Situation: Apartment complex with only wireless Internet.

Need: Share the wireless Internet one PC is receiving with the other PCs via a 10/100/1000 router.

Question: Is it possible? If so, how?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx

I was under the impression that the computer serving as the Internet connection in an ad hoc network has to have a wired connection. Is there a way around that?

I'm sure a wireless connected computer can be set up as the main "Internet connection" shared computer, for another computer hard wired to it
Although I haven't done this before (strangely)

you need an Access Point (to connect to the existing WiFi) and to configure it
for Bridge Mode. The you can connect a switch to it and wire-up all you want.

Any access point would work, correct? (I.e. wireless router) So basically, say one of my PCs connects to the wireless network which has the Internet connection. Then would I plug my network connection from that PC into MY router, and then distribute from that router via wired connection to the laptop and second desktop?

not quite; I read you suggesting a setup like:

Code:

modem ---wifiRouter .....  system -- router -- other systems

That's known as ICS (Internet connection sharing )
A better solution would be;

Code:

modem --- router --- wired systems
           |
           +-- WiFI or A.P. device ....... wireless connections

Unfortunately it's not that simple. In the apartment complex I don't have access to a modem or hardline - just the wireless. :-( I want to setup Gigabit between my machines for file transfers.

If it helps, right now I have the laptop on the wireless, with a crossover cable to my primary desktop - working fine with ICS. My question is, can I run a CAT5 cable from the laptop with the wireless, to a router as the Internet Connection?

hum; there is no Gigabit wireless for the uplink. you can use it between your systems,
but the WiFi uplink will be much slower.

as for the configuration ---

1) you must know the ip address of the upstream router;
it normally ends with .1
but is not required to be so. (eg aaa.bbb.ccc.1)

Count the number of systems you can have online at the same time and add one.
starting from 253, subtract you system count; this will be the lowest IP address you
will use (X).

wire one of your systems to your WiFi device, login.
Go to the LAN settings, and set
the WiFi router address at aaa.bbb.ccc.X
your LAN address range from aaa.bbb.ccc.X->aaa.bbb.ccc.253.

Leave or active DHCP on.


This is the effect:
The upstream router will create addresses from x.2 and upward.
you will have addresses from X upward
There is a possibility that the upstream router could get up to your X->253 addresses
but that is unlikely.