How to Set Up a Wireless Network Between Two Computers

An ad hoc networks lets you connect two computers without worrying about a router

Configuring a wireless network between two computers is an easy way to share files and even an Internet connection between computers without needing a router. A wireless network between two computers is called an ad hoc network. The networking utilities included with Microsoft Windows make it easy to get a computer-to-computer network started, and Internet connectivity on the network is also easy to set up. The most important thing to remember when setting up a wireless network between computers is that the network connection will be interrupted if one of the computers is turned off.

Things You'll Need

• Two computers with wireless connections
• Microsoft Windows
• Internet connection (for Internet Connection Sharing Functionality)

Instructions

1. Turn on the wireless cards. Make sure that the wireless network cards are properly connected to each computer. If your wireless adapter connects via USB, make sure you have a USB port available and connect it.

2. Start the ad hoc connection by configuring the host computer. If you are using a wireless network to transfer files between computers, it does not matter which computer is the host. If you want to share the Internet connection, the computer with an active Internet connection should be the host. Click on the Start menu in Windows and select the "Connect to" option. Choose "Set up a connection or network." Choose the option to start an ad hoc network.

3. Create an SSID. The ad hoc network must have an SSID, which is like a name for the wireless network. It can be anything you wish. You may also choose a security protocol for the network, as Windows supports both WEP and WPA encryption.

4. Activate Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). If you have an Internet connection that you want to share from one computer to another, open the Control Panel, followed by the Network and Sharing options. Open the list of your network devices, and right-click on the one you want to share. Next, select Properties and navigate to the Sharing tab. Check the box to allow the connection to be shared between computers. Click OK, and close the control panel.

5. Connect the second computer. On the client computer that is connecting to the host, highlight the network options in the taskbar, located in the bottom-right corner of the screen. When the list of available wireless networks appears, select the SSID you created in Step 3, and enter the security key, if you set one up. This completes the connection, after which you can share files and the Internet connection from one machine to another.

References

• Microsoft: Set up a wireless network without a router
• Microsoft: Set up a computer-to-computer network
• Using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)