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I'm using a MacBook, and I would like to share my Wifi without letting others know my wifi password.

So I thought: is it possible to recieve a Wifi on the MacBook AND at the same time share my internet connection like it was a different hotspot?

I mean: in the Sharing panel of the settings, you can share your Ethernet connection over to your Wifi adapter, or you can share you Wifi connection to your ethernet adapter: is it possible to do a Wifi to Wifi sharing?

Wifi Network A → Mac → Network B → Users

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  • Not possible on the same network interface due to design of WIFI itself. Possible to share network connection if you have an additional WIFI antenna - for example on USB. You could then share network from one interface to the other.
    – mnmnc
    Jan 10, 2013 at 11:56
  • WIFI is a communication protocol that uses CSMA/CA - collision avoidance. Router in network 1 is receiving from one client at the time. If you would share your connection directly on the same interface - router from network one would not have an idea if someone is sending on the network two that you've created. If you share your connection to other antenna - you are creating a second wifi router on your computer and you are responsible for collision avoidance in the network two. Hope this is clear.
    – mnmnc
    Jan 10, 2013 at 12:02
  • More in the topic here : tutorialspoint.com/wi-fi/wifi_access_protocols.htm
    – mnmnc
    Jan 10, 2013 at 12:03

2 Answers 2

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Actually it IS possible. Connectify allows to use the same Wifi adapter to simultaneously receive and broadcast through an AP. Still, this is a PC/Windows software, not a Mac software. Probably there are other software out there that works on OSX.

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To put it in a short way: No, it's not possible.

Your Mac only allows you to share a connection through a connection that isn't used yet. Your Wi-Fi adapter cannot connect to and create a network at the same time. For example, if you're connected via Wi-Fi, you can only share that connection to other devices using your Ethernet port, and vice-versa.

A possibility would be to buy a wireless access point (or wireless router) and connect its LAN port to your Mac's Ethernet port. Then you connect to the WiFi with the MacBook and share that connection through Ethernet to the wireless access point. You can then configure the access point to create a different network than the one you originally connected to.

Or buy a USB wireless adapter, which you use to connect to the existing Wi-Fi network. Then, share this network through your internal Wi-Fi adapter.

Alternatively it might be easier to just replace the current Wi-Fi router/access point you're connecting to with one that offers a guest network, i.e. one that doesn't require a password to connect to. These are dual-band routers, since they allow you to create two networks. Read more here: Run Your Home Network Like a Coffee Shop for Easier Guest Access and Family-Friendly Browsing

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  • I'm pretty sure it could be done with USB wifi antenna to create a hotspot directly on the computer and share the other wifi connection with the USB one. There is no problem with sharing the internet connection between two NIC (network cards) and the USB wifi would be visible exactly like the second network card. 100% possible on PC - i have no reason to belive there is a limitation for such solution on MAC.
    – mnmnc
    Jan 10, 2013 at 12:17
  • True, there are enough USB network adapters that work on Macs.
    – slhck
    Jan 10, 2013 at 12:20

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