Using an XP machine to bridge wireless connection to a Mac Mini

[DaveSheridan]

Hi,

I've got an interesting problem with my home network and am stumped for what to do next (did try looking on Google for anything related but haven't found much.)

I have a wireless router directly connected to broadband, and in another room a PC running XP (with a high-gain aerial so it gets a good signal.) No problems there. I've now bought a Mac Mini and it shares the screen/keyboard/mouse with the PC. Unfortunately the aerial in the Mini won't pick up the wireless signal and I don't think I can do anything to improve it (but I welcome advice to the contrary!)

I thought it would be easy to use network bridging or ICS on the XP box to allow the Mini to connect via ethernet. I first tried the network bridge, but this was a disaster - the wireless connection said "Connected" to my network, but I couldn't use it at all - no data being transferred, no DNS lookup working. As soon as I disconnected the wireless device from the bridge, everything worked again. I've given up trying to get this to work - did I miss something?

Secondly, I tried ICS through the XP box. This had limited success - at one point, I think it worked properly but now the Mini can only see the XP box. It can connected to shared folders on the PC and DNS requests are ok but nothing else happens - no ping or http can get through, for example. So I can ping www.google.com and see the correct address, but no packet is ever returned.

On the PC, I usually run Kerio personal firewall, but I've shut that down and Windows firewall is off too, so I don't think the port's being blocked by software. I can't find anything that will give anywhere near decent diagnostics on the windows box for what's going on inside it. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

-Dave

[gamehead200]

Are you using a crossover cable or a regular network cable? Mac-to-PC connections usually don't need a crossover cable. Macs will automatically see that they are connected to another computer and adjust the connection.

[DaveSheridan]

Are you using a crossover cable or a regular network cable? Mac-to-PC connections usually don't need a crossover cable. Macs will automatically see that they are connected to another computer and adjust the connection.

It's actually a crossover cable, but I don't think that that's the problem. As I said, the mini can view network shares on the XP machine so there's definitely some working connection there. The problem comes when trying to get out to the internet via the XP box, which doesn't work.

-Dave