BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!

Hey Guys!
This scenerio may sound easy but after days, and weeks of trying to resolve it by reading the entire contents of this web site, books and even calling professional techs, the solution is still unknown and it keeps getting more frustrating...
I have a small home network consisting of 2 W2KPro and one W98. I can access shared files on all pcs and share one printer for all pcs as well.
I have spent many many days and even weeks trying to share the internet connection (phone dial up) from one of the W2KPro computers. I have followed all the same exact steps that I'v read everywhere. (set all other pcs to obtain ip addresses automatically, etc) and of course, ensure to share the "adapter" which connects my W2KPro to the internet, this being a modem and the adapter shows as "WAN AOL driver" I've read many books where it clearly says that you have to have 2 adapters, one that connects the pc to your home network (a NIC) and the second one which connects your pc to the internet and to "share" the second one. I have done this time and time again and it doesn't allow my other pcs to connect to the internet. I called Microsoft technical department and asked to get help from a technician. He told me that I have to "share" the adapter that connects my pc to the home network and not the "WAN" adapter...it didn't work!
ALL pcs are set for automatically IP address. Here's where the solution may be...all documentation that I have read says that a "TCP/IP for the LAN interface that is connected to the Internet must be configured with a default gateway" ????? How do I know what that gateway configuation is? and furthermore, it also says that this adapter is automatically configured when you share your other adapter and not to change the settings...what is the right thing to do here?
Guys, I've read all sorts of instructions on how to do this right, and it never works. What am I doing wrong???
Thanks!

1. RE: BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!
lbyard Feb-06-02 03:16 PM
In response to message 0

>reading the entire contents of this web site…
That would be about 4,000 pages.
>the adapter shows as "WAN AOL driver"… What am I doing wrong???
What version of AOL? Larry

2. RE: BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!
Mazinger Z Feb-07-02 08:08 PM
In response to message 1

I actually read the entire contents of this section and it's great information...
I've tried all versions of AOL with this situation. I called AOL and they told me that 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 have no problems with ICS in a W2K environment.
Update: I just realized that the "WAN AOL Internet Connection" that automatically appears on my Network and Dial-up Connetions is not at all the real Internet connection and this is not what I have to enable sharing...
I realized that as soon as I click "Connect" and the modem dials out, I get a little icon that says "AOL Dial-Up" and it's only visible for a second and then it dispappears. So, I tried it and as soon as I saw that little icon, I right-clicked it and there were all the "ICS settings" I needed to do. Then I had no problem connecting to the internet from my W98 cmomputer. but I still can't connect to the internet from the other W2K unit. It says that you should set it for automatic IP addressing but what I am missing here.
I tried to ping the ICS Host by using ip address numbers and it works, I tried to ping it by using the computer names and it says "Unknown computer name" Help!!!

4. RE: BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!
lbyard Feb-08-02 05:57 PM
In response to message 2

Is the Win 2K client set to get its IP automatically? ICS has a DHCP server. It will provide an IP to the client Win 2K computer. After changing it, open a DOS windows on the 2K computer and…
C:\>ipconfig /?
Then release and renew the IP per the instructions thus provided. Larry

5. RE: BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!
mschaake Feb-08-02 08:52 PM
In response to message 0

Same fustration here. I stopped trying to connect with ICS in win98 and looked for a better solution. I found a very simple program: AnalogX Proxy, freeware, found at www.Analogx.com It is very easy to setup, works well for me.
Luck

6. RE: BIG FRUSTRATING ICS PROBLEM!
Mazinger Z Feb-11-02 07:21 AM
In response to message 5

Hey! Thanks a million!
Suggesting AnalogX server was the best solution to the problem I was having with ICS. WOW!
What a relief! It was so easy to set up!
Life is beautiful once again!!!
Thanks to this great site!!!