Build Your Own Home Server: Introduction Page 3

By M.A. Dockter of PCMechanic

For purposes of this tutorial we will use Windows 98 Second Edition for two reasons: 1) most people are used to the Windows 98 interface, and 2) Windows 98 SE comes with a utility called ICS, or Internet Connection Sharing for short. What this does is share any Internet connection, including dial-up, with all computers on a LAN.

For the rest of this tutorial we will presume that you’re wanting to install Windows 98 SE, which is the best choice for a inexpensive home server, in my opinion.

To share your Internet connection, you’ll need to install ICS after you have installed the operating system. To do that, open up the control panel, and double-click on the “Add/Remove Programs” Icon. Then:

1. Click on the “Windows Setup” tab up on top
2. Double-click on the Internet tools icon
3. Check Internet connection sharing

Then click the “OK” button

Then, ICS setup will automatically run. You will have to choose which network card will be the card attached to your cable modem, and which will be connected to your nome networked computers. After you do so, you will be prompted to put a disk into the A: drive. Set up will make a client configuration disk, which really isn’t needed. After that is done, all you have to do is restart your computer, then go around to all the other networked computers, and do what’s on the following page.