How Do I Set My Wireless LAN USB Adapter As an Access Point?

A wireless USB adapter may be used as a cheap alternative to a wireless router.

Wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi, is an immensely useful technology. Having a wireless network at home can bring all of the convenience offered by Wi-Fi to your day-to-day life. Unfortunately, wireless routers can be expensive. This can make creating a wireless network too expensive for those on a budget. Thankfully, a wireless router is not the only device that can be used to set up a home wireless network. Any computer and wireless networking device, such as a wireless USB adapter, may be used to create a wireless network.

Things You'll Need

• Wireless USB adapter
• Internet connection

Instructions

1. Install any drivers necessary for the USB adapter onto a computer. The computer you install this on will have to stay connected to the Internet, so use a computer that you don't mind leaving hooked up through an Ethernet cable. Your adapter should have come with instructions on how to install it, and possibly driver discs. Use these to install the adapter.

2. Make sure that this computer is connected to the Internet, and then open the Network Connections window from the Windows Control Panel (go to "Control Panel" on the Start menu, click "Network and Internet Connections," and then click "Network Connections"). In this window, you should see a list of all of your available connections. Right-click on the one labeled "Wireless Network Connection" and select "Properties."

3. Click on "Add" in the Wireless Networks tab. A new window will pop up, asking you to configure the network. In the field labeled" SSID," enter whatever you want the network to be called. If you want to require a password, turn WEP security on and enter a network key. Make sure the check box labeled "This key is provided to me automatically" is unchecked, and the check box labeled "This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network" is checked. Click "OK" in this window, and then click "OK" on the Wireless Network Connection Properties window to create the wireless network.

4. Connect the other computers to the network. They should be able to see the network you just created and alert you with a pop-up notification in the lower-right corner of the screen. If any computer doesn't, right-click the wireless network icon in its system tray (it looks like a computer with radio waves coming from it) and select "View Available Wireless Networks." You should see the name you created. Double-click on it to connect (enter your password if prompted) to your new wireless network.

References

• Windows XP: Set up a wireless network without a router