- Connecting to a Wired Network
- Connecting to a Wireless Network
- Managing Your Network Connections
- Connecting Through a VPN
- Mapping a Drive to a Network Folder
- Sharing Your Computer's Internet Connection
- Diagnosing and Repairing Network Problems
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Sharing Your Computer’s Internet Connection
Windows includes a feature called Internet Connection Sharing that enables you to share your computer’s Internet connection with other computers and devices.
Internet Connection Sharing can work pretty well, but normally you’d want to use it only in these circumstances:
- You have a wired connection that’s available only to your computer. For example, your broadband router is connected directly to your computer via USB and doesn’t have an Ethernet port or wireless capabilities.
- Your computer has a cellular connection that you want to share temporarily.
CAUTION
Avoid using Internet Connection Sharing if you have a better alternative available, such as sharing the connection via your broadband router either using cables or wirelessly.
Follow these steps to set up Internet Connection Sharing:
- Right-click or long-press the Network icon in the notification area to open the shortcut menu.
- Click Open Network and Sharing Center to open a Network and Sharing Center window.
- Click Change Adapter Settings in the left column to open a Network Connections window.
- Right-click or long-press the Internet connection, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu to open the Properties dialog box for the connection.
Click the Sharing tab to display its contents (see Figure 3.18).
FIGURE 3.18 You can control Internet Connection Sharing on the Sharing tab of the Properties dialog box for the connection.
- Check the Allow Other Network Users to Connect Through This Computer’s Internet Connection check box.
- Check the Allow Other Network Users to Control or Disable the Shared Internet Connection check box only if you want others to be able to manipulate the Internet connection. You may prefer to keep control of it yourself.
- Click OK. Windows shares the connection.
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NOTE
When you want to stop sharing your computer’s Internet connection, open the Properties dialog box, uncheck the Allow Other Network Users to Connect Through This Computer’s Internet Connection check box, and click OK.