Windows 7: Managing Wireless Network Connections (part 1) - Creating an Ad Hoc Wireless Network

Windows 7 comes with a Manage Wireless Networks feature that lists your saved wireless networks and enables you to add new wireless connections, reorder the connections, and remove existing connections. This section shows you how to perform these and other wireless networking tasks.

Opening the Manage Wireless Networks Window

Most of the chores in this article take place in Windows 7’s Manage Wireless Networks window. To get this window onscreen, open the Network and Sharing Center, and then click the Manage Wireless Networks link in the Tasks list. Figure 1 shows the Manage Wireless Networks window with a single network displayed.

Figure 1. Windows 7’s Manage Wireless Networks window.

By default, Windows 7 groups the wireless networks using the Extended Tiles view, and you can’t change this view. The networks are listed in the order that Windows 7 uses to attempt connections (more on this later; see “Reordering Wireless Connections”). If your computer comes with multiple wireless NICs and you use those NICs to create separate connections, you can switch from one NIC to another by pulling down the Change Adapter list and selecting the NIC you want to work with.

Creating an Ad Hoc Wireless Network

If you don’t have a wireless access point, Windows 7 enables you to set up a temporary network between two or more computers. This is an ad hoc connection, and it’s useful if you need to share folders, devices, or an Internet connection temporarily. Note that the computers must be within 30 feet of each other for this type of connection to work.

Here are the steps to follow to create an ad hoc wireless network:

1.	Open the Manage Wireless Networks window, as described earlier.
2.	Click Add. Windows 7 displays the How Do You Want to Add a Network? dialog box.
3.	Click Create an Ad Hoc Network. Windows 7 displays the Set Up a Wireless Ad Hoc Network dialog box. Note Another way to begin the process of creating an ad hoc wireless network is to open the Network and Sharing Center, click the Set Up a Connection or Network link to open the Choose a Connection Option dialog box, select Set Up a Wireless Ad Hoc (Computer-to-Computer) Network, and then click Next.
4.	Click Next.
5.	Provide the following data to set up the network (see Figure 2): Network Name— The name of the ad hoc network. Security Type— The security protocol used by the ad hoc wireless network. Select No Authentication (Open) if you want the network to be unsecured. Security Key— Type the key or password required for authorized access to the ad hoc network. Save This Network— Activate this check box to save the network in the Manage Wireless Networks list. Figure 2. Use this dialog box to configure your ad hoc network’s name and security type.
6.	Click Next. Windows 7 sets up the ad hoc network.
7.	If you want to share your computer’s Internet connection, click Turn on Internet Connection Sharing.
8.	Click Close. Windows 7 adds the ad hoc network to your list of networks in the Manage Wireless Networks window, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. The new ad hoc network appears in the Manage Wireless Networks window.

Now, other people within 30 feet of your computer will see your ad hoc network in their list of available wireless networks, as shown in Figure 4. Note that the network remains available as long as at least one computer is connected to it, including the computer that created the network. The network is discarded when all computers (including the machine that created the network) have disconnected from it.