I have two computers. I am willing to install Linux on the second computer only if I can access the Internet with it. I have WinXP on the first computer.

The two computers are networked together with a hub and NICs (internal). My first computer gets on the internet with a Wireless LAN card (internal), and there is no way I can connect the second computer to the wireless router.

Here is a diagram:

Thats how the connections are. There is no direct connection from the router to the 2nd computer.

So is there any way I can setup my 1st computer so that the second one can connect to the Internet through it without any configurations on the 2nd computer (except for proxy settings)? Would setting up a proxy server on the 1st be good or are there other ways? Like maybe virtual routing, where the 1st compter just forwards packets to the proper address. My main concern is that the second computer shouldn't be dependant on the OS for Internet access.

What do you guys think?

-- Thanks a lot!

If you are asking if XP can be used as a gateway for the other box the answer is yes. But how you go about it is dependent on how you are going to connect the two computers. I have never set up a dual homed xp box to be honest with you but I would expect it can be done. It does have the ability to NAT. I would prefer to use the Linux box as the gateway but if there is not way to connect it to the router than I guess that is out :-(

I'm sure it's possible, it's just a backwards way to do things by the looks...

linux is better as your router. I personally rescued a old pentium that is a dedicated router using smoothwall...

Yes I have tried setting up NAT with WinXP. I have WinXP on both PCs. I used the Network Setup wizard (on both computers) and selected the proper options. But after the changes the computers didn't detect each other. And when I tried to goto a website on the second computer I got a host not found error.

But I already told you how I have them hooked up. The first computer has a WLAN & LAN card. The second computer only has a LAN card. I get my internet from WLAN and the two computers are networked with a hub.

So how would I do it with that setup odious1 (or anyone else)?

OK I seached google and found out that "Routing and Remote Access" does what I want to do, but it only works with other Windows computers. I also found out about Wingate. Does anyone know if you can have non-windows computers on the network for Internet connection sharing?

Also am I going to have to configure the linux box for the Gateway IP address and such?

Thanks...