I am using a Windows XP Pro PC as a server/router in my LAN setup. I have an ADSL connection which requires a username and password. I created the appropriate network connection (profile). I know how to put it in the Start Up folder but that means that some user (admin) would have to log-in every time after a reboot. Is there a way to make that network connection profile a system service which would start-up automatically after the PC rebooted without any user having to log-in ? Thanks.

No, I don't think so. You could have it auto-login for you, but that's probably not what you are looking for. You also would have been much better off installing Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or better yet, a Linux OS to run as your server...

Mmm, isn't WinXP a successor to Win2000 and is the latest MS OS featuring networking abilities ? How come it can't do what Linux could for years ? And Win2000 has INSTSRV.EXE and SRVANY.EXE for creating custom services. XP doesn't. Just seems so weird. Thanks for your answer though !

Yes, WinXP is the newest, however I've never heard of anyone using it as a server, which there must be a reason for. I'm sure that my buddy Phantasm66 will post the thousands of differences and holes in XP's Server over 2000's.