Now there are many home users with always-on Internet connections such as DSL and cable modems. In another situation it could be like you’re in a hotel room with your MacBook and your roommate’s got a laptop PC and there’s only one Ethernet jack? If you have an iPhone or other Wi-Fi enabled device ?
What do you do? Get to sharing the internet love, that’s what you do !
Sharing internet connection wirelessly might seem like a much smarter alternative than using an expensive wireless router, but it does have a couple of disadvantages:
- If the computer connected to the Internet is shut down, all computers that are part of the ad hoc network lose their Internet access.
- To connect to the Internet, one computer always needs a wired network connection.
There is two options sharing the internet wirelessly either from Mac or Windows. Actually three options because I want to shared both from Windows Vista and XP.
To keep it short, here’s what you need to do …
From MacBook
1.In System Preferences, go to Sharing and on the Internet tab, click the source (Built-in Ethernet) and the way the other computer will connect (for wifi, AirPort). Then click the Start button.
This’ll set up a wireless connection between your Mac and the PC, and the PC will be able to surf on it via your wired Mac.
2. If you don’t want settings that might interfere with the sharing, just turns out that “Personal Web Sharing” has to be enabled as well on the Services tab.
3. If you don’t want everyone else in the hallway sucking down your bandwidth, click the “Airport Options” button to set a password on your ad-hoc network, before you hit the start button.
You could do this to your Mac mini also.
From Windows Vista Laptop PC
This following setup in order to connect an iPhone wirelessly.
1. Make sure your laptop has built-in WIFI adapter or your USB/PCMCIA wireless network adapter is enabled.
2. Open the Networks and Sharing Center. Under Tasks (left), choose Manage Wireless Networks.
3. In the Manage Wireless Networks window, click Add.
4. Choose “Create an ad hoc network”. Press Next on the next page.
5. On the next page, enter a Network Name of your choice (as “iPhoneNetwork”). This is the network you’ll connect to from your iPhone. Choose WEP for Security Type (you can also choose “No Authentication (Open)”, but this way anyone in your ad hoc wireless network range can connect to your laptop.) Enter a Security Key as instructed, check “Save this network” and click Next.
6. You should get the “Your iPhoneNetwork is ready to use”. Before pressing Close, click on “Turn on Internet Connection sharing”.
7. Select your Local Area Network internet connection you usually use to connect to the internet and press Next. The next page should say “Internet connection sharing is enabled.” Press Close.
Now, your ad hoc network is ready.
The second step is connecting your iPhone to the “iPhoneNetwork” ad hoc wireless network.
1. From your iPhone, open Settings. Choose Wi-Fi.
2. Click on “iPhoneNetwork” and enter the password you defined earlier (Security Key), then press Join. It take you back to the previous screen but with the “iPhoneNetwork” checked.
3. On your notebook, you should see the “Set Network Location” screen. Choose Home or Work, no big deal.
You should open Safari browser and connect directly to the internet. Connect to Google or something to make sure that everything’s fine. And, yes, it’s a little buggy – you’ll sometimes have to do it over and over again!
Now you can access iTunes store or even download/update your iPhone applications directly without needing to do that on iTunes.
From Windows XP Laptop PC
1. Make sure your laptop has built-in WIFI adapter or your USB/PCMCIA wireless network adapter is enabled.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Under Pick a category, click Network and Internet Connections.
4. Under or pick a Control Panel icon, click Network Connections.
5. Right-click your wireless network connection, and then click Properties.
6. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box, click the Wireless Networks tab.
7. On the Wireless Networks tab, under Preferred networks, click Add.
8. In the Wireless network properties dialog box, on the Association tab, type the name of your ad hoc wireless network in Network name (SSID) box (shown in step 10). For example, you could name your wireless network MyHomeNetwork.
9. Clear the The key is provided for me automatically check box and select the This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network check box.
10. Create a 13-digit password and type it in both the Network key and Confirm network key boxes. For the best security, include letters, numbers, and punctuation. Then click OK.
11.Click OK again to save your changes.
Now, your ad hoc network is ready.The second step is to set up additional computers.
If the computer you want to add to your network does not have built-in wireless network support, install a wireless network adapter.
Windows XP automatically detects the new adapter and notifies you that it found a wireless network.
Now connect your computer to your wireless network
Note: These steps apply only if you’re using Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). If you haven’t installed SP2, visit Microsoft Update to install it before connecting to the ad hoc network.
1.Right-click the Wireless Network icon in the lower right corner of your screen, and then click View Available Wireless Networks.
Note: If you run into any problems, consult the documentation that came with your network adapter.
2.The Wireless Network Connection window appears and displays your wireless network listed with the SSID you chose. If you don’t see your network, click Refresh Network List in the upper left corner. Click your network, and then click Connect in the lower right corner.
3. Windows XP prompts you to enter a key. Type your encryption key in both the Network key and Confirm network key boxes, and then click Connect.
Windows XP shows its progress as it connects to your network. After you’re connected, you can close the Wireless Network Connection window.Repeat these three steps on each computer that you want to connect to your ad hoc wireless network.
Now you’re ready to browse the Web wirelessly, from any computer you add to your home network.
Source:
mr-gizmo