Poor Man Cheapest Wifi Router
Have you setup a Wifi router at home? I like the freedom of wireless internet connection. Since I already installed broadband at home, I can setup an in house Wifi hotspot too. So that I can online via my iPod touch anywhere in or near to my house. I can online in living room, watch youtube on bed, tweet in garden, read feed in washroom. 
Any situation you might think of is possible.
The best to implement Wifi hotspot is using a wifi router. But a good brand wifi router might cost nearly $200, which is quite expensive for me to support an iPod touch. Hence, I have setup a so called “poor man wifi router”. It has almost the same feature as normal wifi router!
Setup Poor Man Wifi Router
If you have read through how I transfer files to iPod touch wirelessly, the method is almost the same. You just need a wifi adapter to act as a wifi router. In the setup guide below, I use Gateway computer (such as a PC that connected to Internet, act as wifi router) and Mobile computer (such as iPod touch or laptop) to illustrate.
In Gateway Computer:
Install necessary driver for USB Wifi adapter. Go to Wireless Connection properties, click on Wireless Network tab and add in Preferred Network. Click on Add, there are 3 important things to do here:
1. Put in your own SSID name that you like
2. Uncheck “the key is provided for me automatically” and put in your own “Network Key“. At least 5 character.
3. Tick the bottom option “This is a computer-to-computer (adhoc).
Now, your Gateway computer is ready for a wifi connection. But before that, you have to enable Internet Connection Sharing. Goto Local Area Connection > Advance, tick allow user to connect through this computer’s Internet connection as snapshot below. ( If you make manual broadband connection, then you have to share Internet connection on the specific broadband connection)
When it ask for ip address configuration confirmation, just answer “Yes”.
In Mobile Computer:
Turn on wifi on Mobile computer, double click on your SSID (AhTim in my case). Key in your Network Key to establish wifi connection between Mobile and Gateway computer. Once connected, your wifi Internet is up and ready to use.
As you can see snapshot below, I can surf, tweet, and read feeds on my iPod touch wirelessly! Just imagine I could tweet while laying on bed upstairs? Very comfortable huh?
My two cents
This poor man wifi router already benefit me since months ago. I do not need to buy an expensive wifi router yet able to experience the freedom of wireless Internet broadband. I am using 802.11g wifi connection (54Mbps), so it is more than enough to support the so call “broadband”. What type of wifi router you use?
Comments
Comment from Patrick
Time June 11, 2008 at 8:26 AM
That’s a way to do it, however, your computer must be turned on in order to share the Internet access with other nodes. I put my wireless router in the middle of the house and the signal is strong enough to bleed into the floors above and below, even backyard.
Nice WP theme!
Comment from Superman
Time June 11, 2008 at 1:38 PM
And we called it ad hoc connection. A network that broadcast from a computer or wireless device without using infrastructure or router. I’ve been using this method for years, in my college, using laptop to connect to several laptops of my friend for local area network gaming. It serves our purpose well. But the problem is, if you have no extra internet connection, you’ll have to sacrifice the internet connection of using this network. That’s why it’s a poor man router. Haha.
Comment from AhTim
Time June 11, 2008 at 4:16 PM
@Greentac: I have not tested. But it should works.
@Patrick: Yes, agreed with you.
@Superman: Its the way to save cost.
Comment from Reuben
Time June 21, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Hi There,
I’ve tried your steps exactly but my iPod touch doesn’t seem to connect to my computer wirelessly. It asks for the password and after I key in the exact password as the Network Key, it says unable to connect. What is the problem here? And also, Internet Connection Sharing should be done on my Wireless Network or my Broadband Network? or Both?
Comment from AhTim
Time June 22, 2008 at 12:22 PM
@Reuben: Do you use WEP or…? Share your Internet connection on broadband network.
Comment from Reuben
Time June 22, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Hi Tim,
Yup I used WEP. I’m using the Level One WMC-0305USB adapter. What other settings should I set? How about the TCP/IP in the Wireless Network? Btw, I’m using manual dialling for my Streamyx and i shared it there too. What other problems am I facing? Any settings for my iPos Touch I should take care about?
Comment from Ben Sullivan
Time June 23, 2008 at 9:49 AM
can i make this work for my wii and ds
Comment from Reuben
Time June 29, 2008 at 2:15 PM
What should I put in the wireless connection’s IP address, subnet mask and DNS? Why does my iPod Touch still say “unable to join the network” when I’ve already keyed in the Network Key?
Comment from ElHomer
Time March 30, 2009 at 10:16 AM
So I live in a community that has free WiFi Inet which works well for all applications I have found except my XBOX 360. Is there anyway to connect the network card in my computer (not the wireless connection) via cat 5 to the xbox without buying a cisco gaming device?
Thanks!
Comment from yusrizal
Time July 29, 2010 at 1:29 PM
cool..good tip. now i can have my own poor man wifi router…
Comment from Greentac
Time June 10, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Looks good. Can I use this method to create a wifi hotspot for 3-4 computers? Will it affect my PC? Will it make the Wifi Adapter spoil easily? Sorry, too many question.