How to Share Internet between computers or laptops

A broadband connection can be shared between 2 or more computers using a router . Though wireless connections are becoming popular, a wired connection is usually more secure and faster. The router used for a wired connection is also cheaper. The WAN or internet port of  the router is connected to the cable/ADSL modem. The computers on the network are connected to the LAN port. Though most routers can dynamically assign an IP address, for a small network, static IP addresses should be allotted to the computers minimize errors.

How to share and fix an internet connection between 2 computers :

1. Before changing the computer settings,  switch off the modem and router.  Then switch on the modem first, then switch on the router. Ensure that the modem signals are synchronous. Reboot your computers and check the internet connection.

2. Connect the first computer directly to the internet through the modem. If  you can connect  without any problem, there is a problem with the router or cable. Try interchanging the cable, to isolate the problem.

3. Repeat step 2 with the other computers in the network

4. If  there is no problem with the direct computer internet connection, there could be a problem with the router settings or the cable connecting the router and modem. Try replacing the cable between the modem and router.

5. If  the internet connection still does not work, connect the router to the first computer. Go to the router configuration setting . Ensure that the router is set to use the correct protocol  for connecting to the modem. The protocol could vary according to ISP. Also check the user name, password and IP settings.

6. Uninstall  the router configuration software and reinstall it again. If you can share files between the 2 computers  using network neighborhood, the networking feature of  the router is working properly. If not, use the Network Setup Wizard to reinstall the computers on the network.