INTERNET CONNECTION SHARING

Sharing one Internet connection among several computers

Sharing one Internet connection among all the computers on your home network saves time because you have to set up only one connection. And it saves money because you don't have to buy an individual Internet account for each computer.

There are two ways to set up Internet connection sharing: by using a router, or by using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS).

Using a router

How it works: Each computer connects to a router (sometimes called an Internet gateway device). The router, which can be wired or wireless, connects to a broadband (DSL or cable) modem, and the modem connects to the Internet. The router and modem can also be purchased as a single device.

A network using a router and modem

Make sure your router has a built-in firewall. A firewall can help stop unwanted connections to your network from the Internet.

Using ICS

How it works: One computer on the network is designated as the host computer. The host computer connects to the Internet and the other network computers share that Internet connection.

A network using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)

This method is a bit less convenient because it requires the host computer to be turned on all the time. However, it's the best method if you have a dial-up Internet connection, or if you use a modem with a USB connection.

Share Your Mac's Wired Internet Connection via Wi-Fi.

Many of us these days have more than one device that we'd like (or need) Internet connection for -- smart phones and tablets, laptops and mobile Internet devices. Hefty tethering charges and fees for wi-fi hotspot access when you're away from home or travelling can add up for all those devices; it isn't always economical to pay to have all of them connected. Thankfully, there's free software called Connectify that can turn your Windows 7 laptop into a wi-fi hot spot or wi-fi access point of sorts, sharing its Internet connection over wi-fi with any other nearby wireless devices (any wireless-capable device, running Windows 7 or not). Here's how to use Connectify to get wi-fi Internet access on multiple devices through your Windows 7 laptop.

Note: If you have a wired Internet connection (e.g., one Ethernet connection in your hotel room) or a 3G cellular data modem for your computer, you can also use Internet Connection Sharing, a built-in Windows feature to share an Internet connection. See How to Share Internet Access (XP), Share an Internet Connection on Windows Vista, or Share an Internet Connection on Windows 7. If you have a Mac, you can Share Your Mac's Internet Connection via Wi-Fi as well.

Here's How:

1. Download and install Connectify (from CNet).
2. Click on the Connectify logo in the Notification Tray at the bottom right of your desktop (the icon looks like a radio wave).
3. Select the Internet connection you want to share.
4. Now you'll create a wi-fi hotspot: choose a name for your wireless network.
5. Choose a wireless password. The network is encrypted with WPA2-AES encryption.
6. Select "Access Point" mode to turn your laptop into a wi-fi access point; if it's not available you'll have to choose "Ad Hoc", which is less secure and has other limitations (learn about ad hoc wireless networks)
7. Click the Start Hotspot Sharing button to turn on the wi-fi network
8. On the client devices, you should be able to see the new wi-fi network you just created and use standard wi-fi connection instructions to connect to that wireless network.
9. enable wireless encryption by clicking on the "AirPort Options..." button and checking the option to enable encryption. Although it only uses the very poor WEP protocol, the WEP encryption (choose 128-bit key length) is better than nothing.
10. You can also change the channel for your wireless network to minimize conflicts with other networks, and also choose a unique name your network.
11. Note that if your host Mac goes to sleep or shuts down, the clients will be disconnected.

12. What You Need

    • a Mac computer connected to the Internet and another network adapter
    • client computers that are wi-fi capable and can connect to the Internet
    • network adapter for each computer
    • modem for the entire network
    • Notes

• If you share your Internet connection by setting up an ad hoc network, the connection is shared only for that session. When you restart your computer, the connection will no longer be shared.

• If you set up an ad hoc network and share your Internet connection, and then someone logs on to the same computer by using Fast User Switching, the Internet connection will still be shared. Only restarting the computer will end the Internet connection sharing.