Tips: Sharing: How to: Share Your Laptop’s Internet Access with Another PC

How to Share Your Laptop’s Internet Access with Another PC

You can share your Internet access by connecting your laptop with a non-wireless computer. First, you need to connect your laptop with the other computer by using a standard Ethernet cable.

You can then share your Internet connection. This is different for each version of Windows, as described in the following steps.

1. In Windows Vista, choose Control Panel from the Start menu, and then choose the Control Panel's Network Center icon. In Windows XP, choose Control Panel from the Start menu, and then choose the Control Panel's Network Connections icon; skip to Step 3.
2. In Windows Vista (only), on the left side of the window, click the link that says Manage Network Connections.
   
3. Right-click your laptop's Wireless Network Connection icon, the one you're using presently to get on the Internet.
4. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
   If you see a User Account Control warning in Windows Vista, click the Allow button.
5. In the network connection's Properties dialog box, click the Sharing tab.
6. Put a check mark by the box that says Allow Other Network Users to Connect through This Computer's Internet Connection.
   
7. Click OK, and close the Control Panel window.

At this point, your buddy should be able to get on the Internet by using the direct Ethernet connection to your laptop. He can test it by opening his Web browser and navigating to a Web site.