While wifi internet is easy to set up, cheap, and reliable, there are times when having a wireless network might not be an option. The first example that comes to mind is inside of a college dorm room. Many college dorms only provide you with an Ethernet cable on either side of the room, one being for yourself and the other being for your roommate. I struggled with this limitation myself during college being as I was one of the only people I knew with multiple computers. Sadly I was unable to find the answer then and suffered through it until my last year when I was able to get an apartment. I thought my days of dealing with such a closed network were over but then I moved to Korea. In Korean dorm room style apartments, the internet is set up in the exact same way as in most colleges. The difference is that it is much easier to stop by your IT department and have a word with someone than it is to even attempt communicating with your Korean landlord. I bought a wireless router and learned the hard way that I was not going to get wireless internet without buying an additional router from my service provider and paying extra. After many long nights and endless frustration, a friend suggested this quick fix.
Setting up an ad-hoc network is as easy as setting up any network connection on your PC. Simply go to the Networks and Sharing Center option of your Control Panel or right click on the network tray icon on the right side of your Start Menu and access it from there. Once inside Networks and Sharing Center, choose the option to set up a new network. Scroll down to the bottom and choose the last option: Set up a wireless ad-hoc network. From there you can name the network and even encrypt it using WEP or WPA2. After that is done, you are then ready to launch a wireless network using your laptop or desktop's wireless card. Having a wireless card or adapter is basically the only requirement besides an internet connection to give almost all of your devices access to wifi. The reason I say almost all of your devices is that off the shelf Android phones are unable to connect to an ad-hoc network without a bit of tinkering. Another option available is to turn your computer into a wireless hotspot through the use of software such as Connectify or Maryfi. This option will allow Android phones to access your ad-hoc network. Another great thing about an ad-hoc network is that unlike when using a wireless router, you decide when and how long you want to enable it for. Your ad-hoc network remains saved in your computer's network settings and can be restarted at any time.
There are many great reasons to set up a wireless ad-hoc network but in my opinion here are few of the best. If you are at home and want to browse the web from your bed using an iPod Touch or similar device an ad-hoc network can be very useful. Be careful with this one though because for some reason after letting your screen time out or putting the device to sleep you will have to reconnect to the network once you switch the device back on. Probably one of the best reasons to us an ad-hoc network is to avoid costly internet charges at airports and hotels. If for some reason you have to shell out fifteen or so dollars for internet access, you might as well share the benefits with friends and family. If you are in a situation similar to the ones I have found myself in, wireless ad-hoc just might be the right fix for you.
Maryfi, Connectify
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