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Share Internet Connection Via Ad Hoc [Wirelessly] Without Switch / Router

Posted by Jaxov Team on September 7, 2009

If you have got more than one computer in your home and you have got only one internet connection, then you can easily share your internet connection by creating an Ad-Hoc network. Suppose only one computer have got a wired Internet Connection and all others computers have no access to internet. You can share your internet connection without buying a router / switch unless all other clients including the host have wireless adapters installed on them. Here is a step by step procedure through which you can share your internet connection wirelessly with other computers at your home.

Requirements

  1. At least one connection to internet [E-g Wired LAN].
  2. At least two computers equipped with wireless adapters to share internet connection with each other.
  3. I am assuming that all of the machines have Windows XP (SP2) installed.

Procedure for HOST:

Go to Control Panel [Classical View] -> Network Connections

Wireless Network Connection Settings:

  1. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and make sure its enabled.
  2. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and choose Properties
  3. Choose Wireless Networks tab and click on the Add button
  4. Enter Network Name (SSID) : Home
  5. Choose Network Authentication : Share
  6. Choose Data Encryption : Disabled
  7. Check "The key is provided for me automatically"
  8. Check "This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not used"
  9. Click Ok twice.
Wireless Network Properties

Wireless Network Properties

Note: Don't set any IP settings. Make sure they are assigned automatically.

Local Area Connection [LAN] Settings:

  1. Right-click Local Area Connection and make sure its enabled
  2. Right-click Local Area Connection and choose Properties
  3. Choose Advanced tab
  4. Check "Allow other network users to connect to this computer's internet connection"
  5. Check "Allow other network users to control or disable the shared internet connection"
  6. Click Ok twice.
Local Area Connection Properties

Local Area Connection Properties

Procedure for CLIENT(s):

  1. Go to Control Panel [Classical View] -> Network Connections
  2. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and make sure its enabled.
  3. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and choose View Available Wireless Networks
    4. View Available Wireless Networks

    View Available Wireless Networks

  4. A new window will open with a title "Wireless Network Connection"
  5. Click "Refresh network list" FROM
  6. Choose "Home" from the side-bar and you will see "Home" after a couple of seconds.
  7. Click on "Home" and it will automatically acquire a network address for you.
  8. You will be connected to internet as soon as your ad hoc connection is established.
Wireless Network Connection

Wireless Network Connection

You can have maximum 9 clients. I have searched many blogs and sites but none of them provided me step by step procedure. So i thought to write them myself on my blog. Please do mention in comments if any info is missing in the above procedure. I have tested it in my home by sharing internet over 3 laptops via my desktop PC which is connected to a wired broadband internet connection and it worked 100% fine.



  • Steve 916

    When i connect the ipod touch to the ad hoc network the internet on the host computer stops working. and i get no internet access on the ipod. as soon as i disconnect the ipod from the ad hoc network the internet on the host computer is back up.

  • ivi

    Mike wrote:

    "1 step that’s omitted — at least it didn’t work until i did this — was to double click on the “home” network connection on the HOST in the “wireless networks connection” window (just like if you were trying to initiate a connection from the host)."

    ******

    I'm sorry Mike, but I don't really understand what you mean.

  • ivi

    Hmmm.. I've been trying to get this to work between my laptop and iPod Touch for a couple of hours now. I don't know where the problem is. The "Home" network shows up in the iPod's available Wi-Fi networks list, but it just wouldn't connect.

    I've tried changing various settings both on laptop and iPod, but it still won't connect.

    Any advice would be very much appreciated,

    thanks in advance,
    ivi

  • lex

    On my wife's computer, I am registered as a second account. Using intel proset/wireless, we have wifi coming into her side of the computer and the internet is available on her side. when I switch user on that computer to my side, ( my account?) there is no internet. I cant access the net. On my side of her computer, the proset/wireless sees the ssid of the wifi router I want. I set up the account with the password. but the internet just doesnt get to that side. what can I do?

  • mike

    Thanks for the instructions -- they almost worked :)

    Laptop1 -- host, connected to internet via LAN
    Laptop2 -- client1 WAN capable
    Iphone -- client2 WAN capable

    1 step that's omitted -- at least it didn't work until i did this -- was to double click on the "home" network connection on the HOST in the "wireless networks connection" window (just like if you were trying to initiate a connection from the host).

    Without doing this step the "Home" connection was not available on either Laptop2 or Iphone (even after rebooting both clients several times).

    Once the omitted step is performed you should be able to see the adhoc wireless connection and you can then connect to it from your cleint(s) as i did.

    Thanks again.

  • Shawn

    okay, so i am doing a presentation at a facility where they only have 1 wired connection in the conference room. i want all of my attendees to have internet, so if they bring laptops with a wireless card in them this should work for them correct??

    thanks!

    • Jaxov

      Yeah, Upto 9 users can use your internet... Enjoy :)