Users on both Windows and Mac computers can configure their systems to share a single Internet connection among several machines on the same local network. First, users must decide which computer will host the network connection and then set up that machine with the active Internet signal. The host computer needs to be directly tied to the Internet, either through an Ethernet or wireless connection. Then the host system can be configured to share the connection, using the Internet control panel on the computer. The user can choose to share its connection through an open Ethernet port or a wireless card.
Remote Set Up
Once the host computer has been set up to share an Internet connection, remote systems can be set up to locate and connect to the newly created network. If the host computer is sharing the connection through an Ethernet port, then an Ethernet cable must be connected from the host to the remote system. If the host computer is sharing the network connection through a wireless card, then the remote system's wireless scanner must be enabled. The name of the host computer should appear in the list of available devices to connect from the remote system.
Remote Connection
With its direct connection to the Internet, the host computer is constantly sending out and receiving small packets of data. Once Internet sharing is set up with remote systems, the host computer begins transferring those packets of network data to the other machines on the local network. Each computer on the shared network receives a distinct IP address from the host system, but these addresses are not seen on the Internet. All actions from the remote computers go through the host system, so all of the machines are actually sharing the host's IP address.
