i have my computer linked via ethernet cable to my kids pc 2 enable them to get internet connection,both on xp,this has worked fine until recently,when the icons (2 little tvs)in the tray started to disappear,which then meant they couldnt connect to the net,sometimes when i restart my pc they will then reappear and they can access with no problems,yesterday i clicked on the start menu and network connections and it was showing the connection,via fast ethernet adaptor,however after switching my pc off overnight and switching it back on in the morning this has now disappeared and again they have no connection on their pc,can anyone explain why this keeps appearing and disappearing when it wants to,it is starting to annoy me that sometimes it works and sometimes it dont and cant figure this out,i dont know what to do 2 solve the problem,and where does this connection disappear to???? it must still be in my pc to reappear when it feels like it,i have even checked in device manager to check under network adaptors,and it has disappeared from here too.

suzanne, November 2007

Hi Suzanne,

Well one thing is for sure, its not the drivers that are causing the issue, however I dont know what the status of the network adapter is when the kids aren't able to connect to the net? Does it say disconnected, network cable unplugged or anything like that? Im also presuming you are using a straight crossover cable to connect the two PCs rather than a hub?

I used to have the same setup myself and experienced the same issues. All I can say is to ensure that the TCP/IP settings are not set to obtain an IP address automatically, set them to something like 192.168.2.1 for your PC that connects to the net and 192.168.2.2 for the kids PC. But please make sure this is done on the network card itself rather than the connection your using. Also ensure that you switch on the PC that has the internet first, let it load up, THEN switch on the kids PC to give you the best chance of getting it hooked up first time round.

If you need any more help either post back on here or email deviousdemon@hotmail.co.uk and I will help you as much as poss. Cheers

Urban Kaos, November 2007