[Halcyon]

If you are connecting via DHCP then you do not need to do this.
Have you made sure you have the correct ethernet cables (straight Ethernet) going from the laptops to the routers and that they are connected to the correct ports.
Try disabling your firewall if you have one running to see if it is blocking any ports.
Also, check in Internet connection options that you have it set to never dial a connection, and detect settings automatically.