Ad Hoc Networking: How to Set Up Wireless Without a Router:

When I set up my wireless network, my computer gave me the option of setting up an "ad hoc" network. What is this and what would I use it for?

"Ad hoc" is a method by which multiple wirelessly enabled devices may communicate without needing a central hub, or base station. It's not the way most people use Wi-Fi in that it connects computers directly without the need for a router. Instead, ad hoc networks are primarily created for temporary use, as the Latin origin of the term, meaning "for this," implies. 

Say you had two laptops out in the field with no connection to the Internet. You could create an ad hoc network between the two to transmit files and share data. Although it is possible to connect to the Internet using an ad hoc network, it is generally used to connect to other devices. 

And it's not just for computers: Both the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS use ad hoc wireless networks to establish multiplayer games between players in the same room.

on Wednesday, 11 September 2013