ICS Host Configuration Check

You have installed on your Windows98 SE System the "Internet Connection Sharing" and have restarted your system to activate the newly installed features.

During restarting of the system, you are getting the Network Logon screen:


For Internet Connection Sharing to work, you MUST Logon (by defining a Username and an optional password) (when you click on Cancel or just hit the ESC-key, you are NOT Logging on to the network and then ICS will NOT be operational !)

Lets verify the network configuration:

	There are now a lot more entries in the Network configuration (for a better overview, I have enlarged the dialog-box by pasting several screen-dumps together) There is a new adapter: "Internet Connection Sharing", and there is a new protocol, also called "Internet Connection Sharing". By default, the ICS setup has defined a binding of both TCP/IP and the "Internet Connection Sharing Protocol" with all network adapters.
	For the new protocol "Internet Connection Sharing", there is NOTHING to configure: selecting "Properties" will just display a box for Bindings with NOTHING listed.
	The TCP/IP protocol with a binding to the "Internet Connection Sharing" adapter is defined to "obtain an IP address automatically", i.e. to use DHCP.
	The ICS setup made a modification to the binding of the TCP/IP-protocol with the network card: the IP-address has been changed to 192.168.0.1. This is the default IP-address for the Win98SE ICS host, the ICS setup will always configure this IP-address.

	Lets also verify in the Control-Panel the settings for the "Internet Options"
	Select the tab: Connections It defines the Dial-Up networking connection to be used to connect to the Internet (and the default to be used in case of multiple available connections) Selecting the button "Sharing" allows to configure some ICS settings.
	Here, you can disable/enable the ICS without having to delete or re-install the ICS network components. I suggest to activate the display of the ICS icon in the taskbar: This dialog box also allows you to configure the adapter to be use to connect to the Internet,in my example the Dial-Up Adapter/ Modem, but here you could also define a cable-modem.

Disconnection on Idle:
	One method to define the termination of a connection , if it is not used for a pre-set time: define it as part of the Modem setup of your connection.: In the Dial-up Networking, right-click on the Internet connection and select Properties
	Select the tab: "Connection" put a checkmark on "Disconnect a call if idle...." and define the idle-time-out (this function can only be selected, if it is supported by your modem, otherwise it will be grayed out): if the modem is not sending or receiving any data for the specified time, then the modem will terminate the connection ("hang up")

However, Microsoft suggests in the Knowledge Base article Q230108 (also using the
Internet Options in the Control-Panel):

	Select in the list of "Dial-up settings" your connection, then click on the button: "Settings"
	In the Settings window, select in the section: "Dial-up settings": the "Advanced" button
	And here you can define the "Disconnect if Idle".

According to the article Q230108: "ICS defaults to disconnecting after 5 minutes or to the
Internet Explorer Disconnect if Idle setting, depening on which is shorter".

But: even if you are not causing any communication (by browsing new webpages or
downloading data), one of the connected systems may have a program running, which is
communicating with the Internet (one of these "automatic Updates" ? ). But which one ?
Again, article Q230108 explains, that ICS maintains a log-file: ICSLOG.TXT, which
contains all ICS network activity since the last time you started the computer.
(please, use "Find" / "Files" to locate this log-file).

ICS Client Installation