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Can my laptop with a 3G connection share its Internet via a Wifi router (Dlink DIR-615)?

If so, what should I set on my laptop, on my router or on the devices connecting to the router?

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How to configure a Wi-Fi router to share your computer's 3G data stick connection to everyone.

  1. Connect to the Internet on your 3G data stick.
  2. Plug your laptop to one of the router's LAN ports. Wait until the router connects correctly.
  3. Click Start > Control Panel > View Network status and tasks > Change adapter settings
  4. Right click the modem (or the connection where you get Internet from) > Status > Details. Write down the "IPv4 DNS Servers" on a piece of paper. Click Close once.
  5. Right click the Local Area Network > Status > Details. Write down the "IPv4 Default Gateway". Click Close > Close.
  6. Open the browser and type the IPv4 Default Gateway on the addressbar. Routers are all different so you need to figure out where to find and configure the following:
    • Review your wireless security settings. What is your SSID? What is your security key? Write this down.
    • Under WAN, choose "Static IP" instead of "PPPoE" or "Automatic - DHCP".
    • Under WAN, set the WAN IP to 192.168.137.2
    • Under WAN, set the Netmask to 255.255.255.0
    • Under WAN, set the Gateway to 192.168.137.1
    • Under WAN, set the DNS Server(s) to the "IPv4 DNS Servers" you got from step 4.
    • Click Save.
  7. Unplug your laptop from the router's LAN port and plug it to the WAN port. Wait until the router connects correctly.
  8. Go back to the "Network connection" screen on Step 4 > Properties > Sharing >
    • Check "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection."
    • Under Home networking connection choose "Local Area Connection"
    • Click OK then OK.
  9. Right click the Local Area Network > Status > Details. Is the IPv4 address "192.168.137.1"? If yes, then you're done! Tell everyone to connect to the wireless router and they will be online.

NOTE: There's a router-less method using "ad-hoc networks", but using a router provides more range and can handle more connected computers or wifi phones.

To put things back to before.

  1. Uncheck the "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection." on Step 7. Click OK.
  2. Unplug the laptop from the router's WAN port and plug it into one of its LAN ports.
  3. Open a browser and visit the "IPv4 Default Gateway" address you got from Step 5.
  4. Switch the WAN setting from "Fixed IP" back to "Automatic - DHCP". Save changes.
  5. You're done!

Only one more thing: Sometimes, after the configuration, it is necessary to restart your modem, computer and router. In one situation, I connected them in this way. Modem → My Computer → Router → all other devices (like laptop, network printer, other computer).

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    well done! and thanks for sharing your solution will definitely help someone in the future looking for a similiar solution. Dont forget to mark your reply as the answer.
    – rzlines
    Feb 6, 2011 at 12:11
  • For some reason, I was not able to comment,I just had a question for William C, I tried all of the above, but still the IP of my WAN remains the same, do I need to change the LAN IP range too? Becaue that's the IPv4 it is showing in my Network's status
    – devanshu_kaushik
    Jun 9, 2012 at 13:39
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Have you considered setting up an adhoc network.(you won't need a router to share your internet connection however I have not tried this with a 3G connection, it ought to work though) Here's how you do it in Windows XP and Windows 7.

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  • Good suggestion, rzlines, but I want to avoid #4. Am I making sense?
    – William C
    Feb 4, 2011 at 12:42
  • Can't figure what you meant by "avoid #4" @WilliamC
    – rzlines
    Feb 4, 2011 at 12:44
  • oh! you want to use DHCP @WilliamC hmm.. will try to see if there's a way around that
    – rzlines
    Feb 4, 2011 at 12:46
  • Also, I want to do this later on a desktop PC with no wireless card.
    – William C
    Feb 4, 2011 at 12:48
  • @WilliamC have a look at this article microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/… . An excerpt "The client computer(s) should now receive a private class, non-routable IP address in the 192.168.0.* address range via DHCP from the host computer and should have full Internet connectivity."
    – rzlines
    Feb 4, 2011 at 12:51

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