Keeping bridged network open while laptop sleeps

Question

I don't have a way to connect my desktop directly to the router, so I'm connecting to my laptop and using a bridged connection on the laptop to give my desktop internet access. This works when the laptop is active, but when I put the laptop to sleep, I lose the connection. Is there a way to maintain the internet connection while the laptop is in sleep mode?

Answer 1

No, there isn't unfortunately, the laptop has to be awake to route packets between its network interfaces.

Answer 2

As @wingedsubmariner notes, the laptop has to be awake to route packets.

However, if your laptop is set to an aggressive power-mode, it will actively reduce power consumption by slowing the system clock, to maximize battery-charge life:

• Turn the screen off (ie set screen saver to a blank screen and enable it);
• Disable sleep mode, so it stays awake; and
• Set the Power Manager to Power Saver mode.