Connecting laptops via Wi-Fi

Connect computers to the network in different ways. This can be a local network through a cable or, if there is a router in the room, then through it you can connect computers to a common network. If there is no router, then you can connect two laptops via Wi-Fi using their wireless adapters. It does not have to be Internet access.

The need for communication between devices arose with the development of technology, increasing the volume of information, expanding the use of computer technology. And if a stationary computer, as a rule, you need to buy a wireless communication module, then laptops usually have such built-in equipment.

How to connect wirelessly - in our new article

In laptops, the Wi-Fi module is usually combined with Bluetooth, which also allows you to exchange data between them, only at a lower speed, a limited distance and with low functionality. Wi-Fi allows you to configure a full-fledged local wireless network.

Connecting laptops with a router

Through a router, you can connect laptops and desktops to a shared local network, no matter how they are connected to the router — via Wi-Fi or a network cable. At the same time, each device will have its own IP address and Internet access, and they will also be able to exchange data between themselves. To connect two laptops with a router, do the following:

  1. We turn on the Wi-Fi-module on laptops. The router, of course, must also be turned on.
  2. In the Start menu, find the line "Computer" and right-click, open "Properties". The workgroup field on both laptops should have the same name. By default, this is usually a workgroup.

    In the properties, check the name of the computer and workgroup.

  3. Next, go to the "Network and Sharing Center" click "Create a homegroup", if it is not created. At the same time, in the Internet settings the “Home network” must be selected by the network type. If the group is already there, then immediately go to its settings.
  4. Mark the items that will be available to another device.
  5. Now you need to change the advanced sharing options, click on the appropriate link.
  6. Here you need to enable network discovery and allow other computers to access files and printers. Password protection is better off.
  7. Now go back to the "Control Center" and next to the current connection, click "Network Map". In the window that opens, you will see the communication scheme between the router, the Internet and two laptops connected to them. Just click on the desired icon.

By default, only a portion of the contents of the local disk is available. Full access must be configured manually:

  1. Right click on the folder or drive you want to access from another laptop.
  2. Go to the "Sharing" menu, then "Advanced Sharing", if it is a disk. Or in the sub-item “All users (read and write)”, if this is a folder.
  3. In the case of a disk, select the “All users” window that opens and tick all the permission items.

Specify users and set access rights

Thus, it was possible to connect individual computers to a local network and now you can move between laptops without restrictions and exchange information. In addition, both are connected to the Internet. With this method of connecting laptops to each other, there may be some difficulties, for example, connection errors, a password request, etc. Windows is very capricious in the field of security. Note the following:

  • Firewall and antivirus settings - they can block the connection. Disconnect completely to make sure they are not the problem.
  • Account Settings. Try creating accounts on both devices with the same username and password. Do not use an empty password. And you can also create a Guest entry and assign all permissions to it.
  • There are cases when problems arise, it would seem, because of such trifles as a mismatch of dates and times on 2 computers. Check this parameter just in case.

You can check the connection using the command line:

  • To start, in the "Network Map" window, move the mouse to the laptop icon and the window with its IP address will be displayed.
  • Click WinKey + R, enter cmd, the command line will appear.
  • Type the ping command and then the IP-address of the laptop after a space.
  • If the packet exchange is successful (which will be displayed in the command line), then the network is working.

If there is no loss, you did everything right.

Connection via the wireless module

If there is no router and you are out of Wi-Fi coverage, it is still possible to connect two laptops to a local network. In Windows Vista and higher, there is a special Connection Creation Wizard for this. Computers will communicate through the built-in wireless module, creating a Wi-Fi connection between them.

In this case, one laptop needs to be configured to transmit a signal, and the second one will receive it. Pay attention to their location, concrete walls and other obstacles create obstacles for broadcasting. To avoid mistakes, put both computers side by side, carry out the adjustment, and then experimentally determine how far they can be from each other.

Turn on the Wi-Fi module on both machines and start setting up the first laptop:

  1. Go to the "Network and Sharing Point". You can do this by clicking on the wireless network icon from the tray in the lower right corner.
  2. Start setting up a new connection.
  3. In the connection type, select Computer-to-Computer. Further, the system will explain to you that this is a temporary network for data transmission, and if you are already connected to a network, then perhaps the connection will be terminated. In addition, the OS will give advice to locate computers within 10 meters. But as said earlier, for customization it is better to put them closer.
  4. Further, by analogy with setting up Wi-Fi via a router, you will be asked to come up with an SSID, that is, the name of the network, select the type of encryption, and come up with a password. One of the most reliable is the WPA2 protocol, but it is possible and, in general, not to use password protection. If there are no other users within reach, you can connect your laptop without it. If you are in a public place, it is better to use encryption, otherwise outsiders may penetrate to your data.
  5. A window will appear to complete the setup process. The network is now stored in the list of possible connections and works while all users are in it.

Before you connect a second laptop, you need to change the data access settings. By analogy, how to configure the local network through a router, you need to go to the folder settings or the necessary drives and allow all users full access. Optionally, of course, you can allow, for example, only viewing files without modifying them. And also need to enable network discovery.

Now on the second laptop you need to search for Wi-Fi-networks, select the one you need and click "Connect". You will need to enter a password (the one that we created earlier), after which you can enter any files and folders to which access is allowed.

In this way, you can connect as many laptops as you like, not necessarily one. On the Wi-Fi-distributing computer, the tray will show the message “Waiting for users to connect”, indicating that the Computer-to-Computer network is ready to work.

Using the described simple steps, you can quickly transfer files from one device to another without using wires, flash drives, removable disks, even being somewhere outside the city outside the Internet connection zone. If you have a router in the room, it will be more logical to set up a permanent connection of all devices to each other. A full-fledged wireless LAN will allow you to work on different computers, edit and transfer documents, view photos and videos, provide many other features and eliminate the need for multiple rewrites to removable media.