How do I turn a Wi-Fi "hotspot" into a local wired network?

Question

Here's the situation: In a remote "office" I have a computer with no network connection, that I need to network with when I'm at this remote office. There is a wireless network where this computer is, but no wireless adapter in the computer. I have a laptop running Windows 7 that can connect to the wireless, and the computer is running Windows Vista. What is the best way to get them both connected?

I know I can buy a USB wireless adapter or something for the computer, but is there an easy way to do it with what I've got?

Answer 1

In the laptop you create a network bridge between the wireless and wired adapter. And then connect the desktop computer to the laptop with lan cable.

1. Put lan cable between laptop and desktop
2. In the laptop run program "Network and Sharing Center"
3. On the left, under manage wireless networks, it should say change adapter settings - click that
4. right click local area connection and disable it.
5. right click local area connection and click properties.
6. there should be a tab that says sharing go to that tab.
7. there is a box that says allow other network users to connect through this computers internet connection. uncheck it if it is checked.
8. hit ok then right click local area connection and enable it.
9. now select both your wireless network connection and the local area connection and right click and it should have the option to bridge connections. when you click bridge it will do its thing and should work when its done.

This is from (http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-networking/2847-how-do-i-make-network-bridge.html#post14064)

Answer 2

The WLAN is likely to come from a wireless router. Most wireless routers that I know have at least one wired LAN socket. If so, you should be able to connect your PC with a LAN cable to the router to get it into the LAN. Usually, the LAN and WLAN of one router are on the same segment (if not, you need to check and change the according settings on the router), so the PC and notebook should "find" each other.

Answer 3

If I understand correctly, you are trying to provide LAN connectivity to a computer on a Wireless LAN. However, your computer has no wireless capability.

In this case, you can use a wireless router such as the Cisco/Linksys WRT54 family, install a new firmware that is based on Linux such as DD-WRT and turn it into a Wireless access point for wired-only computers. I had to do this for a computer which could not have wireless connection. Once the router was setup as a GATEWAY, with the proper credentials to connect to the wireless network, it was acting as a gateway, sharing the same IP address space, and providing full connectivity to the Internet.

Another reason to do this is that my wife's computer, running Vista, sometimes disconnects itself from the WLAN, if left on for too long without networking activity. And in this case, the only solution is to save everything and restart, as it will not see the wireless access point anymore. Of course, I don't have such problem under Linux. My solution tothis is to install this king of gateway, which takes care of the wireless connection, and becomes a simple Cat5 cable connection to my wife's PC, not even realizing it is using a wireless connection.

Google for DD-WRT. There is also another firmware named Tomato which can be used to provide such capability.

You can find more here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode_Wireless

Answer 4

You have several options. Assuming by your statement that this computer is NOT networked via wired or wireless - then you either can get a USB networking cable which is designed to hookup two computers together into a network or a switch and two patch cables and hookup both together, or USB wireless adapter.