Here is the scenario: You have a PC that is connected to your cable modem or wired router via an ethernet cable, the PC also has a wireless card of some sort in it. You also have a laptop with a wireless card but dont want to or cant afford to fork out for a wireless router. The solution? Use internet connection sharing and an ad hoc network to share you connection!

This guide will take you through the process step by step and you’ll have internet access on your laptop in no time. Firstly you need to create the ad hoc network on your pc.

Note: Ad hoc is simply a computer to computer wireless network that operates without a wireless hardware device such as a router or access point.

Click start > Control Panel > Network connections > right click on your wireless connection and click on properties. Next, click the ‘Wireless Networks’ tab, you should be presented with something that looks a bit like this:

Your prefered network list will differ to mine. Next, click on the ‘Add’ button so we can create our ad hoc network. At the top you will see that we need to give our network a name or an ‘SSID’, I have called mine test but you can obviously call yours whatever you like. Next you can enable the wireless security, WPA is prefered if both your wireless devices support it, however WEP can be used. For now I am leaving mine disabled.

Note: Generally security is less of an issue with an ad-hoc network, primarily due to range, you will notice that outside of your house you will get a very weak signal on your ad-hoc network (dependent upon what wireless card you are using)

Make sure you tick the box at the bottom saying “This is a computer to computer (ad hoc) network” Once you’ve done this click ok.

The final thing to do on the PC is to set up internet connection sharing. Go back to Network connections and right click on your local area connection that you are currently using to access the internet, then click properties. Click the advanced tab and you should see the Internet connection sharing frame with 2 tick boxes in. Tick the ‘Allow other network users to connect through this computers internet connection” Click ok and your done.

Your ready to connect! on your laptop browse for wireless networks and hopefully you will see the ‘test’ network represented by the two computers symbol to identify it is an ad hoc network. Double click on it to connect, you will then need to enter the network key if you specified one. All being well you should now be connected and will be able to access the internet from your laptop!

Troubleshooting: You may notice if you are using a particularly restrictive software firewall on your pc that no traffic will be allowed through from the laptop. If your laptops connection isnt working the first thing to check would be this.