Sharing internet over USB-- how hard?

[Black]

I need to head over for part two of setting up friend's new iMac-- she has a simple wired modem=> Ma(G4 MDD) internet connection; how hard is it to connect the new iMac to the G4 and use the G4's internet? Never tried this before.
Thx . . .

[MacArtist]

Wouldn't it be faster to set up a firewire network connection. Then you could set up internet sharing over the firewire network connection.

Unless this isn't possible with an earlier version of OS X.

Go to your Network area in system preferences. Click the "+" at the bottom of the network connections on the left hand side of the window and then select "firewire" for the interface.

Once that's completed, go to "Sharing" in system preferences and check "internet sharing". It will prompt you to share your connection from a source to computers using the firewire connection you established in the previous step.

[Black]

I dont have a FW 800 cable or adapter and have no way to get one at the moment (or i any nterest in owning one).

[Black]

So does USB internet sharing even exist?

[Seacrest]

Black wrote:
So does USB internet sharing even exist?

Not on my 10.6.3 MBP.
Only Airport, Ethernet, Bluetooth and Firewire.

[Winston]

If the G4 has AirPort that would be the easy way to do it. Same kind of setup MacArtist mentions in the Sharing System Prefs pane, but you need to set up a wireless network name and password.

The other options would include:
- adding an ethernet card to the G4 so there is a second ethernet port
- many DSL/cable modems now contain a router. If there's only one ethernet port you need an ethernet switch. If no router in the modem, you'd need a router.


Good luck.

- Winston

[Black]

Thanks.
No wireless in her modem.
Not buying or adding any hardware to get this done-- mostly because I don't have time or a way to get to anywhere to buy it.

Did MDDs have Airport cards built in? I don't think it did . . .

Got an unused router laying around but didn't bring it today.

Glad to know there's no such thing as USB internet sharing, thanks.

[kj]

You have to install a airport card in the mdd's. You can open it up real quick and see pretty easily whether one is installed or not. kj.

[Black]

Thanks-- pretty sure there's none then. The presence of AP in my iMac still feels like a novelty (I had the same MDD as her previously).

[Winston]

Black wrote:
Thanks.
No wireless in her modem.

While some modems do have wireless, that's not what I was referring to. When Earthlink gave us a new modem to fix some connection issues the new modem came with a built in wired router. Caused me some confusion until I figured that out, since we had a router in the mix with the old modem.

If her computer is not having to do a PPPoE connection (see the ethernet settings in the Network pane of System Preferences) then the modem probably has a router in it which is doing PPPoE and can connect multiple Macs. But you'd still need an ethernet switch to give you another ethernet jack, so no joy in your current situation. The old router would you have would also probably work with the routing disabled.


Good luck.

- Winston