Earlier I was able to share an internet connection between my Vista desktop and WinXP ThinkPad (both on dynamic IPs) using a switch without any hassles. Today, I've purchased a new connection with which I've received a static IP. I've given the static IP to my Vista desktop, and want to share the internet connection on my WinXP machine. But I am unable to browse the Internet from the XP system.
Would appreciate your help.

There are plenty of ways to do that.

One is using the soho router to make the connection and have the static IP on it's wan side. This is really a more secure way to configure the system. Use private IP address on your lan. Then NAT (pat) the ports to the selected lan ip address's. Many soho routers can be setup to provide a more secure system.

If you need (and it think it unlikely) to have the static IP on the Vista's NIC then you can use a proxy server such as analogx's free proxy or another proxy application. It should work on Vista but I haven't tried it.

I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.

Hi jefro, thabks for replying. Honestly, the first option you've suggested jas bounced staright over my head I really can't figure oput what you are suggesting here.

I tried the proxy options, installed naviscope on the Vista PC and then on the XP machine, I gace the static IP as the proxy address in Firefox's Network properties. I am being able to ping the static IP from the XP box, but am not able to access sites. Firefox gives a message "Connections refused...". Tocounter this I temporarily disabled the Vista firewall but then also it isn't working.

Where am I going wrong?

I didn't say use naviscope did I? Not sure you can get naviscope to function as a proxy server to another machine. That is pretty old. I can't find info on it to know.

Normally you would need to use the proxy as you state but don't forget the correct port numbers.

Use analogx's proxy and read the help files.

I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.