XP network

[caravel]

Hmmm... try manually entering the DNS servers on the desktop and then for the primary DNS of the laptop enter 192.168.0.1 and nothing for the secondary. Reboot, then try again.

[Pannonian]

Hmmm... try manually entering the DNS servers on the desktop and then for the primary DNS of the laptop enter 192.168.0.1 and nothing for the secondary. Reboot, then try again.

Desktop's internet connection was automatically obtaining an IP and DNS address. I left the IP automatic, but manually entered the 2 DNS addresses. I then entered the gateway and primary DNS for the laptop as 192.168.0.1. Tried IE on laptop, failed, rebooted laptop. Tried laptop IE again, failed, rebooted desktop. Tried laptop IE again, failed, rebooted laptop. Tried laptop IE again, failed. Throughout this, the filesharing has been working OK, and the desktop can connect to the internet.

So basically the laptop can't connect to a DNS, for whatever reason.

[caravel]

Desktop's internet connection was automatically obtaining an IP and DNS address. I left the IP automatic, but manually entered the 2 DNS addresses. I then entered the gateway and primary DNS for the laptop as 192.168.0.1. Tried IE on laptop, failed, rebooted laptop. Tried laptop IE again, failed, rebooted desktop. Tried laptop IE again, failed, rebooted laptop. Tried laptop IE again, failed. Throughout this, the filesharing has been working OK, and the desktop can connect to the internet.

So basically the laptop can't connect to a DNS, for whatever reason.

What is the desktop's internet connection? Is this a cable modem connection, a dsl/cable router or a DSL modem?

[Pannonian]

What is the desktop's internet connection? Is this a cable modem connection, a dsl/cable router or a DSL modem?

DSL modem.

[Xiahou]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I'd get a hardware router- you'll be much happier and more secure as well. You can get Linksys cable/dsl routers for less than $50....

[caravel]

DSL modem.

What type of DSL modem? USB? If so what make and model?

[Pannonian]

What type of DSL modem? USB? If so what make and model?

ADSL modem, sorry.

The SpeedTouch 330 is a bus powered USB ADSL modem suitable for connecting one PC or Apple Mac to a standard broadband line.

The latest driver version is v4.1 UK (April 2007). The driver is common to all hardware variants of the ST-330 and ST-USB: SpeedTouch USB, SpeedTouch 330 Bordeaux, SpeedTouch 330 Platinum and SpeedTouch 330 Blue.

This may be the problem, according to wiki.

Being a USB modem, and not an Ethernet modem, drivers and software must be installed in order for the Speedtouch USB to work. The absence of an Ethernet interface also means that a Local Area Network, or LAN, cannot be built using this modem, even with the use of a USB capable router or a USB Hub. Unless you use a computer with Windows Server and configure NAT (Network Address Translation) or load MS ISA server and use the modem as the external interface. You can also use other NAT/routing capable OS, like GNU/Linux or BSD.

It's not entirely 100% though, as technically speaking I'm not building a LAN using the modem, but accessing the outside world using it, while the LAN is taken care of by another NIC.

[caravel]

On the Desktop PC in network connections you should have two connections: "Local Area Connection" and something like "Speedtouch Connection" or something like "Connection <My ISP>". Leace the ISP connection alone and work on the local Area Connection only and set that ones IP to 192.168.0.1 and it's DNS servers to your DNS servers which you can discover by doing ipconfig /all.

You also need to share the speedtouch connection or other PCs won't be able to make use of it.