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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Networking > Creating MacBook Pro Wi-Fi Hotspot On Airplane To Share Files To iPads

Creating MacBook Pro Wi-Fi Hotspot On Airplane To Share Files To iPads
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BoulderDash
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
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Sep 17, 2014, 01:58 AM
 
Hello,
I'm wondering if someone can tell me if the below is possible, and possibly how to accomplish it:

On a long-haul international flight with no Wi-Fi available on board, I would like to create a local Wi-Fi hotspot using my MacBook Pro. I would then like for my family's iPads to be able to jump onto said local W-Fi hotspot (via password) in order to be able to view the unprotected MP4 movies which are stored on the MacBook Pro. I am not interested in sharing access to the internet via my MacBook Pro, solely allowing access (over Wi-Fi, with a password) to the MacBook Pro's library of MP4s.

This way, I imagine that I can plug my MacBook Pro into the airplane's power outlet and then allow family members to connect to it over local Wi-Fi in order to view whichever unprotected MP4 movies they please (not all having to watch the same one). The MacBook Pro would then operate as a media server during the flight.

As far as the iPads are concerned, I believe that I would load Stratospherix FileBrowser onto them, enabling them to traverse the MacBook Pro's directories once they connect to it over local Wi-Fi.

As I have researched what it is that I'm trying to do, all articles that I've read have given details of how to do this... but using a Wi-Fi network onto which all devices would connect (such as at home or office). As I mentioned; our devices will not have access to a Wi-Fi network on the airplane, so I would instead like to create a local Wi-Fi network with my MacBook Pro.

If I have left some sort of detail out which would assist in anyone answering this, please just let me know. Thank you in advance!
BD
     
P
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Sep 17, 2014, 06:06 AM
 
You can create a local Wifi network by enabling "Internet sharing" in System Preferences. I believe that this should let other computers access drives shared from the Mac as well, although I have never tried it.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
ghporter
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Sep 17, 2014, 06:58 AM
 
So you're talking about your family members essentially "streaming" the movies from your MBP to their iPods? Your "hotspot" (actually more of an ad hoc network) will work.

You should check with the airline before you set it up while in flight or they may ask you to stop. If the flight doesn't have WiFi, the airplane may not be approved for wireless networks within the cabin. Not that you'll crash the plane or anything, but you could cause some interference, and you could certainly produce enough of a signal for it to be detected.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Waragainstsleep
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Sep 17, 2014, 07:39 AM
 
Internet Sharing would only share another connection from ethernet or a USB 3/4G modem to devices connected to your ad-hoc wifi.

You would need to choose "Create Network" from your Airport menu and give your hotspot a name and wifi password. Once that is active, you need to set an IP address in System preferences manually.
The following credentials will work:

IPv4 Address: 10.0.0.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Router: Leave blank

Then when you connect an iPad to it, you will need to go into the network details and switch that to manual from DHCP.

IPv4 Address: 10.0.0.2-254
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Router: 10.0.0.1

Each device needs the last digit of its IP address to be different from all the others. If the MacBook Pro is 1, then start at 2 and go up for each additional connecting device. Maximum is 254, but you will not be able to stream 253 MP4 movies at the same time over a wifi connection. How many you can stream will depend on the generations of your devices but assuming everything is wireless N or better, you shouldn't have a problem streaming several 2 or 3 SD movies. It will depend on the bit rate you encoded them with. 720p or better will obviously mean fewer simultaneous users.

There are probably a number of ways you can do the last bit. If you have a piece of software that works for you then you should be all set by this point. I used to have a web server type app that let me do this via a browser but it wasn't very stable so I gave up on it years ago. If you have to give a network address to connect to, it is of course the MBP on 10.0.0.1.

Best of luck.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
BoulderDash  (op)
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Sep 18, 2014, 12:52 AM
 
Thanks, everyone! Especially Waragainstsleep (which is what I'm waging right now).

I followed your instructions, but I just wasn't able to connect my iPad to my MacBook Pro and have it traverse the MacBook Pro's files system. There must be some wrinkle which I'm not seeing... but my time has run out for the moment. I may keep trying while on the airplane later today.

Thanks again!
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 18, 2014, 02:44 AM
 
Do you have file sharing enabled I the Macbook's sharing system preference pane?
     
   
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