Windows

The only thing I can see is that there might be an IRQ conflict in your server. I had a problem once with ICS and it was due to that.
Try removing some device, sound card or anything else extra. If its not working throw everything out the window.

Setting up internet sharing is fairly simple with windows 98. Go to the computer that you will be physically connected to the Internet. open the Control panel and double click Add/Remove Programs icon. When you see the Add/Remove Program Properties sheet, select the Windows Setup tab. Find the Internet Tools option in the components list and select it. Be sure to click on the words and not the check box. Click on the details button. Select the check box next to Internet Sharing and click OK. Click Ok again to close the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. You'll be prompted for your Windows 98CD. Upon inserting the CD the necessary files will be copied and the Internet Connection Wizard will launch. It will prompt you for a diskette to copy the files you will need to setup the other machines with. Just follow the instructions.

Once installed on the internet machine goto the other machine and select the TCP/IP linked to your network adapter. It will look like (TCP/IP ->3COM Ether link.
Click on this

This is interesting because if I understand you correctly, you can both browse and get to your mail server from the client but not from the server.

This is kind of strange because your connection to the Internet must be intact via the server or the client wouldn't be able to browse. Your modem connection I presume is DHCP so it should get it's gateway and DNS information from the ISP.

The first thing I would try is to see if you can ping the outside world from the server (I'm guessing you will be able to with an IP address but not with a hostname). Try first a hostname (www.yahoo.com) and if that doesn't work, then try an IP address (try 216.32.74.55). If the IP address works, but the hostname doesn't, then the server doesn't havethe right DNS entry but the client does.

You can also use IPCONFIG /ALL to compare the settings.

best wishes...

paul

Ping from the server to your mail host. If not successful, you have an IP configuration problem. Use winipcfg.exe to check your server's configuration (win98), specifically, check the DNS and Gateway ip addresses.