I have created an Ad-hoc network between 2 computers based on these instructions.
I am connected to a LAN port in my hostel; all the rooms have one LAN port each. I want to share this connection with my roomie, and since we both have laptops I thought an Ad-hoc network ought to solve the problem – I've used this before but on another set of laptops.
Currently my computer (a Dell Inspiron 1525) is connected to the LAN port; my friend's computer is an IBM Thinkpad R51. I shared the LAN connection and next tried to follow all the above link's instructions but the Dell drivers don't give me the wireless networks option when I right click on Wireless network connection > Properties.
It only has the General and Advanced options, but there is another utility through which I created an Ad-Hoc network.
I also connected the other computer to this wireless network but my friend still can't browse the Internet through this connection. When I checked the packets of data on the wireless connection it has only sent some packets of data but can't receive any.
How do I solve this?
I know I could set up a network using a hub/switch but I don't want to invest further money into this as we are only here for a few weeks, and we both have the necessary hardware to network wirelessly.
Best Answer
You should be aware that the ad-hoc part of the 802.11 standard (wireless) is very poorly implemented by some wireless network device manufactures. Thus it is not uncommon at all to encounter two laptops which are simple incapable of communication with each other over an ad-hoc network.
I work with ad-hoc networks almost daily, I'm studying networks and distributed systems. And from experience with many poor ad-hoc implementations, we always make a point of using the same 802.11 hardware for all units we want to communicate in an ad-hoc network.