Sharing an Internet Connection on a Mac Network

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Network Setup

Using a hardware router to share your Internet connection

Software Routers

Software that can share your Internet connection

Mac-to-PC Sharing

Things you need to know about sharing the Internet across multiple platforms

Sharing an Internet Connection

Connecting more than one computer to a home Internet connection is increasingly common and not that difficult to do. There are a variety of products that share Internet connections, both hardware devices and software programs. They're known collectively as routers.

Hardware Routers
Hardware routers connect to your Internet connection directly and share it to a network. You typically use hardware routers to share high-speed Internet (cable, DSL). The router connects to the incoming signal and translates the network addresses so your whole network looks like a single address to the Internet, enabling access for each networked computer. Pros: Easy setup, no host Mac required. Cons: Usually more expensive than software.

Software Routers
Software routers run on a "host" Mac that is already connected to the Internet and to a home network. The software translates the incoming Internet data, sorting it and passing it along to the proper computer on your internal network. Pros: Usually less expensive than hardware. Cons: Takes more work on initial setup, requires host Mac.

Mac-to-PC Sharing
The Internet is platform-independent, so routers can typically share an Internet connection to Macs and PCs alike. This page lists some PC-specific software routers that you may encounter or use when sharing an Internet connection to a mixed-platform network.

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