Sharing an Internet connection from a PC

Hi everyone,

I've recently purchased Macbook Pro, and encounter a problem of setting up its Internet connection in my college room. I already have a PC set up with Internet, and unfortunately the college does NOT allow us to connect additional computer to its network and does NOT allow us to set up our own wireless hotspot using existing connection.

So, I was told that you can use an ethernet cable to connect the Macbook Pro to a PC (which has the Internet connection), and hence share the PC's Internet connection. If so, can someone please explain step-by-step how I should configure the PC (Windows XP) and the Macbook Pro (Mac OS X 10.6) respectively.

Many thanks!

Why don't you remove the PC and use the new MacBook Pro instead? Internet connection sharing doesn't always work well and may in fact slow down both machines.

This LINK might provide some help in getting you started.

Go get yourself a wired router. Should cost a grand total of $30.

Its probably easier to set up the mac to share the internet.
Simply connect your mac to the internet, then go to system preferences and select "Sharing".

Click "Internet Sharing" in the list on the left. You might not be able to check it yet though.

Select what connection you want to share from, for example the connection from your airport or ethernet cable. then select if you want to share it via your airport, ethernet, etc.

Then check the "Internet Sharing" box and hit apply.

As stated above though this will probably slow down your internet somewhat.

technologist said:

Go get yourself a wired router. Should cost a grand total of $30.

Click to expand...

Excuse me for my poor network knowledge, but would it work with a simple network switch (which would directly connects to the ethernet socket in my college room and would also connect to both of my PC and MBP)

Or I need an actual wired router?

In addition, does this mean that I need to either register the MAC address of the switch/router with the college as now this is the device that connects to the college network? Or, can I change the MAC address of the switch/router using some admin setting?

Many thanks.