How to make your laptop act as a router

Posted on June 24, 2008 at 5:38 am

Assuming your laptop has built-in wireless inside though. Even if it doesn’t, you can buy a cheap wireless USB.

Lets assume that you have. Why not use your laptop to redirect your ADSL modems internet to perhaps your grandma, who can’t move downstairs, and can only use her laptop?

It would makes sense. A wireless USB is far, far cheaper in comparison to a typical wireless router. A normal wireless USB is about 1/5 of the price of a regular router.

So, instead of wasting all your money, I’ve found out a way to save your money and make your laptop/computer into a router, whilst still being able to use that computer as a normal computer, with all the functions is previously had.

So, here’s how you use a computer or a laptop to act like a router.

Share Wireless

First things first, set up the computer that’s connected to the modem to be the HOST. All this means is that this is the computer that will be used to share the internet, not the computer that doesn’t have internet currently. To do this, go:

Start > Control Panel > Network Connections.

This should show all the connections you are or have been connected to.

NetworkConnections2

Now do the following:

Step One: Right-Click the connection you are currently using to access the internet. Click Properties. Go to the Advanced tab and check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection”.

Step Two: Click the drop down menu and select “Wireless Network Connection“. Click OK.

Step Three: Go back to Network Connections, right click Wireless Network Connection and select Properties. Click on the Wireless Networks tab.

Step Four: Click on the Advanced button, and select Computer-To-Computer (Ad-Hoc) Networks Only. Also, make sure that Automatically Connect To Non-Preferred Networks is unchecked. Close box.

Step Five: Click on the Add button, enter all the information required. Make sure Network Encryption is disabled.

wireless-network-ssid-properties

Step 6: Right click the Wireless Connections icon in the bottom-right toolbar, and connect to the Wireless Connection you just created.

view-available-wireless-networks

You’ve now successfully made your computer/laptop into a HOST computer, and it will now act as a router for other computers/laptops to connect to.

You can now use any computer around the house to connect wirelessly to the internet, without a router!

It’s quite a handy little tip, and not one most people generally find out by themselves. It’s not recommended if you need to connect a lot of people to the internet, as it generally slows down, and provides no security, unlike most routers. However, if it’s simply for another laptop or two, it should be absolutely fine.

Another little point is that you may encounter a few difficulties if you want to set up a static IP, so I also would say steer clear if that is one of your needs (If you want to do things like host Warcraft III games or use Torrents at fast speeds).

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Comments

30 Responses to “How to make your laptop act as a router”

  1. COOL said on :

    Thanks.

    I created a wireless connection as instructed. I can view the connection by another computer, but it can not be connected.

    In step 6, do the host need to connect to the connection first?


  2. Frank Guros said on :

    In Step 2 I dn not know where to clck for the drop down menu. My OS is XP, host, and the receiving computer is Vista. Is the setting procedure different. I’m not sure about the Vista computer. I cannot connect although it receives a strong signal from the host.Any ideas?

    Frank Guros


  3. Drix said on :

    Hi man, what about on Vista, I tryed to do on Vista but it’s not the same, can you send me an email with the settings or if you write an article ? please


  4. Justin said on :

    Is there a way to do this with Vista? it says it is built in and I can create the network but the other computer cannot connect to the internet. Please e-mail me if you have any suggestions.


  5. Jeff said on :

    Great advice. Thank you very much for these clear instructions!


  6. M said on :

    Great work….tnx….


  7. ryan said on :

    hey great tip i have it all working fine sept i noticed how u said do not add a encryption such as wep i went ahead and enabled wep anyway and it didnt work then i dissabled it and it worked and i thort wtf why have that option if it wont work anyway since their is no encryption could you recomend any network monitors to see what clients are connected to my computer because i atleast need to be able to see who is on my computer and how much data their transfering through


  8. Ron Burton said on :

    Really good info,

    Cheers


  9. Belaprops said on :

    Good tip , I got my pda connected to the web now, BUT funny enough it seems not to work with the MSN IM and SKYPE, any suggestions, the browser works fine with my laptop hosting
    Any ideas
    Bela


  10. suresh said on :

    what about on Vista, I tryed to do on Vista but it’s not the same.can you explain


  11. RK said on :

    hey thankx it worked perfectly…………….. ur g8
    take care
    bye!!
    RK


  12. Maverick said on :

    Hi

    I have windows xp lapyop and want to use that as a wireless router, so that my vista laptop can get connected.

    I am using a wired LAN internet connection through a router(Netgear) having IP address as 192.168.0.1 and also the ICS also uses the same IP address. Cannot change the IP address range of the router as I dont have access, cannot change the ICS IP address as I am using windows XP.

    Is there any other way, thought of NAT but not able configure it properly. Can you please provide me with any solution.


  13. marc said on :

    dude, great job..thanks


  14. Tim said on :

    I tried and it didn’t work. There are two things trying to connect and that is my ipod touch and a Linux laptop. I am using a mac running windows xp. Should it still work or did i do something wrong? I still can see the wireless on my ipod, I just cant connect to the internet.


  15. danzig06 said on :

    yo…i believe this only work via computer to computer connection as i tried it before….but does it work on other stuff that can connect to the internet( i.e. PS3, HPs, IPods etc)??


  16. Darwin said on :

    in step 2 , I cannot find the drop down menu


  17. Ajay0076 said on :

    Could u provide the same for vista OS.


  18. Vj Jonson said on :

    does this work if i make make my laptop a wireless router and connect it to a ps3?


  19. Cristina said on :

    I can not find the drop down menu either. And does this work if I want to connect my ipod touch?


  20. Bobby J said on :

    Love this, but why does it seem to reset after about 20 minutes? and can be a pain to get back…..

    HELPPP


  21. Ralph said on :

    Hi, I have two Dell laptops. And I would like to make one acts as a router. I am using Vista, (Ultimate version). Do you have any suggestions. I have tried for days to do what you wrote above for windows xp but without success!

    Thanks in advance.


  22. Chris said on :

    Using vista, got it:

    first go to:
    Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Manage Network Connections
    then right-click “Local Area Connection” (or any Ethernet icon that is in working/in use)
    and select properties
    then go to sharing tab and check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection”
    and then click settings button > then check all the boxes and press OK (you can leave some unchecked if it makes a difference to you :-)
    then press OK to close the properties window.
    Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Manage Wireless Networks
    then click the “+Add” button
    choose “Ad Hoc Network”, then go through the wizard

    only this doesn’t work for my phone (nokia 5800) but prob works for computers, etc


  23. Chris said on :

    Correction – It will work with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Mobile device if you set the “Ad Hoc Network” up having an “Unsecured” connection type (no password for wifi).

    AND TO ALL: NEVER use the windows “diagnose and repair” connection thing with this network, allowing you to convert Ethernet to wifi through your PC!!!


  24. Chris said on :

    AND lastly if you still can’t connect with vista,
    try turning ON file sharing AND network discovery

    get to it here:
    Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center


  25. Nathan said on :

    I was wondering if I bought a wireless broadband card for my laptop if could connect my playstaion 3 to my laptop and play games online that way?


  26. Jermel said on :

    I have Windows XP and on step 3 im not seeing the wireless network tab? whats wrong?


  27. viny said on :

    Hey buddy, I tried it and didn’t work. I could successfully configure it on XP, but when I tried to connect from my VISTA machine, it didn’t work.

    PLZ ADVISE if u can.

    thanx


  28. azhar ali buttar said on :

    Hi, nice article but this can be done with a simple software in few very easy steps. Use connectify to make you laptop a wireless router!


  29. shekhar said on :

    here is the thing….for connecting ur iphone, psp or any other device, make a change in point number 4… Click on the Advanced button, and select “any available network(access point preferred)” and not on “Computer-To-Computer”….


  30. shekhar said on :

    sorry guyzz….psp cannot be connected through ad-hoc…so the above method can only be applied for iphone or ipod touch….


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