SCENARIO: You have to exchange/share large files between computers without having a physical router, switch, hub, or LAN cable.

SOLUTION: Create a wireless connection between the PC's and share the files as if you are in a physical network.

REQUISITES: Configure both PC to be on the same workgroup and make sure that File and Printer sharing has been enabled. Both PC should also have wireless network adapter and these adapters are enabled.

 

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

1. Setup a home or small office network. This can be accessed through Start - My Computer - My Network Places. Follow the on-screen prompts and make sure to TURN ON FILE AND PRINTER SHARING. Do this for both PC and make sure that the PC's workgroup name is the same. I have only tried this on two laptops with wireless network adapter of which one was built-in to the laptop while the other was wireless USB adapter. The OS was XP Home edition with SP2.

2. Setup one of the laptop as the Ad-hoc access point (or so I think, ;-)). Click Start - Control Panel - Network Connections. Look for a device name that says Wireless Network connection. This can be better seen if you have your Windows Explorer view in Details mode. Once identified, double click on the icon and you'll have something looking like this.

  

3. Now once you have opened your wireless network connection, click View Wireless Network, you'll have a window looking like this. Then click Change advance settings.

4. You'll have the properties of your network adapter. Click the Wireless Networks tab and select the Advanced button and choose Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only and click Close.

5. On the Preferred networks, click Add. You'll have something looking like the one below.

6. The Network name (SSID) is the name of your wireless network. Network Authentication can be open but here I used WPA shared for security reasons. I simply don't want my neighbor looking at my shared files, or worst, deleting my shared files. The data encryption type was set to TKIP because the other adapter would not support AES. I don't know the difference between TKIP and AES, all I know is AES is a newer encryption type than TKIP.In the Network Key, type anything you want but make sure to remember it. This will become the password which will be prompted to PC's trying to connect to your PC. Once done, click Ok.

7. Here comes the hard part, a lot of patience in needed here so follow the steps carefully. BE EXTREMELY PATIENT, it took me a while to configure everything during this part. View the wireless networks that you have. (Step 3 in case you have forgotten the steps.) Now in my case, I should have MY WIRELESS LAN in my wireless networks list. Click on the wireless network connection you have recently created and and wait until you have your adapter connection on that network. You'll probably have something that would pop-up near the system tray, indicating that you are connected to the network.

8. Connect the other PC. Now it's time to connect the other PC, of course, you need to go to other PC and physically do the succeeding steps. First, you need to open the network connections in that PC, the wireless network connection. Click Start - Control Panel - Network Connections. Similar to the previous step, look for your wireless network connection and you'll have something looking like this. If the newly configured wireless network is not listed, click Refers network list.

9. Once the newly configured network is in the list, click on that network and select Connect. This might take a long time so be patient. Once prompted for a password, type the password that you have chosen in Step 6.

10. You will know that the other PC is connected because a balloon will pop-up near the system tray indicating that the PC is now connected. There are times when the connection says Acquiring network address but you can access the network files. If you are an advanced user, you can try this yourself and post your experience here.

11. Now that both PC's are connected, it's time to share files and folder in the network. Look for a folder in your PC that you want to share. This will be the folder that contains the file(s) that you would want your friend to have access to. Right click on that folder and select Sharing and Security. You'll have something like the one below.

Notice that I have a different view compared to most XP pc's. This is because I disabled the Simple File Sharing from folder options.

12. Click Share this folder on the network, you can also allow your friend to add or delete files in that folder by clicking the Allow network users to change my files check box.

13. Quite a lot of task you think? You're almost done. Now the fun part, you have shared your files on the network and now you and your friend can access the folder, add/delete/edit files on the shared folder depending on your Security and Sharing settings.

14. Click start - My Computer - My Network Places - View workgroup computers. You should see you and your friend's PC by now.If not, you have to go back to step 1 then jump to step 14 (assuming that you already did steps 2 to 13). In your friends PC, you can click start - My Computer - My Network Places - View workgroup computer and click on the icon indicating your PC. This should give him access to the folder or files that you have shared over the network. To add other folders, go to step 11 and 12.

NOTE: You can also use this method to allow your friend to gain access to the Internet assuming that you have wired Internet access in the first place. In the wireless network properties window, select the Advanced tab and click Internet connection setting. I haven't done this myself so if you are successful, I'd be very glad to have a post in my blog.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

 

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