This type of network setup connects several computers usually wirelessly to each other. You can use this type of network to share the internet over the wireless network without the need for a wireless router.
1. You will require one wireless card (PCI or USB) for each computer
or notebooks with wireless capability
Goto to the wireless network card properties.
In Vista or Windows 7
2. Click Start>Control Panel>Network and Internet
3. Click on "Network and Sharing Center"
4. Click on Set up a connection or network">click on "Set up a wireless ad-hoc (computer-to-computer) network"
5. At the "Give your network a name and choose security options"
6. Give a network a "unique ID", this is your SSID
7. Leave the security type as "WAP2-Personal"
8. Enter a key in the "Security key" (this can be a combination of numbers or numbers and letter)
Now your ad-hoc network is created, you will need to configure the wireless card to setup for ICS.
9. In Network and Sharing Center, click on Manage network connections in Vista, Change adapter setting in Windows 7
You will now need to set your host computer (the computer sharing the internet) a static IP.To do this follow the below instructions.
10. Right click the wireless card>Properties
11. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP)">click Properties
12. Select "Use the following IP address"
13. set the IP address: to something similar to 192.168.1.1
14. Click Subnet mask: leave in default 255.255.255.0
15. You will need to set the connecting computers IP as well. Be sure to set all connecting computer's IPs in the same range as the host computer. e.g. 192.168.1.56
16. Set the Default gateway: of the connecting computers to the host computers IP
17. In "Manage network connections", right click the the connection with internet connectivity. This may be your Ethernet or USB connection to your modem or router. Usually seen as "Local Area Connection".
18. Right click>Properties
19. In the window that appears click on "Sharing" tab
19. Tick "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection
20. From the drop down list Select the wireless network connection (this is the wireless connection you just setup as the ad-hoc network
*Note if the ICS does not work, where you have the computers connecting to the ad-hoc network but has only local access (no internet activity on connecting computer). You can bridge the Local Area Connections with the Wireless Network Connection, click here for details.