Linking 2 Laptops To Access The Internet Using A Usb Wifi Adapter

[vagabond48]

I created a similar thread over 6 months ago but wanted to start a fresh thread.

The building we live in offers only WIFI at a monthly fee. They are using a 3rd party internet provider (WIN Hotspot powered by Winbroadband Co.,Ltd) to access the internet. It allows only 1 WIFI computer connection per user id. I want my 2nd laptop to access the internet through the 1st laptop wifi connection. I found out that the building doesn't allow tenants to get their own private internet connection. I just purchased an inexpensive USB WIFI Adapter and was hoping the 2nd laptop can access the internet through the 1st laptop.

The 1st laptop is a 5 year old Dell with XP Pro Sp3 with an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 card. At some point in the future I will be buying a new laptop with W7 but for now I have the Dell.

The 2nd laptop is a 3 year old HP with Vista. Because the OS is in Chinese, I am not sure which WIFI card it uses. The wifi on the 2nd laptop is working properly.

This what I have done so far after doing some research. I created a network bridge between my wifi intel card and the usb wifi adapter but when I do that, the 1st laptop wifi intel card connection, which appears to continue to be connected on its own, changes its status to "not connected" when I bridge it with the usb wifi adapter. When I unselect the wifi intel card from the bridge, it reconnects again.

I am again looking for sound advice and not guessing. I realize most of you have moved on to W7 and even W8 but I am still hoping for some experts out there with past XP experience.

Edited February 9, 2013 by vagabond48

[Crossy]

I have never managed to get ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) working between two WiFi adapters.

No problem with one WiFi and one wired connection mind so that's probably the way you want to go with a wired connection between the computers.

[Dork]

I recall your last post on this subject and in that thread someone suggested a free utility called "Connectify". Like Crossy, I have always found ICS a dog to get working properly so was a little sceptical that a simple utility like that would work when sharing a single wifi card.

So after reading that suggestion I downloaded & installed Connectify and...................... it works! Piece of cake to install and seems very stable. I was even able to make a VPN connection with the first PC and share that with the 2nd device. I was quite amazed.

If I was you I would put everything back to default on both machines, take away the USB adaptor (you won't need it) then install Connectify on the first machine and follow the instructions for connecting the 2nd PC. That's it.

[KHR1010]

Get one of these: http://www.asus.com/...rking/WL330N3G/

I travel extensively and often hotels will have a limit to 1 device login on the wifi. I have phone, tablet and laptop which I change between depending on what I am doing, and I want all connected. I bought the above travel router last year and it works perfect. You log into the 1 wifi account via the router and it then acts as an access point for multiple devices only using the single log in foot-print.

You can also plug in a USB wifi dongle and make it a stand-alone router with multiple device access via cellular signal. The unti works great, I paid about 1500 Baht for mine.

Edited February 9, 2013 by KHR1010

[vagabond48]

I recall your last post on this subject and in that thread someone suggested a free utility called "Connectify". Like Crossy, I have always found ICS a dog to get working properly so was a little sceptical that a simple utility like that would work when sharing a single wifi card.

So after reading that suggestion I downloaded & installed Connectify and...................... it works! Piece of cake to install and seems very stable. I was even able to make a VPN connection with the first PC and share that with the 2nd device. I was quite amazed.

If I was you I would put everything back to default on both machines, take away the USB adaptor (you won't need it) then install Connectify on the first machine and follow the instructions for connecting the 2nd PC. That's it.

Yes, I was the one and I wrote that Connectify did not work for me and I explained why as follows.

Anyone using the free lite connectify version. I just installed it and although it is an easy install, something doesn't make sense.

There is a "Internet to share" option where you have only 3 choices, (1) no internet sharing (2) Automatic (Pro version) (3) Wi-Fi. I selected the only choice I have, Wi-Fi.

There also a "Share Over" which has only one choice, Wi-Fi but when selecting the only choice, you get an error saying that the "Internet to share" selection which was Wi-Fi can't be the same as "Share Over". The error makes sense but I don't seem to have any other choices.

On top of that, just out of curiosity, when I select "no internet sharing", which let's let start the hotspot, it disconnects me from my normal wifi connection.

What am I missing with this "free" version?

Since I purchased a wifi adapter, I will re-install connectify and see if it will work this time.

[Dork]

I have just looked at the settings I have in Connectify and they are as follows;

Internet to Share: Automatic

Share Over: Wi-Fi

Sharing Mode: Wi-Fi Access Point, Encrypted (WPA2)

Firewall: Both options checked

At least initially while you're trying to get it to work, it might be better to try with no encryption. Then when you have it working, turn that on.

Good luck.

[vagabond48]

I have just looked at the settings I have in Connectify and they are as follows;

Internet to Share: Automatic

Share Over: Wi-Fi

Sharing Mode: Wi-Fi Access Point, Encrypted (WPA2)

Firewall: Both options checked

At least initially while you're trying to get it to work, it might be better to try with no encryption. Then when you have it working, turn that on.

Good luck.

Are you using the free or paid version? Does the computer you have connectify installed on accessing the web through wifi? Edited February 9, 2013 by vagabond48

[vagabond48]

I installed the free version of connectify on the laptop #1.

Laptop #2 shows connectify as an additional wifi network option which I connected successfully.

#1 continues to access the building's wifi internet.

connectify on #1 has the status of connected to #2

#2 is connected to wifi connectify from #1.

Everything appears to be working EXCEPT #2 is not accessing the internet.

Anyone have any helpful clues?

Edited February 9, 2013 by vagabond48

[jbrain]

I would think that a wireless router with a usb port, in which you place the wifi dongle, will work .

[Dork]

I installed the free version of connectify on the laptop #1.

Laptop #2 shows connectify as an additional wifi network option which I connected successfully.

#1 continues to access the building's wifi internet.

connectify on #1 has the status of connected to #2

#2 is connected to wifi connectify from #1.

Everything appears to be working EXCEPT #2 is not accessing the internet.

Anyone have any helpful clues?

Have you tried to connect another device/PC to #1, instead of Laptop #2 so that you can isolate whether it's an issue with #1 or #2? Since you mentioned that it is a Chinese version of Windows on #2, perhaps there have been some special settings entered into the network setup to circumvent the "great firewall". That's fairly common in China. e.g. special proxy settings or some utility doing that transparently.

Otherwise, I would try to rule out whether it is a simple DNS issue. You could test that by opening a command prompt on #2 and entering the following;

ping google.com

then try,

ping 8.8.8.8

If the first ping doesn't give a response but the second does then it's a DNS issue which is pretty easy to resolve.

[vagabond48]

I pinged google and it failed. Pinging 8.8.8.8 came back with 4 request timed out. I also checked the wifi network list on our samsung ace 2 smartphone and Connectify-me was not there. I even added it to the wifi list but still could not connect.

I want to remind you that #2 has no problem accessing the internet when we log into the building's internet wifi.

#2 is listed on #1's Connectify-me Hotspot clients so I have a bit of a mystery.

Edited February 10, 2013 by vagabond48

[Crossy]

OK, I've downloaded and installed Connectify free version, configured it to share my WiFi over the same WiFi adapter and it works fine, used my tablet to access the net with no issues.

BUT

You can only do WiFi to WiFi sharing in 'Access Point' mode and Access Point mode is only available on Windows 7 or better (I'm using Win 8). I think this is our OP's problem as he has XP and Vista

Support for Windows 8, 7, XP, and Vista – XP and Vista Ad-Hoc Mode only

EDIT It MAY work using two WiFi adapters (which I believe our OP has) but sharing WiFi to another format appears to be a PRO only option so I can't test it.

[Crossy]

I think I may have a solution using two WiFi adapters and the free version of Connectify, our OP will have to try this coz I don't have an XP machine, but it works without using 'Access Point' mode.

What I did:-

1. Install my USB WiFi dongle
   
2. Configure the machine to access the net via the dongle (not the built in WiFi)
   
3. Configure Connectify to share the USB dongle's connection via WiFi Ad-hoc
   

I was then able to use a W7 machine to access the web via the Ad-hoc network, I'm making this post via said connection. Could be a result

Network map from this machine.

[vagabond48]

Crossy, that sounded like a good idea so I gave it a shot, unfortunately, I got the same negative results.

I may install the software on the HP Vista and try it that way. If I can't connect that way, I guess I'll just have to wait until I get a new laptop with W7.

It sounds like XP may be the big stumbling block in getting it to work right now.

[Crossy]

Bu99er

Did Connectify actually say you can't do it, or did it just not work?

[bobl]

ICS works great if you use ethernet as the shared media. On the laptop you use their wifi conection on, you could use ICS to share your wifi internet connection with your ethernet port, then plug a bog standard AP's WAN port into your laptop's ethernet port, and connect as many devices you like to that AP...

You'll be doing double nat but if you understand a little about private IP addressing, it's easy to set up.

You don't say how heavy a user you are. If you can fit yourself into a limit of a few GB/month, a better option might be 3G on a Mifi, rid yourself of the condo's connection altogether.

[vagabond48]

Bu99er

Did Connectify actually say you can't do it, or did it just not work?

Connectify-me connected the 2 laptops and both appear to be connected to each other but #2 could not access the internet.

This is what I wrote earlier.

Laptop #2 shows connectify as an additional wifi network option which I connected successfully.

#1 continues to access the building's wifi internet.

connectify on #1 has the status of connected to #2

#2 is connected to wifi connectify from #1.

#2 is listed on #1's Connectify-me Hotspot clients

Everything appears to be working EXCEPT #2 is not accessing the internet.

[vagabond48]

ICS works great if you use ethernet as the shared media. On the laptop you use their wifi conection on, you could use ICS to share your wifi internet connection with your ethernet port, then plug a bog standard AP's WAN port into your laptop's ethernet port, and connect as many devices you like to that AP...

You'll be doing double nat but if you understand a little about private IP addressing, it's easy to set up.

I understand the terminology but don't follow what you mean.

You don't say how heavy a user you are. If you can fit yourself into a limit of a few GB/month, a better option might be 3G on a Mifi, rid yourself of the condo's connection altogether.

I am a heavy user weighing, I mean eating up 20 to 40G worth of food, ah I mean, data a month.

What is a mifi? Do you mean an aircard which I have used. At 300B a month the building's internet is a better value.

Edited February 10, 2013 by vagabond48

[Dork]

The ASUS travel router suggested earlier in this thread might be your best solution. I carry one when I travel to use in hotels and it definitely does the job. Easy to setup and then you can just leave it connected all the time. Also it's OS independent and no need to have both computers running.

I believe that DD-WRT is also capable of wifi account sharing but haven't tried myself. If so, many cheap wifi routers would work.