Tether iPhone to laptop, then create wireless network?

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Tether iPhone to laptop, then create wireless network?

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Topic # 58538 13-Mar-2010 23:15

In theory this should work but I can't get it to so comments or suggestions appreciated.

If your Mac is connected to the Internet by ethernet you can create an ad hoc wireless network using its AirPort and then connecting your wireless device. This method is well documented.

I thought I might be able to do the same by tethering my iPhone to the laptop, creating a network, and then in Internet sharing setting it up so that it shares it from the iPhone to computers using AirPort.

In my test situation my iMac and a second iPhone are able to connect to the created network, but they're not able to access the Internet, with the iMac self-assigning an IP address.

This is where my networking knowledge gets a bit limited. I'm assuming that if it's not some sort of hardware limitation I'd need to manually assign the other wireless devices an IP within the same range as the created network, or somehow use the laptop [with the created network] as a DHCP server to assign the correct addresses to the other devices?

I've tried doing a Google search but can't find anything.

1 | 2

893 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 5

Reply # 307017 14-Mar-2010 07:21

If I remember correctly the iPhone (and all other tethered cell phones) create a dial up network which is unable of being shared to a wifi connection but please feel free to correct me because I am listening.

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 309803 22-Mar-2010 14:22

I hate bumping stuff, but I'd really love to get either a definitive answer to my query or for someone to confirm what thefatmould said above. It might dictate what iPad I end up getting!

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 309861 22-Mar-2010 17:40

Hang on,

so is the question here:

Tether iphone to mac, and then create a ad-hoc with the mac?

or connect the mac via ethernet, then create an ad-hoc on the mac so you can connect the iphone(Or ipad, or whatver)

tomgeeknz

893 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 5

Reply # 309862 22-Mar-2010 17:41

First option. Adhoc with mac eg share iPhone data with wifi devices or Ethernet connection!

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 309872 22-Mar-2010 17:57

Aaroona: Hang on,

so is the question here:

Tether iphone to mac, and then create a ad-hoc with the mac?

or connect the mac via ethernet, then create an ad-hoc on the mac so you can connect the iphone(Or ipad, or whatver)

Yes, first option. To create an ad-hoc network using the iPhone as the modem so that other wireless devices can access the internet via the Mac and iPhone.

I'm thinking ahead in terms of the wi-fi only iPad.

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 309874 22-Mar-2010 17:59

corksta:
Aaroona: Hang on,

so is the question here:

Tether iphone to mac, and then create a ad-hoc with the mac?

or connect the mac via ethernet, then create an ad-hoc on the mac so you can connect the iphone(Or ipad, or whatver)

Yes, first option. To create an ad-hoc network using the iPhone as the modem so that other wireless devices can access the internet via the Mac and iPhone.

I'm thinking ahead in terms of the wi-fi only iPad.

Unfortunately I haven't got any idea. I can try a little later, and see what results I can produce.

If you have your phone jailbroken (which I get the feeling you don't) there are apps you can use that will create a wireless network from the iPhone itself, making it a data modem/wifi router.
My mate tried it the other day, and it works well.

But yeah, I will try it a bit later for you.

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 309877 22-Mar-2010 18:10

Cheers mate, yep no jailbreaking in this household!

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 310088 23-Mar-2010 09:58

I tried it out last night, but didn't get to post my results.

I got it working.

1. I tethered a nokia phone to my mac via bluetooth (I don't have a cable),
2. connected it to the Internet via the phone,
3. turned on/configured Internet sharing via the Sharing pref pane.
4. turned my iPhone to airplane mode (to prove it worked) and connected to the newly created wireless connection.

and there you go, all done.

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 310214 23-Mar-2010 13:49

Thanks Aaron, I thought I had followed the same process as you though. Were you actually able to use the Internet through this connection, because that's where my issue was.

I'm in the position where I don't have another phone that I can use to test the ad-hoc network, so was just trying to use the iMac to connect.

I tethered to the laptop, created the network, turned on Internet sharing via computers using AirPort, and while the iMac could connect to the ad-hoc network it said that it couldn't connect to the Internet (from within the Network pref pane on the iMac), but I'll have to fiddle around with it a bit more and see what I can come up with. For me it was the fact that the iMac had an IP address that wasn't in the same range as the one created by the laptop, hence why it said I couldn't connect to the Internet.

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 310238 23-Mar-2010 14:27

corksta: Thanks Aaron, I thought I had followed the same process as you though. Were you actually able to use the Internet through this connection, because that's where my issue was.

I'm in the position where I don't have another phone that I can use to test the ad-hoc network, so was just trying to use the iMac to connect.

I tethered to the laptop, created the network, turned on Internet sharing via computers using AirPort, and while the iMac could connect to the ad-hoc network it said that it couldn't connect to the Internet (from within the Network pref pane on the iMac), but I'll have to fiddle around with it a bit more and see what I can come up with. For me it was the fact that the iMac had an IP address that wasn't in the same range as the one created by the laptop, hence why it said I couldn't connect to the Internet.

Tell you what, I'll take a few screen shots and write up a little thing on it to show you the process I followed.. There must be something you're not quite doing right at your end, as its definitely working here. Internet worked fine.

Let us know how you go, and I'll see if I can get these shots together etc later on this afternoon.

Cheers

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 310242 23-Mar-2010 14:35

Awesome thanks mate, I won't be home until 7pm tonight so won't be able to have a crack at it until then, but some screenshots would be brilliant. Cheers.

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 314456 3-Apr-2010 18:50

Oh my goodness. Sorry about that, I completely forgot about this topic.

Anyways, if it still applies:

I tethered my iphone like you normally would. (I did mine through bluetooth)

went into the sharing panel on mac and configured it like this (make sure you select the right network interface, in this case, Bluetooth PAN), and activated it (by ticking the check box), and off I went!

Configuration:

Activate!:

That is the simplest way to do it.

But of course, if you want to set up your wifi so it is security enabled, go ahead and click the "AirPort" options button before you activate it.

After all of the above is done, grab your device, and connect it to the wifi network (:

Let me know if it works, I mean, to be honest, its the same as the Apple guide, but maybe the screen shots will help a little.

corksta

2079 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 218

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 314460 3-Apr-2010 19:13

Haha no worries I was going to send you a gentle reminder but I still had faith in you!

Thanks very much for that, I never tried setting it up that way through tethering by Bluetooth. I always had it connected via USB so maybe that was the issue as I'm pretty sure I had the same settings shown in the screenshots (but specifying sharing from USB).

I'll have a play around with that soon and see how I get on.

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 314462 3-Apr-2010 19:15

corksta: Haha no worries I was going to send you a gentle reminder but I still had faith in you!

Thanks very much for that, I never tried setting it up that way through tethering by Bluetooth. I always had it connected via USB so maybe that was the issue as I'm pretty sure I had the same settings shown in the screenshots (but specifying sharing from USB).

I'll have a play around with that soon and see how I get on.

Haha, you should have! Sorry again!

Tell you what, I'll go grab my USB cable and see if I can get it going over that too.. I'm quite interested now

Aaroona

:)
2876 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 85

Subscriber

Reply # 314463 3-Apr-2010 19:17

It seems even over USB, it's working..

So you may have configured something incorrectly somewhere.

1 | 2