This is the world of technological advancement. We have brought room-sized computers to our palms, and their use has increased exponentially. Laptops have become a basic necessity for every home. As hard as people are trying to eradicate the use of laptops and concise everything onto the mobile phone, laptops hold their own place in the work area.
The theory of technology boils down to connectivity. The easier it is to connect two devices, the smoother it becomes to connect people. In terms of networking, devices are people, and maintaining seamless connectivity between them is the first step in establishing a productive work atmosphere. There are a plethora of ways to connect two mobiles. Methods such as Bluetooth, WiFi hotspot, and USB tethering connects two mobiles easily. WiFi connectivity of the internet dominates the connection between two laptops. However, it becomes challenging for some to connect two laptops by unconventional means, such as not using a wifi router. The following steps would demonstrate the solution to this commonly accepted problem.
Ad Hoc Network connection
Establishing an Ad Hoc network connection comes handy to connect another device to your laptop. It is a device-to-device network that is on-demand. Instead of connecting to a router or a WiFi access point, an Ad Hoc Network connection lets you establish a wireless connection directly to another device. It is a decentralized network without any requirement of the existing establishment. Hence, it is also called peer to peer network.
Perks of establishing an Ad Hoc connection
- Most network establishments require devices and a humongous infrastructure, which might be expensive and unreliable at times. Using an Ad hoc connection can save you the trouble of arranging such devices as it is a decentralized network connection with no central managing device.
- It is impromptu and can be established on the user’s demand. It does not require any predetermined arrangement, as in the case of most other networks.
- Network failure is a significant issue in most networks, which impedes the work and productivity of a company. Ad Hoc networks do not generally fail.
- As mentioned earlier, it is created on-demand. Hence, in case of an emergency where a wireless network is to be used, the Ad Hoc connection can be established quickly.
Types of Ad Hoc Networks
- Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET)
- Smartphone Ad Hoc Network (SPAN)
- Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET)
- Wireless Mesh Network
- Wireless Sensor Network
- Disaster rescue Ad Hoc Network
- Army Tactical MENT
Establishing an Ad Hoc Network connection
Search for Control Panel and hit on “Network and Internet.”
In this section of the Network and Internet, choose “Network and Sharing center.”
Following this, click on “Set up a New Connection or Network.”
After this, a dialog box appears. From the available options, choose “Set Up a Wireless Ad Hoc (Computer-To-Computer) Network” and “Next.”
You will have to choose “Next” again. You will be asked a Network Name.
Choose “Security settings.”
Set a strong password that you would never forget. The type of security of WPA2-Personal. The password should contain 8-63 alpha-numeric characters with case-sensitivity. Moreover, you can manually select to hide your password characters by checking the “Hide Characters” dialog box.
Save this network for later.
After this, choose “Next,” and an Ad Hoc network will be formed for further use of the user. You will be shown a page of your Ad Hoc network settings just to ensure any further edits.
Hence, in the Network and Sharing Center, you can select the items that are needed to be shared.
For sharing an Internet Web Connection, choose “View Status” beside the connection you wish to share. Under the Activity tab, select the “Properties” button.
Choose the Sharing tab and click on the checkbox that conveys “Allow other Network Computers to connect through this computer’s internet connection.” You are required to select “Wireless Network Connection,” which is present under “Home Networking Connection.”
Following this, choose “OK.”
Other ways to connect two laptops
The connection between two or more laptops is practically useful in a place where a group of computers is present, and establishing a sharing medium between them would reduce the manual complex work. To save this trouble, establishing HomeGroup comes into the picture.
It is majorly used to share printers and files between a group of computers or laptops in-home or an enclosed area. This makes sharing simpler and smoother. Moreover, you can secure your HomeGroup by choosing a password of your choice. Hence, other people won’t see your files and documents without your permission. You can select specific folders and libraries to share in your HomeGroup and conceal your personal documents. This is available in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 7. Thus, HomeGroup can be another way to save manual work and be more advanced about sharing between laptops.
