HOME client with DirecPC Satellite USB ICS problems. (Read the mouseover blurb...)

[mbigna]

A potential client called me to help him with internet connection sharing. He has DirecPC satellite service. His satellite MODEM has only USB for his WAN connection (no ethernet). He has three other machines with which he want to share the internet connection. His main machine is running Windows XP (probably Home edition).

He purchased a Linksys BEFSR14 router and has 2 network cards in his main machine. (I know there may be a conflict there, but that's not my question). He has tried to use his main machine as a gateway and share the connection through his router to the other machines. He doesn't sound technically savvy, so I may have misinterpreted his description of how he tried to hook everything up.

I have used Windows XP to enable ICS amongst disparate computers successfully already. However, all the WAN connections were ethernet and the gateways had two NICs (it sounded to me like he was following instructions from www.practicallynetworked.com not realizing that he wouldn't need two NIC's in this case). I have not tried this with a USB WAN connection. I was wondering if there were any problems enabling ICS through a USB connection this way. Does WinXP handle this OK, or does this need special tweaking? Does it require other software?

I was considering as a last resort to purchase a cheap box (with USB) to act as a gateway simply to translate the USB signal into ethernet that could go straight into his router. I was also considering trying to find a satellite modem with an ethernet WAN connection, but I'm guessing that would have to come from DirecPC themselves (I don't know of any DOCSIS type standards for satellite modems yet). He has already tried to contact DirecPC about a different modem, but they tell them that's all they have (an answer which I find questionable because I know some exist). He lives in the boondocks, so he doesn't have access to DSL or Cable broadband.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[FlypSyde]

Let me get this straight:

Your client has a USB satellite modem hooked up to one computer and he wants to share that internet connection, right?

In this scenario, all he needs to share the internet connection to the other three machines is one network card for each machine (including the one with the USB satellite modem) and a switch. Just hook up all the computers to the switch. You could just use the switch part of the Linksys router, but it seems like a waste of money. Better to return it and buy a cheap switch.

You can't use the Linksys router because the modem is USB only. Since you can't use the broadband specific port on the router, you're basically left with a switch. You'll have to use the computer hooked up to the modem as a gateway using ICS or some other 3rd party software like Proxy from AnalogX. You'll also probably want to install a 3rd party firewall software to protect the network.

[Avatar28]

I've heard that ICS doesn't work right with the satellite services. So it may not work. You may have to go with some other 3rd party sharing software.

[mbigna]

Originally posted by FlypSyde
Let me get this straight:

Your client has a USB satellite modem hooked up to one computer and he wants to share that internet connection, right?

In this scenario, all he needs to share the internet connection to the other three machines is one network card for each machine (including the one with the USB satellite modem) and a switch. Just hook up all the computers to the switch. You could just use the switch part of the Linksys router, but it seems like a waste of money. Better to return it and buy a cheap switch.

You can't use the Linksys router because the modem is USB only. Since you can't use the broadband specific port on the router, you're basically left with a switch. You'll have to use the computer hooked up to the modem as a gateway using ICS or some other 3rd party software like Proxy from AnalogX. You'll also probably want to install a 3rd party firewall software to protect the network.
FlypSyde--

You got it all straight. You and I are thinking right along the same lines. You are correct about not being able to use the router for anything but a switch in this case as well. Though, I will probably advise him just to keep the router in the event that he can eventually get a different satellite modem or switch to a different broadband service that offers an ethernet WAN connection.

My biggest concern is if and how easily Windows ICS service will work with a USB internet connection. Like I said, I'm familiar with setting up ICS in Windows, but have never done it via a USB internet connection. I have been fortunate enough to always have that ethernet WAN connection which makes everything plug-and-play. The client was explaining to me that DirecPC supplied him with software that sets up his USB port as his internet connection and I'm not sure how well this driver (I am assuming that there would be a specific driver involved here) will 'play' with Windows ICS. Furthermore, I don't even know for sure if he is assigned a static IP or not or even if DirecPC allows multiple machines hooked up to a single account. I will be calling DirecPC to do some research, but I can't know with certainty how accurate this guy's description of his setup is until I arrive on site.

[FlypSyde]

It should work fine. That being said, anyone who has worked on PC's knows that's when it all comes apart. :D

Windows should recognize the USB modem as a communications device and make it available to you for ICS. DirecPC has instructions on their site that specifically mention the USB modem here:

Installation of DirecPC® and Internet Connection Sharing (http://www.direcpc.com/customer/icsinstall.html)

Of course this is all based on an ideal situation. I hope you're client has screwed up the settings on his computer too much.

Good luck!

[AZN]

I've shared satellite with ICS before...
the linksys router u have is for cable/dsl Im not sure if it will work for satelite.
what u need is 1 nic per machine and a switch. connect the usb into the server machine for ICS. connect the cat5 from the ICS machine to the switch port 1 then connect all other machines to the switch. leave all machines on dynamic and run ICS. your done... some machines may need refreshing of the nic. u can open command prompt and type ipconfig /renew that should do it and they should all be working just fine.

AZN

[muddocktor]

Originally posted by AZN
I've shared satellite with ICS before...
the linksys router u have is for cable/dsl Im not sure if it will work for satelite.
what u need is 1 nic per machine and a switch. connect the usb into the server machine for ICS. connect the cat5 from the ICS machine to the switch port 1 then connect all other machines to the switch. leave all machines on dynamic and run ICS. your done... some machines may need refreshing of the nic. u can open command prompt and type ipconfig /renew that should do it and they should all be working just fine.

AZN

What AZN posted is right; I'm presently using the very same setup with my 2 way sat broadband , using Win2K instead of XP though. I have 5 other rigs using the rig that is hooked to the sat modems for internet access, using an 8 port D-Link switch. No major problems doing this except that I've run into ICS problems using Zone Alarm on the master computer; it won't let the other computers run through it with ZA running. Without ZA, the master computer has no problems at all sharing the connection. If you click on the help section of the direcway folder, there is a section on how to enable ICS for various OS's there.