How to share desktop internet connection via WiFi or receive WiFi on desktop computer?

Looking for a way to share your internet connection from your desktop computer? Or looking for a way to access WiFi connection from your WiFi router to your desktop computer? Read on.

If you are looking for a way to create a WiFi Access Point (AP) on your desktop computer to share internet connection on your desktop computer to other devices via WiFi OR to access WiFi on your desktop computer from an existing Access Point, devices like this little nano WiFi adapters can help.

I was trying a new WiFi adapter I bought online for a laptop whose WiFi card broke and I had to remove the hardware completely as it used to get overheated. The laptop is quite old and probably will be ditched very soon. So instead of buying a WiFi card for the laptop, I went for a cheaper nano WiFi adapter (in this case a Leoxsys’s LEO-NANO150N).

This is a very useful little hardware by the way and it's cheap. Just about Rs.300 in India.

It can be used in two ways:

• As a WiFi adapter - to receive WiFi signals from another Access Point such as a WiFi router
• Or as an Access Point (AP) to share a computer's internet connection with other WiFi enabled devices 

Device Highlights:

•    Mini USB WiFi Wireless N LAN 802.11n/g 150Mbps Adapter
•    Supports 64/128-bit WEP, complies with 128 bit WPA standard(TKIP/AES), supports MIC, IV Expansion, Shared Key Authentication, IEEE 802.1x.
•    Supports Windows XP / Vista / Win 7 /2000 LINUX,MAC OS.
•    Seamlessly compatible with 802.11b/g/n devices 

The software/driver installation was pretty straight forward, and it has a utility that lets operate in two modes-

• Access Point mode (to share computer’s connection with other WiFi  devices) and 
• Station Mode (to access another access point’s connection such as a WiFi  router’s connection).

Access Point Mode: to share internet connection from desktop computer via Wifi
This mode is when one have an internet connection on a computer, whether wired or via WiFi or via data card, the WiFi Adapter will share that available internet connection via an Access Point it created.

• Install the software that came with the WiFi adapter
• Open the software
• At control panel and setup the SSID for the Access Point
• Set the passkey for the Access Point

Station Mode: to receive WiFi from another Access Point
This is a good feature for devices such as desktop computer to connect to WiFi. If the software is installed, no need to setup anything. Just check for a WiFi signal in the tray icon and connect to the intended WiFi AP.