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Vinay
Asked: 2010-10-30 09:12:50 +0800 CST

How do I create a wireless ad-hoc network?

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Whenever I need to copy some files and couldn't find a pen drive (I don't have bluetooth enabled in my laptop), I create a new ad-hoc wireless network in Windows and share the necessary files on the network and share files with the other system.

Now, I want to do the same with Ubuntu.

I can create a new network, but I am not able to share or send files.

I also don't know how to access the system connected to the network.

How can I do this?

networking wireless samba

3 Answers

  1. Do you have Samba installed? Run the following:

    sudo apt-get install samba

    Then you need to set up samba: http://www.samba.netfirms.com/addusers.htm

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  2. You just need to click the network icon, and choose "Create new wireless network" from the menu.

    A popup will come up asking you for a name and optionally a password. Once you are done, you can connect to this network using other systems as you would with Windows.

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  3. So, just to check, when you do this in Windows, you create a new ad-hoc network, set a folder shareable, and then move to another computer, connect to the Windows machine you just set up, and use Windows' "Network Places" to find the share and copy the files?

    If I have that right, then you should be able to do exactly the same in Ubuntu:

    1. Click the Network icon at the top, select Create New Wireless Network, give it a name and a password, and click Create. (I think you already did this anyway.)

    2. Open the file browser (it's called Nautilus, but you don't actually see that anywhere on screen ...). Basically it's what comes up when you click the Home Folder icon on the launcher.

    3. Navigate to the folder you want, and (this is the annoying bit) go up one level to that folder's parent. Then find the folder you want in the list, right click on it, and select Sharing Options from the menu.

    4. Set the folder to shared (and you probably want to allow guest access). When you check the box a window might pop up prompting you to install the sharing service. If you don't see anything, then you've already go it.

    5. Once everything is installed, and the folder is shared, it should show up on the network just like any windows share. It thing you have to restart for it to work properly though.

    Alternatively, if you want to see shares on other machines from Ubuntu, the Nautilus file browser can do that too, in theory. Just click Browse Network, and then Windows Network. I'm not sure, but I think you need samba installed to do this smoothly also, but maybe I've just been having other trouble. If you don't see anything on the network, then go to the file manager, open the File menu at the top, and select Connect to server (type is Windows share) - that pretty much always works for me.

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