to the switch the connection then works. But I want to get rid of the switch and just go straight 2nd PC to DSL.
>
> Have spent several hours on phone with BellSouth.net tech support but have had no success in fixing this. Also have combed multiple MS XP NewsGroups on microsoft.com but can not seem to find a fix for this???
>
> I can not tell if somehow I have ICS installed or not on these PCs (one as host and one as client maybe??).
>
> The Netgear switch does not appear to have any s/w associated with it as far as I can tell, so I can not figure out whether / how this switch seems to be "controlling" how 2nd PC accesses DSL.
>
> (If I direct connect the first PC to the DSL I can log in no problem everytime w/o the switch.)
>
> Do not see any firewall turned on anywhere.
>
> Would appreciate any help here how to fix this.
>
> Thanks!

The switch only steers packets from one receiving port to another
transmitting port. It only looks at the address info in packets
to decide where to steer the packets. So, the switch does not
really control the 2nd PC.

When you say you want the 2nd PC to connect directly to DSL instead
of going through the switch, do you mean that the switch and the 1st
PC are to be removed? If not, how do you intend to connect PC-2 to
PC-1?

Also, if the switch does allow both PC-1 and PC-2 to get to the web
and to each other, why do you want to bypass it?
--
Cheers, Bob

For words and pictures on how to set up the 2nd PC go to:

http://www.ozcableguy.com/adslxp.html

Thanks Bob.

I want to bypass PC-1 because it is old and slow. Want
the new PC-2 to be the main PC connected to the DSL. (PC-
1 will become the kids PC for their games etc.)

1st PC is VERY slow (and old). Having virtual memory
problems which is causing the slow down. Am planning to
re-format this machine and load an OEM version of XP
(rather than current multiple upgrades from Win98).

Why can I not use the Network Configuration wizard to
connect directly to my DSL drop?? Why does it only work
through the switch??

Thanks,

James
>-----Original Message-----
>James wrote:
>
>> I have two PCs running XP Home, both connected to a
Netgear Fast Ethernet Switch 105. I would like to
configure the 2nd (new) PC directly to my DSL service
without the switch or the 1st PC, but all attempts with a
direct connection and the connection wizard yield no
results. Keep getting an error 678. If I connect the
2nd PC to the switch, and connect the DSL line to the
switch the connection then works. But I want to get rid
of the switch and just go straight 2nd PC to DSL.
>>
>> Have spent several hours on phone with BellSouth.net
tech support but have had no success in fixing this.
Also have combed multiple MS XP NewsGroups on
microsoft.com but can not seem to find a fix for this???
>>
>> I can not tell if somehow I have ICS installed or not
on these PCs (one as host and one as client maybe??).
>>
>> The Netgear switch does not appear to have any s/w
associated with it as far as I can tell, so I can not
figure out whether / how this switch seems to
be "controlling" how 2nd PC accesses DSL.
>>
>> (If I direct connect the first PC to the DSL I can log
in no problem everytime w/o the switch.)
>>
>> Do not see any firewall turned on anywhere.
>>
>> Would appreciate any help here how to fix this.
>>
>> Thanks!
>
>The switch only steers packets from one receiving port
to another
>transmitting port. It only looks at the address info in
packets
>to decide where to steer the packets. So, the switch
does not
>really control the 2nd PC.
>
>When you say you want the 2nd PC to connect directly to
DSL instead
>of going through the switch, do you mean that the switch
and the 1st
>PC are to be removed? If not, how do you intend to
connect PC-2 to
>PC-1?
>
>Also, if the switch does allow both PC-1 and PC-2 to get
to the web
>and to each other, why do you want to bypass it?
>--
>Cheers, Bob
>
>.
>

James wrote:

> Thanks Bob.
>
> I want to bypass PC-1 because it is old and slow. Want
> the new PC-2 to be the main PC connected to the DSL. (PC-
> 1 will become the kids PC for their games etc.)
>
> 1st PC is VERY slow (and old). Having virtual memory
> problems which is causing the slow down. Am planning to
> re-format this machine and load an OEM version of XP
> (rather than current multiple upgrades from Win98).
>
> Why can I not use the Network Configuration wizard to
> connect directly to my DSL drop?? Why does it only work
> through the switch??
>
> Thanks,
>
> James
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>James wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have two PCs running XP Home, both connected to a
>
> Netgear Fast Ethernet Switch 105. I would like to
> configure the 2nd (new) PC directly to my DSL service
> without the switch or the 1st PC, but all attempts with a
> direct connection and the connection wizard yield no
> results. Keep getting an error 678. If I connect the
> 2nd PC to the switch, and connect the DSL line to the
> switch the connection then works. But I want to get rid
> of the switch and just go straight 2nd PC to DSL.
>
>>>Have spent several hours on phone with BellSouth.net
>
> tech support but have had no success in fixing this.
> Also have combed multiple MS XP NewsGroups on
> microsoft.com but can not seem to find a fix for this???
>
>>>I can not tell if somehow I have ICS installed or not
>
> on these PCs (one as host and one as client maybe??).
>
>>>The Netgear switch does not appear to have any s/w
>
> associated with it as far as I can tell, so I can not
> figure out whether / how this switch seems to
> be "controlling" how 2nd PC accesses DSL.
>
>>>(If I direct connect the first PC to the DSL I can log
>
> in no problem everytime w/o the switch.)
>
>>>Do not see any firewall turned on anywhere.
>>>
>>>Would appreciate any help here how to fix this.
>>>
>>>Thanks!
>>
>>The switch only steers packets from one receiving port
>
> to another
>
>>transmitting port. It only looks at the address info in
>
> packets
>
>>to decide where to steer the packets. So, the switch
>
> does not
>
>>really control the 2nd PC.
>>
>>When you say you want the 2nd PC to connect directly to
>
> DSL instead
>
>>of going through the switch, do you mean that the switch
>
> and the 1st
>
>>PC are to be removed? If not, how do you intend to
>
> connect PC-2 to
>
>>PC-1?
>>
>>Also, if the switch does allow both PC-1 and PC-2 to get
>
> to the web
>
>>and to each other, why do you want to bypass it?
>>--
>>Cheers, Bob
>>
>>.
>>

If PC2-Sw-DSLmodem works, then PC2-DSLmodem should also work *and*
there should be no reason to run the Wiz to make the change because
you are not changing the logical network configuration; you are
merely changing the physical path.

But, if your old configuration was PC2-Sw-PC1-DSLmodem, then changing
to PC2-DSLmodem *is* a significant configuration change -- not
because of deleting the Switch, but because of deleting PC1 as the
ICS host.

Likewise, you would be making a significant configuration change by
bypassing the Switch if it is actually a router, not just a simple
switch.

So, two Q's. Was PC1 acting as the ICS host? Is the switch actually
a router?

Also, since I assume that you really want to wind up with both PC2 and
PC1 having concurrent access to the web, note that you have some
choices about how. I strongly favor using a real router, but see
http://home.comcast.net/~bobwbsgs/homenet.txt to understand the choices.
--
Cheers, Bob