Setting laptop with wired connection as a wireless access point

[fbrdphreak]

Here's my situation:

Wired cable internet connection
Available laptop (will call it Access Point Laptop) running Vista Business with wired & wireless NIC's
Two client laptops running Vista
Third client laptop with XP that is locked out of connecting to ad hoc networks (corporate security policy)

I want to take the Access Point Laptop, connect it to the modem, and have it act as a wireless access point for the other 3 laptops.

I have sort of already accomplished this. I shared the ethernet connection and then created an ad hoc network. This works okay. The main problems with this are:

(1) Whenever no laptops are connected to the ad hoc, it shuts down and I have to restart it on the Access Point Laptop.

(2) My work laptop running XP is locked out of connecting to ad hoc networks.

Is there a way I can create a good old wireless network, not ad hoc, using the Access Point Laptop? Preferably encrypted but not 100% necessary. TIA

 

[spidey07]

No. The wireless signal from a wireless client card contains information that it is not an access point - it's an ad hoc network. The only way I could see this being done is some weird hacking of the actual radio on the Access Point Laptop. You'd have to write your own firmware for the radio/client card or put something on there.

 

[Athena]

Why not get an actual access point?

 

[fbrdphreak]

I just moved, left the router at the old place and it's being mailed, need an interim solution. I guess the ad hoc will work well enough.

 

[kevnich2]

The way your trying to do this, you need a router. You can't make a laptop with wireless act as a router the way your trying to do it. If you need something like that now, go to a store and buy another wireless router or buy one online and wait for it to come in, no way around it.