Requirements:
Wireless Router & Power pack
1x Ethernet cable (RJ45 CAT)
2x wireless adapters (one for PC, one for Laptop) or x1 wireless adapter for the laptop, and another Ethernet cable to plug into the router (note: I have only tried this over wireless but I assume that would work too!)
1x PC, 1x Laptop
1x PCI or Equivalent Network Adapter installed in PC
Ethernet (wall) socket
Windows 2000, XP or Server 2003
Background info:
So, you've just got to university... and you have an Ethernet socket and a Ethernet cable... wireless? That's "impossible" I was told by the university. So great... you have a massive desktop... and you have you're laptop... you want to use your laptop on the net while you talk to your flatmates but you get told you can't. Well... that's not true. But with an hour or two of thinking and some coffee, I came up with a solution - and it works pretty well too.
The Hak:
Please note: These instructions are for XP, other installations will be pretty similar and will not be hard to work out what if anything is different/needs doing.
Step 1) Switch on PC, plug cable from wall socket in, then into the PC's network card.
Step 2) Install wireless cards/adapters on Laptop and PC.
Step 3) Switch on Router, make sure to setup the most encryption method it supports and configure wireless cards/adapters with appropriate settings.
Step 4) Check PC and Laptop both connect to the router properly.
Step 5) If all goes well, the PC and laptop will now have a wireless signal from the router. Time to setup the connection... On the PC, go to Control Panel > Network Connections, then click on "Create new connection". Click Next, then click "Setup an Advanced Connection" then Next, then check the "Accept incoming connections" option, click Next, click Next ignoring the following screen. Select the "Allow Virtual Private Connections" option, click Next. Select the users you want to be able to access the internet etc. click Next. Finally click Finish.
Step 6) Now on the Laptop, do the following, go to Network Connections again. Click "Create a new connection", click Next. Click "Connect to the network at my workplace" click Next. Click "Virtual Private Network Connection" click next. Give the connection a name, click Next. Type in the IP address of the PC (not laptop!), it will most likely be something along the lines of 192.168.1.2 you can check this by clicking Start > Run, typing cmd hitting enter, then typing "ipconfig" and hitting enter on the PC. Click Finish.
Step 7) Double click the connection you just made it will be under "Virtual Private Network" in Network Connections. Enter one of the usernames and passwords you allowed access to the connection from (Windows username and password for the PC not laptop!) hit connect. The laptop will connect to your PC, and forward the internet connection through the wireless over the VPN. Yay wireless internet for your laptop!
Hope this is useful & that it makes sence to you all!