connecting a mac to windows via ethernet

hiya hopefully this is in the right place sorry if its not

what i have is a macbook running snow leopard
all updates etc are latest out

i connect to the internet via the airport wirelessly using a wifi connection that i have to enter a password for
it costs me quite alot of money each year but its the only internet i can get apart from usb mobile rubbish things

my wife has a windows notebook (i know she has to use it for work)
she has windows 7 all the latest updates etc are ok

what i want to do is connect her lapy to mine so she can use my internet connection as i only have the 1 wireless coming in
(we live on a boat so can't have wired)
what i have done is made up a crossover cable as told

but i can't seem to connect properly with it
the most i have got is files etc but it said no internet connection is available

i'm baffled as to what to do
i have been in sys pref and enabled internet sharing and file sharing and
i have done share my airport to my ethernet

any ideas what i should be doing please or what settings i need to use

many thanks steve

does anyone visit this forum?
or has this topic baffled everyone as well as me lol

Do you have airport express or airport extreme?
Did you install Airport utility on your wife's laptop?
I am using airport extreme with MacBook Pro and Windows 7. PC is connected to airport via ethernet as it is not wireless. However I have regular modem, airport using DHCP
I don't have any experience connecting directly with wifi, but I can see my neighbours wifi's and if they were not protected I guess I could access theirs, therefore your wife should be able to access yours if airport utility is on her laptop.
Do you input your password for wifi on your computer or is it remembered on airport? Also my experience with Windows 7 and internet - first few days only - after installing - had to disable then enable the network device before internet available.

What u want to do is possible but outside the scope of my advice - Spend the $15 here and i am sure you will find your answer.

i have airport extreme
no i haven't installed anything on my wife windows 7 pc
i was told that you can't connect 2 thing to an airport connection
which is why i'm using ethernet cable

My airport extreme is connected to my apple tv via ethernet (speedier updating of photos etc.) sony ps3 (wireless), WII (wireless) my PC via ethernet, as well as my MBP (wireless unless syncing apple tv then ethernet) Install airport utility on your wife's laptop and go from there.

my wifes is a window pc
she has wireless so where do i get the airport from that'll work it?

Your airport extreme came with an install disk and a setup guide. The CD installs on either a mac or windows. In part of one manual it says the Utility "walks you through the setup process and then transfers the settings to the wireless device". Try going to Apple - Support - Manuals for further info.

I maybe barking up the wrong tree here, but...why do you need to share your mac internet connection with your wife's PC? If you are using AE (and have created a wireless network through its utility menu), you wife's laptop should pick-up that network independently, and should be able to connect wirelessly - AE can take more than one wireless client...you shouldn't need to install the Airport software on the laptop, unless you specifically want to manage the airport extreme from the windows laptop?

i was told that if airport was being used for incoming it couldn't be used for outgoing
do you know what settings i'll need
thanks steve

when i click on share my connection from airport the only options i have are ethernet and firewire

Hi steve - before i respond with the right settings, can you just confirm how your network is setup please? From router/DSL onwards....

i don't have a router at all
the only connection i have is a wifi one
i live on a boat in a holiday park so can't have wires etc coming in
the park has wifi and we pay for 1 connection
which you have to put a could in once connected
so i use my AE to connect
hence why i want to connect wife's pc to my mac directly rather than her using her own internet connection

The penny drops....

Personally i would setup an ad-hoc network on your wife's laptop using ICS, and then connect the Mac to that (so the mac becomes the 'client') - it's much easier to setup initially. If it 'floats your boat', here's how to do it through Windows:

1. Browse to 'Control Panel' and then 'Network and Sharing Center'
2. On the left hand pane, click on the 'setup a Connection or network'
3. Select 'Setup a wireless ad-hoc (computer-to-computer) network'>click 'Next'
4. Give your SSID a name (Home Network etc)
5. Choose 'WEP' as the security type
6. Type in a 13 digit code for the security key/passphrase (alphanumeric)
7. Save the Network
8. Now goto the Mac>Find the SSID through Airport and connect to your ad-hoc network, ensuring you type the same passphrase as setup through windows when prompted.
9. That's it! You are now sharing your network, and internet connection....

Remember: the windows laptop (or whatever unit is actually connected to the paid for wireless) will need to stay on and connected whilst using the ad-hoc network.

Hope this helps...

well i tried
and neither laptop will connect to the internet and the homegroup at the same time
any other ideas?????

Well, i f i'm away and have to use a hotel's wifi etc (i.e. no ethernet to the room), i have been able to share my internet connection by the following:

1. Mac connected to hotel wifi>
2. Share internet (via ethernet) through network preferences
3. Ethernet from mac to an Airport Express>
4. Create wireless network on AEX>
5. Clients connect to created network (through AEX)

Obviously this requires an AEX to work successfully (or any other wireless router), but is a proven method.
The murkier method to achieve what you want is to mirror the 'MAC' addresses on both laptops/Mac using 3rd party software like 'Macshift' - this mean both could connect using the same wireless access code you are given (the broadcasting 'router' cannot differentiate between the two machines) - i don't recommend this though!

Invest in an AEX and set it up as described above....

Good luck!

Duplicated the above - sausage fingers!

Could it be the marina wifi doesn't allow sharing? This sounds like trying to connection share the wifi at the mall -- not sure that would work either. He said they "pay for 1 connection." Could the marina control access to prevent ICS?

I would say that is exactly the case - hence why only one of the machines can connect to the WiFi AP - the marina control access via the 'MAC' address of the machine that joins the network.

However, it's what you do after this that dictates whether you can share the connection or not i think - as the mac is used to join the Access Point (and therefore the host WiFI registers that mac's 'MAC' address against the connection), connecting a wireless router (AEX) via ethernet to the mac does not interfere with this connection or the limit of one machine per connection to the AP - it just allows other 'clients' to share the connection....

The theory sounds good anyways!

Bonjour for Windows

I may be way off base here, but have you installed Bonjour for Windows on your pc? We couldn't network anything between our mac and pc until that was installed and then...worked instantly. Worth a shot.