VPN and net connectivity at same time

I have a linux9 box being routed through a xp pro box. When I connect to a vpn session with the xp, I loose access to the web from behind the xp gateway.
1. (What I’d like to do) How can I access the web with my linux box while staying connected to the vpn by the GW xp box?
Or 2. (What I expect i could make work but not sure how) should I make a router out of the linux box and let it be the gateway for the XP using its VPN session?