Make my LAN connected PC a wifi source?

Peterdalkey

Hi

Is there some device that I can use to make my LAN (with internet connection) Win7 desktop into a wifi source to connect my WiFi only ipad?

Thanks

Peter

seamus

Yes!

You need a wireless card in the desktop - which may be there if it's a relatively new one.

http://lifehacker.com/5369381/turn-your-windows-7-pc-into-a-wireless-hotspot/all

However, keeping your PC running to make a wireless hotspot for your iPad is energy expensive and noisy.

A small cheap wireless router will do exactly the same and you can leave it on 24/7

http://www.dabs.ie/products/edimax-n150-1t1r-wireless-router-9910.html?src=3

brightspark

http://lifehacker.com/5369381/turn-your-windows-7-pc-into-a-wireless-hotspot/all

Should answer your question.

truedoom

setup an adhoc network.

Peterdalkey

My PC does not have a wireless card, I had hoped to use some sort of a USB dongle to give me wifi access to the PC lAN internet connection for my ipad/iphone ( want to be able to use Sky-go in the office!!)

seamus

That's doable.

So buy a small USB WiFi dongle (€20 or less), plug it in and set it up. Set it up as a wireless hotspot, as detailed in the posts above. The last step in that guide talks about opening up your LAN to connections sharing.

BIG HUGE NB
If you work in a corporate environment, you could lose your job for doing this. What you're basically doing is opening up access to your corporate network to unauthorised devices and introducing a technically unsecured weak point to the network. In security terms it's like having someone break a hole in the office wall beside your desk and fit a door, for which only you possess the key (if any).

The preferred solutions to your problems are:
1. Ask for the password/access to the company's wireless network. Ask an IT person directly, don't log a ticket
2. If they have no wireless network and it's a small company, ask about adding a small wireless router so that phones and laptops can get access to email, and so forth. Be creative.
3. If it's a really really small company, show your boss how he could watch Sky Go on his iPad if he had a wireless network.
4. Watch Sky Go on your work PC.

Peterdalkey

RE No 4 For some reason SkyGo does not like our network firewall and uses up 1 monthly connection change each time I use it!!

As to all the others, I am the boss, sole owner and de facto chief bottle washer . I just want a simple solution without putting the whole site on wifi!! It is in this case all about me!

I did buy a usb wifi from LAN converter from a crowd in Lucan on Ebay.ie but could not get it to install properly, they sent me a link to updated drivers and it contained malware (popup coupon crap advertising) all over my browser!!

Your advice re security is absolutely spot on Seamus for most people and thanks for your input. Can you recommend a decent unit/dongle?

seamus

Peterdalkey wrote: »

RE No 4 For some reason SkyGo does not like our network firewall and uses up 1 monthly connection change each time I use it!!

That changes things so
If you do the above, the network firewall will still be the problem because all your traffic is routed through it.

New option:

Buy a small wireless router, like the one I've linked to above, and put it outside your firewall.

So your network toplogy may look like this:

Internet <----> Cable/DSL Router <----> Firewall <----> (rest of network)

Do this:

Internet <----> Cable/DSL Router <----> Firewall <----> (rest of network) 
                                      |
                                       ---> Wireless AP

Pros:
You get wireless access directly to the web without compromising network security.

Cons:
There's now unfiltered wireless access over your web connection.

Peterdalkey

Good thinking Tonto!! I would still end up with the same issue!! OK, it seems that I will just wait until we get the fibre broadband into the factory (due in the next couple of months) and put in a new router to serve both the network and WiFi!! In the meantime I could just tether ipad to iphone?