Filed under: How-tos, Productivity, Tips and tricks, iPhone, Mac 101, iPhone 101, iPod touch
Mac 101: Create a wireless network between Mac and iPhone
Many applications require your Mac and your iPhone to be on the same wireless network in order to communicate properly or sync. Apple doesn't advertise the ability to use such applications without a wireless router... nor do many developers. It's not only possible, it works great in a pinch or even as a standard. A few quick examples:
- Be a makeshift DJ. I have a lot of music on in my iTunes Library. If there's something I or my friends want, I'll buy it and add it to the collection. Because of that, I get asked "Can you bring your music to the party tonight." I used to say no, because I didn't want to play DJ all night and miss out on the party. Now, I can setup a network anywhere I go and control my iTunes Library directly from my iPhone with Remote.app -- even play requests during a conversation.
- Keynote presenters unite! Creating a wireless network on your Mac frees you to worry about your presentation not the availability of wireless in the lecture room. Setup a network, connect and you're swiping through your slides.
- Sync applications anywhere, anytime. Victor just pointed this out today... if you're in an airport and need to sync some information from a desktop app to your iPhone, you don't need to pay for the airport wireless. Syncing apps like Bento, MacGourmet, Things, TextExpander or any other apps that sync over the network can update whenever you want without issues.
Click the AirPort icon in the menu bar and select "Create Network."
Name your network. In heavily populated areas, making the name unique would be a great idea. For this demo's purposes, I just named it "Josh's Laptop."
You have the choice to require a password. In all of my use, I've found that iPhone-to-Mac connections remain more stable if I require a password and select 40-bit WEP. Again, I'd suggest a wireless password in high-traffic areas like airports.
Click "OK" and it will create the network. That's it for the computer side.
Click "OK" and it will create the network. That's it for the computer side.
With your iPhone or iPod touch, open the settings app and tap "Wi-Fi." You should see the network you just created on your Mac. Tap it and allow it a moment to connect. I have never seen the "3G" go away next to the carrier logo when connected this way... so don't worry about waiting for the AirPort icon appear. Every app I've tested still recognizes that they're on the same network. Open an application and test.
I chose to open Remote.app and connected to my iTunes Library.
As you can see, it connected just fine. From here I can use the Remote as if the devices were on the same wireless network. Turning on the "Stay Connected" feature will always result in better stability. Without that on, I found it difficult to find the Laptop's Library after a few idle minutes on the iPhone.
For those of you who are wondering about distance, I have remained connected to the Laptop at well over 100 feet away. I did notice that everything is a little more stable within 100 feet. You are, after all, broadcasting a wireless signal with a device that's real purpose is to receive signal.
Your friends may never notice that you're able to do cool things without a wireless router... you could tell them OR just stand in amazement at your ability to blow your own mind with a Mac and an iPhone or iPod touch.
Please let us know of other amazing uses you find.
UPDATE -- Thanks to ZipperSeven, S, and Joseph, I'm happy to give you another cool use for your reading pleasure. Provided that you're connected to an internet connection via ethernet, you can just share that network to other computers using AirPort and it will allow your iPhone access to the internet when no other solutions are available. In System Preferences, go to Sharing - Internet Sharing - Share connection from Ethernet - To computers using Airport - Click Airport Options and set it up the same way as described in the post. Check the checkbox and confirm that you want to share the connection. That's it! This tip is only if you have an ethernet connection... otherwise I'd recommend following the steps in the post. Please read the comments for even more tips from our readers.
For those of you who are wondering about distance, I have remained connected to the Laptop at well over 100 feet away. I did notice that everything is a little more stable within 100 feet. You are, after all, broadcasting a wireless signal with a device that's real purpose is to receive signal.
Your friends may never notice that you're able to do cool things without a wireless router... you could tell them OR just stand in amazement at your ability to blow your own mind with a Mac and an iPhone or iPod touch.
Please let us know of other amazing uses you find.
UPDATE -- Thanks to ZipperSeven, S, and Joseph, I'm happy to give you another cool use for your reading pleasure. Provided that you're connected to an internet connection via ethernet, you can just share that network to other computers using AirPort and it will allow your iPhone access to the internet when no other solutions are available. In System Preferences, go to Sharing - Internet Sharing - Share connection from Ethernet - To computers using Airport - Click Airport Options and set it up the same way as described in the post. Check the checkbox and confirm that you want to share the connection. That's it! This tip is only if you have an ethernet connection... otherwise I'd recommend following the steps in the post. Please read the comments for even more tips from our readers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
BeyondtheTech said 11:17AM on 9-25-2009
NetShare works well with this very setup, if you were lucky to get it when it had it's brief stint in the App Store.
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Simian said 11:54AM on 9-25-2009
Sorry to reply to the first post, but has anyone else noticed the alignment of the WiFi 'tick' in the selection menu? (see first or second picture, next to the word CarrPort) It's too far to the right, compared with the date's drop-down menu for example.
I know it's extremely pedantic and nit-picky but does anyone know any way of moving it back a few pixels to how it was in Leopard?
Lumi said 11:19AM on 9-25-2009
Well blimey! This is a perfect find!
I JUST threw out my wireless access pint the other day and replaced it with cables; of course, my iPhone didn't have a network it could connect to anymore.
The thing I tried was Internet Connection Sharing in System Preferences. But... It just wouldn't do that. Why, I do not know. It wouldn't connect to the wireless network, or something like that.
Thanks! You solved my problem! :D
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Lumi said 11:26AM on 9-25-2009
Update: I Never get the wifi icon, and it regularly disconnects from the remote app, and Safari doesn't want to use WiFi at ALL.
So it works fine for said purpose, but I still need to get a solution for the wifi thing >:/
Josh Carr said 12:19PM on 9-25-2009
I don't think that you can use the internet connection from the Mac (via ethernet) and have it broadcast the signal to the iPhone. It definitely doesn't share it by default - You'd have to setup a specific share from Mac to iPhone to share the Connection. Here's what I tried and it failed to connect (however I did get an AirPort signal for once.)
I created the network on my Mac. Then went to System Preferences - Sharing - Internet Sharing... I chose to share my connection from Ethernet to computers using Airport. Then chose that network on my iPhone. I have an AirPort logo! But it doesn't work. I can't surf the web using the wireless connection I created no matter what I tried. That doesn't mean it's impossible - I just don't know how to do it.
:(
ZipperSeven said 1:09PM on 9-25-2009
@Josh:
No, this definitely works for sharing you Ethernet (if properly configured.)
This is great for sharing internet while traveling and getting a hotel that doesn't have in room wifi, only an Ethernet connection. It even works to share it to Windows machines.
It will *not* however, allow you to share a local network connection while the AirPort is already connected to another wireless network.
Josh Carr said 1:15PM on 9-25-2009
@Zipper,
What did you do to get it working? I hooked up via ethernet this morning to try it out and couldn't get an internet connection on my iPhone... sure I was connected via the created AirPort network, but I couldn't get anything to load in Safari -- even after setting up Internet Sharing.
I'd love to update the article with those instructions if you can explain the setup process that worked for you. Thanks!
S said 1:16PM on 9-25-2009
You can definitely do this; I often use my Mac as a wireless access point. But you are doing it wrong, I think. You should not first create a network as described in this article and then share it. Instead you should simply go to System Preferences -> Sharing -> Internet sharing, and select to share your ethernet connection to computers using Airport. If you want to configure the network, click the 'Airport options...' button which appears. The actual network will be created automatically.
I mostly use this with my iPhone as modem (living in Sweden this is supported for all iPhones), and then share this internet connection to other laptops e.g. in my country house with guests.
Josh Carr said 1:21PM on 9-25-2009
@Zipper, nm... I figured it out. Didn't realize that you have to the AirPort Network settings in the Sharing Pane as well. :/
Nick said 11:19AM on 9-25-2009
I have an early 2009 Mini and also had the mobile DJ idea... I even set up an AppleScript I can run from home before shutting it down which sets up the local network and gets everything ready to go, then using Mocha's VNC Lite (Free, iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284984448&mt=8) I can connect to do all the appropriate Setup/Shutdown tasks via Screen Sharing, and use Remote.app as mentioned in the article.
Lots of cool stuff!
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kalhua said 11:19AM on 9-25-2009
I have used this to connect 2 macs together to tranfser files from one to another computer in holidays where there were no wifi routers available and it worked great and fast !
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TrafficGuy said 11:29AM on 9-25-2009
OK...someone has to ask:
How about a similar walk-though in Windows. Most of our offices do not have WiFi and it would great to be able to use WiFi to piggy-back onto my WinXP laptop's wired connection.
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Josh Carr said 12:32PM on 9-25-2009
I'll see if I can work up something... unfortunately, it may be difficult to follow as I'd use Window 7 to demonstrate. Everything has changed drastically from XP to 7 (Vista on Steroids) when it comes to browsing in the Control Panel, but the networking example should be similar enough.
cmsb55 said 3:07AM on 10-03-2009
Lifehacker did something on this a few days ago...
http://lifehacker.com/5369381/turn-your-windows-7-pc-into-a-wireless-hotspot
Even though it says W7 it works for Vista too with a couple minor differences.
iBearTouch said 11:29AM on 9-25-2009
Filemagnet and the router free wireless network FTW! Great article, I am surprised someone didn't mention this sooner...
I had to do exactly what you described when at a hotel, without wi-fi a few months ago... Real easy to set up.
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jay said 11:31AM on 9-25-2009
I have used this with the keynote remote. I have noticed that that particular app won't recognize the connection unless the wifi symbol has replaced the 3G symbol.
What I have tended to do is to open Safari and then refreshed a blank screen and then the symbols swap. I am not sure why this has to be done. But in my experience it is a must.
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sam.kidzturn said 4:38PM on 9-27-2009
Thanks for the Safari/wifi logo trick!
iBearTouch said 11:34AM on 9-25-2009
When I get home I think I may do a test with some podcasts using Airfoil.
Speaking of Filemagnet, are there any file managing apps out there that support the Bluetooth chip on the ipod touch and iphone?
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Chris said 11:36AM on 9-25-2009
This is the best post on TUAW in months. Informative, useful, practical. Excellent!
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lhhanson said 11:41AM on 9-25-2009
I can't believe I never thought of this—can you use this to access internet on the iPhone via the computer as well (ie just using the computer as an access point for the iPhone) or is it just for apps like Remote and Keynote?
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