Windows 7 - Sharing wifi internet via ethernet

Hi all,
I've got two computers in my room: a Toshiba laptop and a desktop computer (both running Windows 7) I built a few months ago. The laptop gets great wifi reception, 4/5 bars, while the desktop struggles to get one bar. I want to connect the laptop to the PC via ethernet and use the laptop's internet connection. I'm having troubles doing this.

Here's what I've done thus far:

• Disabled the desktop's wifi.
• Enabled "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection" on the laptop's ethernet card.
• Plugged in the cable.

This is where I hit the brick wall. On both computers, it comes up as "unidentified network". I try creating a homegroup on the desktop, but I encounter an error "Windows could not set the network settings" and "You can try to change this setting later in the Network and Sharing Center." I look in the Network and Sharing Center, and it says "Homegroup: Joined" as if no error occurred at all. So I try to join the homegroup on the laptop. It says "Larry from LARRY-PC has created a homegroup" so it recognises it, but then it says "Windows could not setup a homegroup on this computer" when I try to put in the password.

I start the HomeGroup Troubleshooter, and it troubleshoots network problems. After that, it says "Local Area Connection" doesn't have a valid IP configuration: Fixed" So then I try joining it again, and get the same issue. I go through the HomeGroup Troubleshooter again, and I click "the problem is not fixed" and get a list of problems I don't have.

What can I do?

Sorry for the long thread, tried to be as specific as possible.

Thanks in advance,
Larry

No, it is the Laptop's wireless connection that you're sharing (the Laptop's actual connection to the internet). When you do this, Windows will give the Laptop's Local Area Connection the IP address 192.168.0.1 and the "Client" PC gets its IP address automatically by DHCP from the Laptop.

Because "Internet Connection Sharing" uses the 192.168.0.0 Subnet (the Host PC has the address 192.168.0.1 and allocates addresses to Client computers in the range 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254), your router needs to be operating in a different Subnet to avoid an IP addressing conflict. If the third 'octet' (number) of your router's own IP address is "0", change it to 1 or 2 etc.

I've made the wireless connected shared, and now both computers are on the homegroup.

One thing:


How do I set the location or identify this ethernet connection?

Anyone?

On both machines try opening up a Command Prompt window and run the following command: "ipconfig /all". Then let's see the output for each and we'll take it from there.

Oops nvm