# Macintosh, Windows, Airports and the miracle of creating a network- a question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 28, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994 "2006-01-28T16:18:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994/1 "2006-01-28T16:18:13Z")

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I plugged my Mac Titanium PowerBook G4 into the Ethernet cable. Got highspeed from the folks where I was working. Created a wireless network. The fellow sittting 5 feet away **found** my network, and was able to detect a nice strong signal coming from my laptop.

He could have perused my hard drive, but that was not our intent. How do I go about setting things up, so if I create another private wireless network, he can surf the Internet USING my signal? Can he? Is such a thing possible?

We have one Ethernet drop and are denied permisstion to use a router, hub, splitter, etc. So, we thought this was a good way to share the signal. Is such a thing possible? I have Mac OS-X, Tiger on the PowerBook.  
Cartooniverse

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**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994/2 "2006-01-28T16:22:36Z")

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Go to System Preferences, choose the Sharing option, then choose the Internet tab.

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**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994/3 "2006-01-28T21:36:42Z")

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Keep in mind that you are essesntially turning your laptop into a router, which you say is forbidden. Depending on how much the network admins monitor, they may take notice of what you are doing.

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macintosh-windows-airports-and-the-miracle-of-creating-a-network-a-question/341994/4 "2006-01-29T02:48:58Z")

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Oh. Well, the head cheese is the one who suggested it, then winked. See, we…uh. Well, I can’t get specific as to why, but I cannot afford the only router they permit now. ( Cisco ). He made it cleary by suggesting this, that using MY laptop to route a wireless signal to my co-horts was fine by him.

So, I’ll try it ! Thanks for the info, **Cleophus**!!

I can’t try it till I’m with someone else with a laptop, or I’d fire it up right now. 🙂