Win2000: So far so good

Is Windows 2000 just a retread of NT or is it a really new product?

Well, I've been using one of the late beta versions, and in at least one area, it's a great time saver for both home and small businesses. That's in the area of sharing an Internet connection.

Windows 98 SE came out with a feature that lets you share Internet connections across multiple computers. This feature lets homes or small businesses extend a single modem, DSL or high-speed cable Internet connection from a single computer out to other computers on a local area network.

The Windows 98 SE version worked, but it was a bear to set up. Installation required jumping through all kinds of hoops to actually get it to work.

Windows 2000 takes a cumbersome process and makes it just about as simple as you can. All you need to do is put two network connections into your computer -- one for the access to the Internet, and the other to access the local/home network.

Windows 2000 has changed Network Neighborhood and called it "My Network Places". When you select properties for this icon, you get a window that lists both your network and dial-up connections -- this is a consolidation of the Dial-Up Networking selection screen in Windows NT and Windows 98.

Selecting Properties from the Local-Area / Home network connection reveals a simple dialog with two tabs. Select the sharing tab lets you click a single box to share the Internet connection that comes in on the second network adapter.

That's all there is to it. Windows 2000 automatically updates all the settings in the local machine. And connecting another computer to go out the Internet is also simple. All you need to do is configure that machine to get its TCP-IP, DNS and other settings automatically from a host computer.

Windows 2000 automatically assigns IP addresses out to other machines on the network, and acts as a local DNS. It couldn't be simpler.

I just received DSL on Friday, and it took me seconds to share that DSL connection out to the other five machines on my home LAN. In fact, I had to reduce complexity that I'd built into the network to get it to work. I've only just started playing with Windows 2000, but if the rest is as easy and simple as sharing an Internet connection, I predict this product will be a winner!

What are you looking for in Windows 2000? Let me know in the talkback below.