Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)

Default Description:

Provides network address translation, addressing, name resolution and/or intrusion prevention services for a home or small office network.

Additional Information:

It is used to allow multiple computers on your network to access the internet via only one account. This service installs on the "modem" computer. If you are using a third party firewall, hardware gateway/router or Internet Connection Sharing software package, this service is not required and can safely be left on disabled.

If you use an external hardware firewall/gateway/router between your computer and the internet, do not use IPsec (VPN tunneling, etc) and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), then this service and the following group of services can be disabled:

• Base Filtering Engine
• IKE and AuthIPsec Keying Modules
• Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
• IPsec Policy Agent
• Routing and Remote Access
• Windows Firewall

I highly recommend that you do not disable the Windows Firewall, but the services listed above are all involved with each other.

Defaults Startup Type:

Default Vista Home Basic: Disabled
Default Vista Home Premium: Disabled
Default Vista Business: Disabled
Default Vista Ultimate: Disabled

Other Settings:

Safe Setting: Disabled

Service Names:

Service Name (registry): SharedAccess

Display Name: Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)

Default Path and Command Line Options:

C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs

Log On As:

Account: Local System Account

Dependencies:

What service Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) needs to function properly:

• Base Filtering Engine
  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
    • DCOM Server Process Launcher
• Network Connections
  • Network Store Interface Service
    • NSI proxy Service
  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
    • DCOM Server Process Launcher
• Remote Access Connection Manager
  • Telephony
    • Plug and Play
    • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
      • DCOM Server Process Launcher
• Windows Management Instrumentation
  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
    • DCOM Server Process Launcher

What other service require Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to function properly:

• None