Sharing Internet Connection Wirelessly w/o Base Station

[Chasealicious]

I've got an iMac G5 and PowerBook G4 that I use in the dorms at college. I've been using an Airport Express base station the past two years, but I've wondered if it would be possible to share the internet connection without the base station.

Does anyone know of a software-based way to share a network connection between to Macs wirelessly without the Airport station? What I'm imaging here is that I could plug the iMac into the network via ethernet, then share the network connection between the iMac and the PowerBook directly via the built-in Airport cards. Any way to do this?

 

[mklos]

Yep, its possible! No extra software needed either. Everything needed is already built into Mac OS X. All you have to do on the iMac is make sure the ethernet cable is connected and the internet works. Then go to System Preferences, then to Sharing. Click on the Internet Tab and then where it says share your internet connection from select Built-in Ethernet. Then below that where it says To computers using, select AirPort. It will then share the internet connection from your iMac out through the airport wireless antennas. If you have the AirPort status thingy in your menu bar you will notice that it will put an arrow going upwards through the waves.

Then on the PowerBook, click on the AirPort Menubar thingy and your iMac should appear. It should show up as whatever your iMac is named. You can change the name of your iMac in the Sharing System Preference as well.

This will also enable you to share files and printers as well.

 

[Chasealicious]

Thanks for the quick reply. Any idea about what kind of range you get when setting up that kind of network?

 

[mklos]

You shouldn't have any trouble using that in a dorm room, or anywhere around the house. You'll basically just have to try it. Many things dictate a wireless range. Not all wireless networks are created equal.

Also I'll note that if you click on the AirPort Options button in the Sharing System Preference under Internet, you can put a little security on your wireless network. You can add a simple WEP password so others can't just join your wireless network whenever they please.