Access the Internet wirelessly without a wireless router using an ad hoc connection.
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An ad hoc network is a temporary computer-to-computer network that you can use to share files or Internet connections between two computers. An ad hoc network requires that both computers have a wireless LAN card and that they be within 30 feet of one another. You might want to use such a network if you have only a single wired Internet connection and you want Internet access on two computers.
Enable File Sharing
Step 1
Click "Start" and type "View network connections" on the host computer (the one connected to the Internet). Press "Enter." The Network Connections window will appear.
Step 2
Right-click Local Area Connection and select Properties. A Properties dialog box will appear.
Step 3
Click the Sharing tab in the Properties dialog box and place a check mark next to the "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection" option. Click the "Home networking connection" drop-down box and select Wireless Network Connection.
Step 4
Click "OK" to save your changes.
Create Ad Hoc Network
Step 1
Click "Start" and input "wireless" into the Windows search bar on the host computer (the one connected to the internet). Select "Manage wireless networks" from the list of Control Panel results that appears. The Manage Wireless Networks window will appear.
Step 2
Click the "Add" button on the left side of the window. A dialog box will appear.
Step 3
Click the option "Create an ad hoc network." A brief explanation about ad hoc networks will display. Click "Next."
Step 4
Type a name for the ad hoc network into the "Network name" field.
Step 5
Select WPA2-Personal for the security type and then input a password into the "Security key/Passphrase" field. Click "Next" to create the ad hoc network connection.
Connect to Host Computer
Step 1
Click the network icon in the Windows task bar on the secondary computer (the one that is not connected to the Internet). A list of available wireless network connections will appear. The network icon resembles cell phone reception bars.
Step 2
Scroll through the list of available wireless connections and select the ad hoc network you created in the previous section. Note that the name of the network will be the name that you typed into the "Network name" field when creating the ad hoc network.
Step 3
Click "Connect" and enter the password you specified in the previous section.
Step 4
Open a browser on the secondary computer and browse the Internet as usual.
References
Photo Credits
- Sean Gallup/Getty Images News/Getty Images
