Is it possible to set up your computer as a lan network?

[820]

Im trying to play a couple of games on a lan hosted by my wireless router, but for some reason I keep losing connection. Is it possible to set up your computer as a wlan network without buying any additional equipment?
Not talking about a lan connecton through a cable, want it wireless

[Richard]

Any wireless router should be able to provide a WiFi network. This applies independently of whether the router is connected to the Internet or is free standing without any WAN connection. Some routers have the option to block working between different wireless clients. If your router has this option, make sure it is disabled.

It is always worth trying setting the router on different channels to see if you are experiencing interference from other nearby networks.

To answer your question, some of the latest versions of Windows will provide a virtual router capability. However, all versions of Windows (from XP onwards) should offer a facility called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). To use ICS to provide the WiFi network you require, then the computer must have at least two network adapters. One must be the wireless adapter you want to use, the other typically will be an Ethernet adapter. Open the properties for this second (possibly Ethernet) adapter from Network & Sharing Center. In one of the tabs of the properties window, you should find the option to share this computer's Internet connection. Set this option and reboot the computer. You will need to set up the wireless network, which may have to be an Ad-hoc network. The computer will provide DHCP facilities for other computers.

A further approach could be simply to set up all the gaming computers in an Ad-hoc network without having one of the computers providing DHCP facilities. In this case, the various computers will have to be configured with static addresses, which must all be in the same sub-net, but each must be unique.

Finally, be aware that some tablet devices do not recognise Ad-hoc networks, and you have to rely on an Infrastructure network as is typically provided by a router.

I hope this helps.

[rowlfe]

The game console IS a server and the LAN is already set up for your client. What you have is a unreliable LINK to the server because you are using wireless. The ONLY silution is to fix the reliability of your connection, either by eliminating any interference to the signals, or somehow otherwise improving the signal strength OR by shifting to hardwire which has ZERO transmission errors. Wireless suffers from the "party line effect" which is a general slowdown of throughput, which is why your connection drops out. The wireless connection requires periodic "keep alive" packets, and for some reason, these packets are NOT getting through, so your wireless access point thinks you are no longer there and closes the connection. It is only doing what it is supposed to do, so you can't blame the device. If you are on a telephone and you do not hear anything for a while, you eventually give up and hang up, yes? That is exactly what the wireless access point is doing. Something as simple as a cordless telephone or a baby monitor can block wireless access points since it operates on the same frequencies. In all likelihood, you have neighbors also using wireless. Since wireless works like a party line, only ONE talks at a time while all others listen and wait for the line to clear. If your neighbor is talking on HIS connection, YOU have to wait for the line to clear, just as HE has to wait for YOU, thus slowing down your throughput as well as his, equally, for anything that is data intensive, like gaming... You are your own worst enemy when it comes to wireless reliability. WANT is not NEED. You have no NEED to be wireless. Wireless is a convenience, but is it worth the headache you are experiencing from the party line effect? WHY do so many people think wireless is an upgrade when in fact it generally is worse than hardwire to your router?