hi i have 2 computers. i have taken internet directly to the 1st pc which has 100mbps nic card. The 2nd pc has 2 nic card with speed 10 and 100 mbps.The first computer is win xp and the 2nd one is linux. when i give ip address to both the pc(static) i am able to ping. when i connect my internet to the 2nd com(linux) which has 2 nic card, i am able to get internet but frm that pc if i connect a cable to the 1st pc i am not getting internet. Should i get 2 ip address frm isp. or is it becoz of the half and fullduplex(100 and 10 mbps). plz help me out......

Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is a windows feature so your linux box probably doesn't have any programming inbuilt to do this. You have a number of options but the one I would recommend is purchase a router. That way you can share your internet connection, have a local network and either PC can access internet independently of the other. Goin' Fishin' (Some day)

You need to remember, concerning your concern about 10mb, that you internet connected is far less than that so your 10mb nic is not a limiting factor. Linux supports bridging/routing between nics so you can go either way with internet connection sharing. Though a router is the way to go. 'tis the season to be of good cheer. Wishing one and all happy times with family and friends.

I would like to correct the suggestion that "UNIX-type" systems, such as Linux, do not provide "programming inbuilt" to share Internet connections. The fact is that "UNIX-type" systems were sharing the Internet before Microsoft even realized the Internet existed. That's just basic computer history. However, it is also a fact that Microsoft (and Apple) do a much better job of making it easier for non-IT professionals to set up things like Internet Connection Sharing. So, if buying a router is not a current option for you it might be easier to move the extra NIC from the Linux box and put it in the XP box and use the Windows ICS dialogue boxes to set up your connection. If you really want to use the Linux box to do this, and there are many good reasons why that might be better in the long run, then you should find a forum for the specific Linux "distro" which your using (Debian, Ubuntu, Slackware, whatever...) and ask for someone to help you configure your Linux box to do this. There are also numerous "Linux how-to" sites which provide this information.