How To Wirelessly Share an Internet Connection from a Mac

Have you ever been somewhere and wondered if you could share your Internet connection from your Mac with your iPad, iPod touch, or data-less iPhone? It's easier than you think, thanks to a feature of Mac OS X. In this how to, we'll show you just how it's done by creating a wireless ad-hoc network right from your AirPort-equipped Mac.

Let's get started by talking about what you'll need. First, you'll need a Mac that's connected by a means other than Wi-Fi (i.e. Ethernet cable, USB modem, etc.). Next, the Mac you're using needs to be equipped with an AirPort wireless card.

1. Settings, settings, and more settings

To begin, open System Preferences and navigate to Sharing. Once there, click on the Internet Sharing service located in the pane on the left-hand side of the window. In the resulting pane, choose your Mac's connection method in the "Share your connection from:" drop-down menu. If you're using something other than Ethernet (i.e. a Bluetooth modem, USB modem, etc.), be sure to select it from the list. We'll share our connection using Ethernet.

Next, in the "To computers using:" list, check the box labeled "AirPort." Once you select AirPort, you should notice a button labeled "AirPort Options..." displayed. Click on it to set advanced options for the wireless network your Mac will be creating.

In the resulting window that opens, you can change the name of your ad-hoc wireless network (set by default as the name of your Mac), change the channel (set by default as Automatic), but the part we're interested in is the WEP encryption. While WEP isn't the best wireless encryption standard, it will do the job of protecting the small wireless network we're creating. If you want your wireless network encrypted, check the box labeled "Enable encryption (using WEP)" and specify a password and confirm it. You can optionally set the WEP Key Length, but we will leave it at 40-bit for compatibility. When you're done with the AirPort options, click the OK button.

2. Turn on the Internet Sharing

When you've finished setting the preferences for the Internet Sharing, it's time to turn it on. Click the checkbox next to Internet Sharing in the Sharing Preferences Pane to have your Mac enable the wireless settings and begin sharing your connection over a wireless ad-hoc network.

When enabling Internet Sharing, you may get a warning that says, "If your computer is connected to a network, turning on Internet sharing may affect the network settings of other computers and disrupt the network. Contact your system administrator before turning on Internet sharing." To continue, simply press the Start button.

The menu bar item for AirPort will change to an upward-facing arrow, letting you know that your computer is now broadcasting a wireless signal. Clicking on this menubar item will detail the signal name and confirm that Internet Sharing is turned on.

3. Connecting Your iOS Devices

You can now connect your iOS device to the new wireless network you created. This is done in Settings > Wi-Fi, just as you would connect to any other wireless network. Once you?re connected, your iOS device will route it?s traffic through the Internet connection shared by your Mac. This is a great feature for travelers who often use Ethernet connections in hotel rooms, and other locations.

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