[WLAN] Ad Hoc ICS Between PC and Mac

[Gantlett]

Hello fellow members

I hope this is the right place to discuss this matter. I know there are amazing specialists here, and I really need your help:

I have an Apple iBook G3 500MHz equipped with built in AirPort (an 802.11b adapter) running MacOS 10.4.6 and a WinXP Pro SP2 PC with all updates. The PC connects directly to the internet via ADSL@PPPoE through the Ethernet port.

I would like the iBook to be able to connect to the PC and get internet and file access from it, so I went on the cheapest option possible ('cause that's the kind of man I am ) and bought a USB wireless adapter for the PC so both computers could connect to each other wirelessly (Ad Hoc).

First off, I will say that I haven't studied the subject at all before purchasing the adapter and I still have a few days to return it and get a full refund.

I have configured the computers as follows:

PC:
IP=192.168.0.1
Subnet=255.255.255.0

Mac:
IP=192.168.0.2
Subnet=255.255.255.0
Router(Gateway)=192.168.0.1

I have also tried to include my ISP's DNS addresses.

The computers successfully establish a connection between them, but no network activity goes through and Ping fails completely. I have tried configuring the PC to share its internet connection in all possible ways I could think of, but no luck... I've used the Home Network Wizard and also tried manual configurations on all adapters separately. Still, no luck.

I have contacted 3Com and they said they don't support Macs so they can't help me but they included a How To that illustrates how to do this with PC's (which doesn't solve the problem).

I have also tried configuring the Mac to DHCP, but it receives an off-network address (169.something and a subnet of 255.255.0.0...).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

BTW:

PC's and Macs can create a network via Ethernet - I have done this before and internet and files can be shared this way successfully. It even works with Wi FI in Infrastructure mode (when an Apple laptop for example tries to access public hot spots). It's just this Ad Hoc thingy that refuses to work for me!

BTW2:

ahmm..... I might have turned off a service or two in the PC... Could that be the problem?

Edited April 27, 2006 by Gantlett

[Gouki]

169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254 is known as APIPA. Wich is a private address used when there is no DHCP present on the network and you have your NICs set to obtain automatic IP address configurations.

Have you try'ed with the following configuration?

The PC (wich connects to the Internet) starts Internet Connection Sharing (make sure the Service is running and Windows Firewall turned off) and share the Internet connection with the USB WLAN NIC.

On the WLAN NIC TCP/IP Properties set to obtain the IP address automatically (wich will be provided by the ICS Service running on the PC) and your iBook NIC also to obtain a IP address automatically (also provided by the PC).

ICS uses the 192.168.X.Y range. So there maybe an IP address conflict when you configure your NICs to static IP address using the 192.168.0.1 on the PC and 192.168.0.2 on the iBook.

P.S: Please follow the posting rules of this forum. Thank you.

[Gantlett]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Please let me make sure I understand correctly. I should:

1. Right click on the PC's WLAN NIC and turn the ICS feature on.

2. Keep its IP's to be obtained automatically

3. Make sure the FW is off

4. Set the iBook to DHCP

BTW, ICS turns the shared controller to 192.168.0.1 - it doesn't put it in "auto obtain", as far as I recall.

Please tell me what I've done wrong regarding the forum rules.

Thanks again!

Edited April 27, 2006 by Gantlett

[Gouki]

Forum Rules

Shared controller? What do you mean by that? Like I said on my previous post, ICS uses the 192.168.X.Y range.

Yes. That's what you should try.

[Gantlett]

Changed the tag to [WLAN].

By "Shared Controller" I meant the controller that you activate the ICS feature in, but forget it.

Thank you - I will try this later, as now I'm at work, but I will post the results!

[Gantlett]

OK - I've tried the method suggested above and it still doesn't work...

Now, in DHCP mode -

The Subnet is 255.255.0.0

The PC's IP is 169.254.1.88

The Mac's IP is 169.254.64.110

I've tried to Ping the Mac from the PC and it completely fails.

I've tried to manually set the Mac to these addresses with the PC as the gateway - still no luck.

[Gouki]

As long as you have the 169.254.X.Y IP address, it won't work. APIPA is used when everything else fails, even tho it is supposed to make a network connection work, I don't trust it.

You have that IP address on the computer running ICS? Make sure you are sharing the Internet connection with just the USB adapter. By default Windows shares with all NICs it can find.

Are you sure the USB is on Ad-Hoc mode?

I don't know why it isn't working, however, the method used to share the Internet connection is not the best one to troubleshoot. (Internet - computer - USB pen - MAC)

I think you would be better buying a wireless router and sharing the Internet connection with it, or even use a ADSL modem with wireless router built-in. I know this is not helping, however, I have no idea on how to fix your problem. This is one of those problems that you actually have to be there to get 'hands-on'.

I had a computer just for ICS for a long time. I finally bought a SMC ADSL Barricade II Modem and it has been working like a charm ever since. It's allot easyer than having a box running ICS and it is not that expensive.

[Gantlett]

Thank you, but I'm sure there IS a way to make this work.

I'm asking, please, if someone could think of another possible way to do this.

Thank you all!

[Gouki]

Let's try do this by phases:

Phase #1: Share the Internet Connection using ICS. To make sure you are doing this the right way, share the Internet connection with a NIC (wired ethernet card).

If that works, report back here.

Take care.

[Gantlett]

By that you mean right clicking the Ethernet connection and turning on the ICS? Because there are two ways of sharing an internet connection:

1. Activating ICS in the NIC

2. Activating ICS in the PPPoE connection and choosing the appropriate NIC there.

Which way should I do this? I don't understand why they even exist...

P.S:

Yesterday I somehow made the connection between the computers work! I set both computers to DHCP and they set themselves automatically to the addresses I tried entering manually a few days before (i.e, the same exact configuration displayed on the first post on this thread)! They just "did it". Internet did not go through however, but Ping worked and I even managed to share files between the computers. Unfortunately it only worked for one session. I don't know why it won't work again - I wasn't concentrated enough while I realized it was working (had to go somewhere), and after turning the computers back on it didn't work, again...

Edited April 30, 2006 by Gantlett

[Gouki]

Enable ICS using the New Network Wizard - Set up a home or small office network - located at Network Connections.

[Gantlett]

OK - I've done that.

Now the WNIC is given a manual address at 192.168.0.1 with a subnet of 255.255.255.0, but the Mac (set to DHCP) gets an APIPA address on a different subnet: 169.254.9.188/255.255.0.0

Edited April 30, 2006 by Gantlett

[Gouki]

Ok. The WLAN NIC is set up. Now let's worry about the Macintosh.

First, *make sure* that the AirPort is running on ad-hoc mode (there should be an option for it) and double check if the TCP/IP Properties are set to obtain a IP address from a DHCP server (on the AirPort WLAN NIC).

Report back when you have this done.

[Gantlett]

The Mac is set to DHCP.

Check >.

Apple calls Ad Hoc "Computer-to-Computer Network", but from the Mac-Help I understand that it is the same thing.

Edited April 30, 2006 by Gantlett

[Gouki]

Yes. Computer-to-Computer is considered ad-hoc.

With those settings, you can't connect to the PC and use the Internet connection?