Q: I can't get my internet sharing to work between my Macbook Pro and my Intel tower

Hi BD,

Thanks for the response.   I followed your instrustions, I put WiFI on the top of the list with Ethernet below it on the laptop.  I aslo removed Bluetooth PAN (as this feels new to me?), and Firewire.  I did the same with firewire on the tower (there is no Bluetooth PAN).  Unfortunately I'm still stuck with the same results.

I've tried set up assistance on the tower.  I select "I connect to my local area network".  When I do that I lose my ethernet IP address for a moment and it turns yellow, but then it turns back to green again and says connected.  I'm also prompted to "connect using a static IP address".  This was never the case when it was working before.  I don't even know how to set up a static IP address. 

Basically I'm just giving you more in depth discription of the behaviour i've dealing with for weeks.  Short answer is your suggestion has not solved my issue.  Any other ideas?

These are both for the ethernet connection

the IP address for the tower (won't connect to internet)

192.168.2.28

the IP address for Lap Top (is connected to internet)

169.254.58.27

the IP address for Lap Top Wifi

192.168.0.4

How do I get the tower ethernet connection to switch to  a 169.254 connection?

Neither Ethernet connections are connected to a router.  But the tower is showing a number for a router as if it thinks it is connected to a router. 

Here is the Network profiler for both computers.  Remember the Lap top is getting a connection through Wifi which i am attempting to internet share with the tower over Ethernet

top picture is tower, middle and bottom pictures are laptop.  You should be able to see the IP addresses of all.

the middle pic is the Ethernet IP for the bottom pic.  Middle and bottom are both the lap top. Both Ethernet and Wifi on the laptop have an IP address,.. You can't display the 2 at the same time, so I took screen shots of both. 

Hi I am still not able to get internet on my tower. It is connected via ethernet to my laptop that has internet sharing engaged and is connected to the internet via wifi.

I have noticed that my tower continues to think it is connected to a router,..and it continues to self address an IP address 192.168.2.26  Which is very similiar to the router number it continues to display 192.168.2.1.  Is this helpful information in determining what the problem is?  This is beyond my realm of understanding, but it does seem like useful information.  Please someone help!! It has been going on for weeks.

OK,,.. so the plot thickens.  btw thank you BD for sticking with me here.  A part of the story I haven't mentioned becuase I'm trying to keep the information as simple as possible is that I've actually been doing this set up with 2 different lap tops from time to time,..the Lap Top #2 (we'll call it from now on), Is my wife's MacbookPro and it is the exact same make and model as mine (another reason why i didn't think it was worth mentioning).  The last time this set up was working 3 weeks ago or so was actually with Lap top #2.  It usually takes a little finessing each time I change the laptop,..but it was never more than rebooting both Laptop and tower in a particular order, maybe turning internet sharing off and on a few times,...and in general the system would usually figure out how to connect itself.  So tonight when I saw your suggestion to make a new location on the tower I decided to do it while also testing out Lap Top #2 because I was meaning to try it again anyways.  What i discovered after changing locations, and some other tinkering around was this.  It began to work,..BUT

The tower had an IP address of  192.168.x.y

Lap Top #2 had a Wifi IP address of 192.168.x.y 

and they both had the same for Router

Lap Top #2 had an Ethernet IP address of 169.254.x.y

Contrary to what you're telling me, it was working with the tower not having a 169.254.x.y IP address, which is perplexing,...But here is the part that I really don't understand but I'm hoping it will be an Aha! moment for you. 

So I then went back to Laptop #1, and went through all the same procedure.  I got everything to line up very closely but still no internet connection.  The only thing that was different between the two set ups was that

for whatever reason

The Tower continues to give itself the same IP address of 192.168.2.35 and the router is 192.168.2.1

But  laptop 1 wifi IP address is 192.168.0.4 and router 192.168.0.1  the x.y are different than they were on Laptop #2.  And forwhatever reason laptop #2 doesn't seem to want to go back to the same x. and y. either.  So neither are working again.... 

But I feel like we've narrowed it down to a problem with x most importantly. 

Does this make any sense to you?  I hope I'm explaning it in an understable way.  Please!! I wish I understood this stuff better.  Let me know what you think. 

Only Laptop #2 was working on 192.168.2 and that was only when i first connected it last night.  After I switched back to Laptop #1 and could not get a connection for the tower I went back to Laptop #2, but this time I had turned wifi on and off in order to establish a new connection and it reverted to router 192.168.0.  Also remember Laptop #2 is my wife's computer and she never reboots, It probably had maintained the same connection it had 3 weeks ago when this setup was working last.  Now it no longer will give me the neede 192.168.2 addresses that seem neccesarry to get the tower to connect.

We have a wireless modem provided by our internet cable provider.  We also have an airport express which is only connected to our stereo for music, and we have apple tv which is connected to our cable modem via ethernet.  I have turned both of those units off today.  I'm still not able to connect.  I did that just incase that could've been causing router confusion?

Remember all of this is based on automatic network setups. 

I have tried manually punching in router and IP addresses into manual network set up.  But only based on numbers that seem like they may work based on information I've collected during this process, but with no real understanding of how these addresses actually work.  ... frustrating exercises.  No luck

Is there another way I can set up a local network in my house using my laptop as means to increase the range of my network?  Or perhaps is there a new airport card that gets better reception that I can put in my tower?  My brother has a similiar tower but maybe a year or 2 newer and it gets great reception in his house and it's as far if not further from the same wireless modem.  Please help,...I'm losing it.  I make music and I have work around solutions for this problem, but they're time consuming and laborious work arounds.  This is killing my work flow.  I've spent hours not working trying to figure this out.  I need relief,..what do you suggest?