# Windows and Mac Ad-Hoc Networking



## fazer (Aug 8, 2005)

Hello!

Today, I was tyring to ad-hoc my Thinkpad with my iBook. I did this by creating an Ad-Hoc network from my Thinkpad and making my iBook connect to it and also vice versa.

Since my iBook is connected to the Lan and my Thinkpad isn't, this seemed to be causing problems. However, once my iBook isn't on the Lan and I connect to the computer-to-computer network created on my Thinkpad, it works fine. However, when I go to Finder, then click on Network and try to connect to my Thinkpad, it gives me a weird Alias error. When I try to fix the alias error it says that I don't have the permission to. 

However, my Thinkpad connects to my iBook fine. I can browse files and so on.

However, when I connect the Ethernet cablle into my iBook, I loose the computer-to-computer connection. Is there a way that I can keep both connected at the same time?

Thanks,

Fazer


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## fazer (Aug 8, 2005)

No one?


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## Todd (Oct 14, 2002)

The problem you're encountering is trying to connect to two networks at the same time - you can't (easily) do that. (It's not technically impossible, but would involve far more engineering and expense that it's worth.)

Your best move is to get a wireless router. Connect the Thinkpad to your network wirelessly through the router. (Abandon the ad-hoc method.) Connect your iBook to your network wirelessly or with an Ethernet cable as you need. Let the router do it's job - routing network traffic - and your computers should be able to happily see each other.


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## harzack86 (Jan 30, 2005)

I get fazer's point though:
For instance, you're travelling and the hotel room has only an ethernet broadband connection (quite common) but you'd like to connect both a PC laptop and an iBook to internet at the same time, and both the PC and the iBook have Ethernet and Wifi (which makes 2 network cards on each).

How could one of the computer be connected to the broadband connection, and then share this connection to the other one through an Ad Hoc network created between these 2 computers, without requiring to pack a router in an (already) heavy bag?

Would solution like a software router, for instance this one, (still 100 US$, more than an actual router!!) work?
http://www.sustworks.com/site/prod_ipnrx_overview.html

Any other solutions you guys know about?


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

www.apple.com/airportexpress 

By far.. the best solution of course. However, IPNetShare would work fine. Although.. an express isn't much more expensive.


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## Todd (Oct 14, 2002)

harzack86 said:


> I get fazer's point though:
> For instance, you're travelling and the hotel room has only an ethernet broadband connection (quite common) but you'd like to connect both a PC laptop and an iBook to internet at the same time, and both the PC and the iBook have Ethernet and Wifi (which makes 2 network cards on each).
> 
> How could one of the computer be connected to the broadband connection, and then share this connection to the other one through an Ad Hoc network created between these 2 computers, without requiring to pack a router in an (already) heavy bag?


Apple's *AirPort Express* is just the thing. It's small and doesn't even need a power brick.


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## harzack86 (Jan 30, 2005)

I'm not sure the Airport Express can be used as a router, with DHCP capabilities and thus create a local network.
Most of the time in a hotel, there is only 1 IP allowed per room, thus as you can't get a second IP you need to create your own network.
I'm not sure I got it on how to do this with an Airport Express... plus that's something more to carry... plus that's more expensive than a basic router...


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

harzack86 - The Airport Express if you want it to be operates just like a wireless router. It's possible with all routers to turn off the routing portion and act like a switch or as a wireless access point.

If you want to, think of it as a more limited and smaller Airport Extreme Bas Station with the ability to plug into a stereo.

With the Airport Express acting as a router you can take the one IP and share it among multiple computers.

See: http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/onthego.html


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## harzack86 (Jan 30, 2005)

Thanks Chealion!
I didn't knew about that feature, and I fully agree with all you guys, this makes the Airport Express really compelling in this situation.


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## fazer (Aug 8, 2005)

Isn't this already handled by Windows? The ability to ad-hoc to other computers and also share the Internet connection? I would have thought that OS X would be able to do the same. Guess not? I mean in terms of not getting another hardware involved...


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

fazer - Under the Sharing portion of the System Preferences, go to Internet Sharing. Choose the internet connection port, choose ports to share on. Press Start.

Things to note: You have to open your firewall for the ports so other people can access the internet. eg. Open port 80 for web browsing.

This will also give out IPs by default on a 192.168.2.x set up which is one thing the Windows Internet Connection feature used to not be able to do. As of SP2 I believe it does now, although I haven't played with SP2's Internet Sharing in quite a while.


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## fazer (Aug 8, 2005)

Thanks for your responce Chealion. I haven't had much time to look at it yet. 
But does it allow to share an internet connection via wireless computer-to-computer network? (keeping in mind that the other computer is an XP SP2 laptop)


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2005)

The airport express also works very well as a wireless bridge and is by far the cheapest solution for this I've seen yet  Sorry to thread jack as it's a bit OT but it's very good info to know.


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## fazer (Aug 8, 2005)

Alright, so I have to admit. Apple makes it really easy to share your internet connection via AirPort. I was able to do with it a single click! But the problem is, I want to secure the wifi connection so for testing purposes I choose the 40 bit encryption that requires a 5 character password. Once I have set that, Windows trys to login, asks for the WEK key, I give it the WEK key (twice) and it takes forever to connect and then it just fails to connect. 

Has anyone else tried network windows and mac wirelessly with encryption with the Mac doing the sharing?

Thanks!


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## Zafarius (Nov 15, 2004)

*more questions*

I have a Mac and a PC networked through Ethernet, but my Mac's external firewire hard drive doesn't show up on the PC.
Any insights on how I can remedy this problem?


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## Majinonifox1 (Oct 29, 2009)

By what I'm understanding, you're having your Mac hold the internet connection. If this is the case, maybe try having your Windows have the internet, and then Airport to the Windows? Again, opening the ports and such, but that's a minor thing. Every try it that way?


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

fazer said:


> Hello!
> 
> Today, I was tyring to ad-hoc my Thinkpad with my iBook. I did this by creating an Ad-Hoc network from my Thinkpad and making my iBook connect to it and also vice versa.
> 
> ...


Man, run fast away from this set up. I did this with my girlfriend's Dell and it royally screwed over her network prefs.


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