how do I use ubuntu on a network that is running Windows Internet Connection Sharing and have the Ubuntu machine command the dial up MODEM ( on another machine) to dial out

I don't know much about ICS on Windows, so apologies if I make some assumptions. As I understand it the machine running ICS has a simple DHCP server which gives out IP addresses to the other machines on the LAN. It also tells those machines that it is the gateway device on the network. So if any machine wants to initiate a connection to a machine that isn't on the local LAN it will contact the ICS machine. The ICS machine then brings up the modem line. So I don't think it's quite that the other machines are talking to the modem, but they are asking the router (the ICS machine) to forward on the packets, and the only way the ICS machine can do that is to bring up the line.

I guess therefore that if you configure your Ubuntu machine to use DHCP and it can ping the ICS machine, if you then try accessing the web from the Ubuntu machine it should go out through the ICS machine.

Does the Ubuntu machine have an IP address like the Windows machines? You can find out with the following command:-

$ ifconfig | grep inet

Make sure the Ubuntu box has a default route defined which points to the windows ICS box:-

$ route | grep default

Make sure the nameserver entries in /etc/resolv.conf are right

$ cat /etc/resolv.conf

Can you let us know the answers to those questions and the output of those commands?

Hi Alan:

 Thanks for the response. I am not an ICS expert on Windows either, however in reading the literature it does mention that the machine providing ICS services acts as the DHCP server and does have a static IP address, as you surmised.
 I know the Ubuntu machine gets an address because , if I use another Windows machine on my network to first initiate a command to my DIALER machine (running Windows and ICS and providing DHCP services), I am able to see the 'net with the UBUNTU machine.
 As far as I can see, any WIndows machine can ask the ICS machine (in my case the DIALER running WIndows) to use the MODEM to dial out whether the Windows machine has packets to send or not; in other words it APPEARS that no particular application is wanting to communicate with an address outside my network when the DIALER is asked to dial out.
 I have only run UBUNTU from CD so far. I will install on HD tonight and see if I can answer your questions.

Jimm, usually ICS is a very basic nat with an integrated dhcp.

sometimes it doesn't work well with linux clients.

but if you manually configure the network at your ubuntu you probably would have internet.

usually the win pc with ICS enabled uses 192.168.0.1

so you've got to put this ip as gateway and use another ip 192.168.0.x -be sure no other computer use the same ip-

with dns you can try with the same 192.168.0.1 or use the one provided by your ISP.

hope this works for you

regards

andres

Since my 2 machines are co-located, I got it to work by simply using a kvm and flipping into my Windows machine (DIALER), dialing and then flipping back to my Ubuntu (FAMILY) machine. The Ubuntu machine is getting its IP address from DIALER which is also providing DHCP services. Yes it is 192.168.0.1 as gateway. Anyway, once DIALER is connected to the 'net, Ubuntu machine (FAMILY) sees the net
OK.
 A pity there is no way to get FAMILY to command the MODEM on and off in the DIALER machine.
 If DIALER was running Ubuntu, could I have my own Ubuntu machine (FAMILY) command the MODEM on and off in the DIALER machine?
Thanks

Jim

hello i am running a pc that has windows installed in it,and im using it for broadband connection,my isp configured my connection by just using the command prompt on my windows pc,should i need a router so that my laptop could access the internet?i tried transferring my connection since i just plug the lan wire's into my pc and presto i have internet already,i did the same method using my laptop,my browser is able to see the web page of my isp,but cant get pass the gateway for me to download the said repositories..im new to ubuntu and i was wondering how to configure my network?