Browse All Articles > How to use Windows XP as a router
Just install an additional network card in the box and then configure the registry setting below and your XP box becomes able to route (forward) IP packets from one interface to another.
Open Regedit and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
Find the following registry value:
IPEnableRouter
Set this value to 1 to enable IP routing on the box.
After doing this, reboot the machine. You may also need to disable Windows Firewall on the machine.
Editor note: It is important to have the Routing and RAS service running, else no routing takes place.
Open Regedit and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
Find the following registry value:
IPEnableRouter
Set this value to 1 to enable IP routing on the box.
After doing this, reboot the machine. You may also need to disable Windows Firewall on the machine.
Editor note: It is important to have the Routing and RAS service running, else no routing takes place.
Have a question about something in this article? You can receive help directly from the article author. Sign up for a free trial to get started.
Comments (4)
Commented:
Helpful article though I don't think it is complete in itself.
Gets my Yes Vote, though you got through the trouble of writing it.
Ravi.
Commented:
"Helpful article though I don't think it is complete in itself."
For that reason some might give it a No vote.
For me, I would like to have seen a sentence or two at the top telling why someone would want to "route (forward) IP packets from one interface to another."
Maybe the author will tell us, then a EE Page Editor could then insert that explanation into the beginning of the Article.
WS
Commented:
Ravi.
Commented:
RRAS -- Routing and Remote Access Services need to be explicitly enabled for Windows XP to function as a Router.
Ravi.