networking solution? is this possible? how?

[weltall]

Ok, laptops -

Mine - Dlink DWL G630 Rev C3 PCMCIA 802.11 b/g
Hers - newer Broadcom built into her Presario C502US

We grab internet from our neighbor who lets us, if the router were in the room my card could pick up to 700kb/s easy, but since it's through a wall or two... but her built in wireless card gets a much faster connection.

(It's not my version of linux... any version of linux is slightly better with my card than windows is. but still not a solid connection like her laptop)

can I connect the two some way wirelessly? can I hook up to hers and steal her internet connection? or can I run a ethernet cable to link ours together and get some way to nab better access? any ideas? thanks.

Her laptop has Vista on it, but probably not for long.

[tpl]

two parts to your question
1. how to hook 2 computers up wirelessly
(not hard, but try hardwired 1st)
2. how to use a direct (crossover) connection
to share an internet connection

when you say "vista but not for long" I hope you
mean, some version of *nix. Let us suppose so.

the secret is so-called IP-Masquerade, wherein the
machine with the net connection--dial-up, wired,
wireless, it doesn't matter--runs a short script
appended: you'll need to get appropriate kernel
modules and other facilities--whilst the 2nd
machine, that wants to piggyback, runs (as root)
this command:

route add -net 0.0.0.0 gw \
<whatever.IP.the.1st.machine.has>

there's not much to it. This machine is sharing a
connection w/ another, the other on wireless.

here's the script:

#!/bin/sh
# Basic firewall and forward/masquerade setup

PATH=/usr/sbin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin

# Delete/Flush old iptables rules
iptables -F
iptables -t nat -F
iptables -X

# Set up IP FORWARDing and Masquerading
iptables --table nat --append POSTROUTING --out-interface wlan0 -j MASQUERADE

echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
#
#on other machine
#route add -net 0.0.0.0 gw <appropriate.IP.addr>

[weltall]

sweet.

I've been showing her the happiness that is with the flavors of linux I could put on her laptop... I'm going to dual boot her laptop so she can play with it in her own time.