Wireless networking without a router

[glenb83]

I was hoping some of the knowledgeable people on these forums may be able to answer my question.

I am wondering if I can 'share' my internet connection via wireless without a wireless router. I have a laptop with inbuilt wireless, and a desktop that gets its connection via ethernet from my modem.

What I want to know is if I add a wireless card to my desktop machine, can I then use that solely to share the internet connection to the laptop? (I hope this makes sense!) If so, can anyone tell me how?

Thanks in advance

[PrntRhd]

It is far better security-wise to use a home wireless router because you have a hardware firewall included. Price with typical rebates here is less than US$50, even for good ones like Linksys, Netgear, and DLink.
A router will also share the Internet with both PC independently of each other so you do not have to have a host PC running to access with the second.
You can then connect up to4 devices (such as IP printers) wired and up to 32 wireless PCs at the same time.

Connects Modem>Router>PCs and get them connected automatically using DHCP which is far easier than ICS.


I used ICS (how you are proposing to connect) a long time ago, but routers are much better.

[mjc]

There is another way, other than using ICS, to do it...but you lose the use of your desktop while you do it...

You basically turn your desktop into a router.

You can find a decent wireless router for less than $50...so it isn't really worth it to give up a desktop or sacrifice the added security of a dedicated router.