How to share a connection with only one, specified, machine?

[GinandTonic]

Any tips on where I should look for advice on how to share an internet connection from one computer but only with a single other machine?

Wired house network, but I want to use one of the other machines to let the laptop piggyback on it's internet via wireless. I realise I could just buy a wireless rooter but I'm moving in the spring and Im loath to spend £50.

Basically I need to be able so share the connection but ideally only with the single specified laptop. I would have thought something with MAC adresses would be possible, but I really dont know where to start looking.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

You havea wired network but want to share wireless internet? Either way then you'd need some sort of hub. Which in this case would be a router.

 

[GinandTonic]

You havea wired network but want to share wireless internet? Either way then you'd need some sort of hub. Which in this case would be a router.

I have a wired router. There are two desktops and a desktop-replacement laptop (perm wired to the tv to play internet tv) all hard wired to the network. I'm interested in using the laptop's wi-fi to let the netbook bellyback onto the net without having wires all over my flat.

It's a more of a pet project than anything else. If it was important I would just go and buy a new router with wi-fi, but since I am moving soon it's not really worth it.

So my problem is 1- how to get the (hardwired) laptop to allow the netbook to share it's connection and 2 - how to make sure that only the netbook can do so.

 

[Cutlass]

So my problem is 1- how to get the (hardwired) laptop to allow the netbook to share it's connection and 2 - how to make sure that only the netbook can do so.

They have to have the same wireless hardware. The software needs a password. The use of a password enables encoding of the signal so that no undesignated system can tap in.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Look in to changing your laptops wifi to AP mode. As in, setting it to transmit a signal as an Access Point, and then bridge the connection to the wired one.