Windows XP and Internet Connection Sharing

I’ve just spent 2 hours helping a friend to get Internet Connection Sharing working on Windows XP, and we still haven’t got it done!

He’s just got a Xbox 360 and he’s trying to use ICS to connect the Xbox to his computer via ethernet. In the end we just gave up and I told him to just move his router so he can plug his Xbox directly into the router rather than having to go through the PC and the dreaded Windows Firewall.

But things like this just explain why I don’t use Windows XP anymore (with exception to the very odd occasion). It’s just a pain – with Vista it’s just one click. XP is just not user friendly and its really complicated compared to Vista.

Ok Vista has it’s issues, but come on, why do people hate it so much? Ever since I got my Vista laptop I can’t live without it, and I wish people would just give it a chance.

I’m not going to bother explaining the several procedures we attempted to get it working because we’ll be here forever. But if you’re going to try to connect your Xbox to the internet via your PC… just don’t bother. Get a wireless adapter for the Xbox – I mean go through this and I think you’ll be a little more convinced the £50 is well worth the money. Or at worst, just connect the Xbox direct to your router. Or get Vista :).

Just don’t use XP. If you’re still using XP, I really recommend you take another look at Vista – it’s got a hell of a lot better since launch.

One thought on “Windows XP and Internet Connection Sharing

  1. Jonathan

    Heyy I got ICS to work before in XP. Its quite simple and straightforward.
    I used it to share my internet connection when I was overseas.

    The hotel charged per hour for using their wireless internet, and only one pc could connect at one time. So I used one of my laptop to connect to the wireless network, then shared my internet, plugged in my router to the ethernet port and connected to my router wirelessly from my other laptops. This worked fine and well.

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