I have a desktop with windows 7 and ubuntu 12.04 and a laptop with same ubuntu. My desktop is connected to wired network through ethernet cable through a switch. Is it possible to connect and share The internet of my desktop with my laptop? can I use the switch any way, because 5 ports of the switch is still free.

My Isp uses PPPOE.

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How are you connected to the Internet? Is it through the switch, or does the desktop have a direct connection?

The main problem with sharing is getting assigned an IP address. A switch doesn't usually have a DHCP Server, so using a switch may not work, unless your isp will let you have more IP addresses. If you use a router, you can share the connection with different computers. Or, you can get another ethernet card and share the connection through a computer then through the switch.

My ISP uses Point to Point Protocol. And The wire from them is connected in the switch which has 8 ports. Then from there two connection is given., One to my desktop and another to my neighbours PC. They used ethernet CAT5 cables. I tried to connect the lapotop connecting into the switch to use my desktops Internet.. But As they use PPP I cant figure the IP address and the gateway of my Desktop to share the internet from It. The process is more difficult as my laptop has UBUNTU 12.04.

Is there any direct way to connect? Like USB_USB connection?

For about $30 you can buy any consumer based router (netgear, dlink, linksys). These can act as the client for your ISP's PPPOE connection. Each wired or Wireless system will connect to the router. The router will manage sharing the ISP connection using Address translation (PAT). Each machine will have a private address but will be translated to the ISP IP when trying to get outbound.

I tried to connect the lapotop connecting into the switch to use my desktops Internet.. But As they use PPP I cant figure the IP address and the gateway of my Desktop to share the internet from It.

If your ISP is configured to only supply one IP address, it will reject the other requests. Which means using a router as previously explained, or using one computer with 2 ethernet ports and Internet Connection Sharing enabled.

You connect your desktop directly to the internet on one port and connect the switch for sharing through the other port. As long as Internet Connection Sharing is enabled on the desktop and the clients have automatic settings for IP and DNS they should then be able to connect.

Personally I'd suggest using a good router, since then you'll have the added protection of another firewall.

If you are unable to go down the path that CimmerianX is proposing, I do recall back in the day before there were consumer based routers that have built-in PPPoE clients, that I actually installed PPPoE software on my Windows computer and this software created a Virtual network interface. Then simply through the Internet Connection Service (ICS) on Windows, I would share the connection to a second NIC on the Windows computer that would be plugged into a switch where other systems could share the connection. Of course, the main downside to this implementation is that your Windows system with the PPPoE software would have to remain on. If you can get the router with the PPPoE client, that would be better.

Can you give the link of the PPPoE software..

PPPoE that JorgeM is talking about is built into Windows since XP (IIRC). ICS is also built into windows so there is nothing to buy.

Yes CimmerianX is right,you can not buy this from anywhere because its already build in previous windows XP(IIRC)....

I happily use the Squid proxy server to share my internet connection for my web browsers, FTP clients and a bunch of other protocols. But remember that this solution would only allow programs that support the use of a proxy server to connect - most online gaming etc. probably wouldn't work.

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