Enable ICS

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To enable ICS

  1. Open Network Connections.

  2. Under Dial-up or LAN or High-Speed Internet, right-click the connection on which you want to enable (ICS), and then click Properties.

  3. On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Sharing, select the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection check box.

  4. If present, under Home networking connection, in the Select a private network connection drop-down box, select the connection that connects directly to your network. For more information, see Notes.

Important

  • You can enable ICS only when two or more network adapters are installed.

  • If your computer has multiple private connections that connect to private LAN segments, you should bridge the private connections before you enable ICS. For information about how to set up Network Bridge, see Related Topics.

  • When ICS is enabled, it automatically provides an IP address for the private connection of the ICS host.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure.

  • To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.

  • Home networking connection and the Select a private network connection drop-down box are present only when two or more adapters that can connect to the private network are installed.

  • For information about the protocols, services, interfaces, and routes that are automatically configured by ICS when you connect to the Internet in a home or small office network, see Related Topics.

  • If you are having difficulty connecting the ICS host to the Internet, you can use Repair to obtain refreshed IP address configurations from your Internet service provider (ISP).

  • If a computer on your network is unable to communicate with other network computers, you can use Repair to force the connection to refresh its IP address configuration from the ICS host.

  • Before using Repair, ensure that the client computers are plugged into the network and that the ICS host is running, configured, and connected to the network and the Internet.

  • For information about how to configure client computers for ICS, see Related Topics.

  • Internet Connection Sharing and Network Bridge are not included in Windows Server 2003, Web Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and the Itanium-based versions of the original release of the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Connecting to the Internet in a home or small office network
Manage service definitions for ICF or ICS
Network Bridge
Configure client computers for ICS
Connecting to the Internet in a home or small office network