I am trying to connect an ADSL modem to my two computers which are linked together in a microsoft network. The computers are connected using a coaxial cable. But when I attach the ADSL modem to the network (or the host computer) the network connection between the two PCs are broken. Of course, the ICS will not work too. The reason is perhaps that the rj45(from the modem) and the coax are connected to the same NIC. Do I have to use 3 NICs? 2 NICs to link the PCs and one extra NIC in the host PC to connect to the internet/ADSL modem. (I have no hub.)

I tried to use 3 NICs, as described above but that did not work. My Win98SE assigns all the Plug&Play NICs the same name and driver, namely Realtek RTL9029(AS) PCI Ethernet NIC. When installing the Accton EN1208 Ethernet PCI Adapter driver manually, or any other NIC cards, Windows always replace it with the Realtek one. It's confusing with 2 NICs width exactly the same name.

Do I have to use 2 or 3 NICs in my case, or maybe buying a hub is the best choise, after all?

Thanks, Hans

Windows does install the Realtek drivers when you setup a lot of NIC's but you can change them using update driver and directing it to the drivers you got with the card. I have done this a few times with the Aopen 10BT cards no problem. If you lay your hands on some 3COM ISA cards, you can use the utility to assign the IRQ and avoid that confict. Not sure about the ADSL and ICS. Always had trouble with ICS before I did the firewall with a hub.

You need 3 Nics. The Cat-5 and Coax links on your card are basically one and the same. ie. If one is active the other isn't and vice versa. Get hold of a proxy server of some sort, and you should be ok.

If you go the proxy server route, there is a free one at Analogx.com that I hear is pretty good.

Thanks for the responses, everything is working fine now, but is a proxy server route really necessary on a Win98SE width integrated ICS? (Anyway, I will install it on my old Win95 Olivetti PC)