Connecting iPhone to Mac Pro via wifi

Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I have a Mac Pro and connect to the internet via wifi at the marina where I live on a boat. I can only have one device at a time connected to the internet but I also have an iPhone. I have been told that I can connect my iPhone to the internet through the Mac Pro connection so that I can have both devices connected at the same time. Can anyone tell me how to do this?
 
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
Messages
8,967
Reaction score
287
Points
83
Location
London
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini Core i7 2012 | White 2009 MacBook 2 Ghz | 733 Mhz G4 Quicksilver
 menu > System preferences > Sharing > Internet sharing
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
1,346
Reaction score
50
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
21" iMac * 2.8 Ghz Intel Core i7 * 16GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 * 1TB HD *AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 MB
Did you select the wifi signal on your iPhone?
 
OP
N
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Wifi

I got as far as the sharing folder in systems. I selected wifi for the PC but then it does not give you the option to connect to the iPhone with wifi. To get that option you have to select Ethernet cable for the PC & the computer is not & cannot be connected via an Ethernet cable as I do not have that option on the boat. I was told I can connect to the iPhone via bluetooth. I have paired the phone with the computer but cannot actually get them to connect.
I tried selecting the Ethernet option for the PC, created a net work & then selected the wifi to connect to the phone. I was able to find the network on my iPhone & connected to it. However it then did not allow me to connect to the Internet on the mac at the same time as the iPhone & I want to be connected to the Internet on both devices at the same time.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
Messages
4,744
Reaction score
381
Points
83
Location
USA
Your Mac's Specs
12" Apple PowerBook G4 (1.5GHz)
You cannot simultaneously use a computer's wi-fi connection to connect to the Internet and share that connection to other devices. Likewise, you cannot simultaneously connect an iPhone to a wi-fi network and share that network as a hotspot.

As you've found, If you had a wired ethernet connection, you could use the computer's wi-fi to share that with your phone. Or, if your service plan allows it, you can share your phone's 3G connection through your phone's hotspot feature to your computer. But you cannot share a wi-fi connection over the same wi-fi interface.

So far as I know, the iPhone does not support using a Bluetooth internet connection from another device. Apple just does not enable that functionality. Again, some service plans allow you to share a phones 3G connection over bluetooth, but I don't believe it's possible with wi-fi on any iPhone.

If you had a second wi-fi interface (such as a USB wi-fi module) you could connect to the marina's network using that interface and then share it out using the AirPort interface. That is the only way this could be done.
 
OP
N
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Wifi

Thanks Technologist, I figured that was the case. I was informed in an Apple store that I could do it by making my Mac Pro the router & connecting to the iPhone by bluetooth enabling both devices to be connected to the Internet at the same time but this does not seem possible. I had thought about getting the airport connector but that is quite pricey if it didn't work.
Could you explain your last bit as an idiot guide as I am a doughnut where computers are concerned.
I don't have a service plan or land line connection & have free access to the marinnas wifi. Our problem was there are 3 of us on board all with iPhones & computers but we can only log one device in at a time & I was trying to find a way where we could log one device in & then piggyback the other devices off that one so we could all be connected at the same time. Any other suggestions?
 
C

chas_m

Guest
I have a Mac Pro and connect to the internet via wifi at the marina where I live on a boat. I can only have one device at a time connected to the internet but I also have an iPhone. I have been told that I can connect my iPhone to the internet through the Mac Pro connection so that I can have both devices connected at the same time. Can anyone tell me how to do this?

As explained above, you can't -- since your Mac Pro is dependent on Wi-Fi.

I'm confused by the second sentence in this post -- why exactly can't you have multiple devices on the marina's Wi-Fi?
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Colorado is home, Working in Kuwait
Your Mac's Specs
Late 2011 15" MBP, OSx 10.8.4, Ipad 64g (2012), Iphone 4S, Ipod Nano
So far as I know, the iPhone does not support using a Bluetooth internet connection from another device. Apple just does not enable that functionality. Again, some service plans allow you to share a phones 3G connection over bluetooth, but I don't believe it's possible with wi-fi on any iPhone.

I currently work in Kuwait and I use my Iphone 4s as a Hotspot all of the time via Bluetooth or USB, I connect My Macbook Pro and My Ipad3 using these settings I use bluetooth while I am charging my iphone to the wall outlet and when I'm not I use it tethered via USB. I use this connect to download items in Itunes or surf the net works just like a wifi connection. I doesnt use the bluetooth as a connection it connects using bluetooth. Bluetooth only allows one device at a time though.

Just FYI.
 
OP
N
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
wifi

Thanks folks for your comments.

chas_m The marina only allows us one device to be logged in at one time. Its just their policy. If one of us is logged in on our iPhone & another one of us on our boat logs in, it kicks the other one off. It must be the way they have it set up here. Some marinas allow more than one device, this one does not.

Goavs18 thanks for that, I can't seem to get the Mac Pro to connect to the iPhone via the bluetooth. Both devices have found each other but the Mac Pro goes to connect and them immediately disconnects. Maybe I have something set up incorrectly on the Mac Pro? I could then exchange data via bluetooth but it still doesn't solve the problem of more than one device logged on.

I can apparently buy an antenna, ethernet cable and router (net gear) and set this up and we could all then use the one wifi from the marina. It was a tad expensive so I was trying what I thought would be a cheaper option first but it seems it is not possible.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Colorado is home, Working in Kuwait
Your Mac's Specs
Late 2011 15" MBP, OSx 10.8.4, Ipad 64g (2012), Iphone 4S, Ipod Nano
Thanks folks for your comments

Goavs18 thanks for that, I can't seem to get the Mac Pro to connect to the iPhone via the bluetooth. Both devices have found each other but the Mac Pro goes to connect and them immediately disconnects. Maybe I have something set up incorrectly on the Mac Pro? I could then exchange data via bluetooth but it still doesn't solve the problem of more than one device logged on.

when you turn your personal Hotspot on your iPhone, go to your Macbook Pro and click on your bluetooth, under devices your iPhone should show up, highlight it and it will show connect to network click it and it should connect to your personal hotspot via your bluetooth. hope this helps. you aren't connecting bluetooth to bluetooth, you are using the bluetooth on the MBP to connect to your hotspot.
 
OP
N
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
wifi

Hi thanks for that, I could not find HOTSPOT on my phone so googled it and it seems I will need to get in touch with my carrier to enable this.
 
C

chas_m

Guest
Goavs: you missed a crucial point in your post -- Nauticalannie doesn't have a data plan. She was trying to avoid that.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Colorado is home, Working in Kuwait
Your Mac's Specs
Late 2011 15" MBP, OSx 10.8.4, Ipad 64g (2012), Iphone 4S, Ipod Nano
OP
N
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Two of us have an iPhone 4 (32gb) & one of us has a iPhone 3. The Mac Pro was new in November 2011
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
Perhaps something like an Airport Express or TP-Link Micro Router is what you need.

Connect the AE to the marina wifi - connect the ethernet from the AE to the Mac Pro then create your own wifi network on your MacPro that all your phones can connect to
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top